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20-September-2008 09:29:03 - Wolfberry Wolfberry is also another name for the western snowberry, Symphoricarpos occidentalis. Wolfberry Lycium barbarum fruits Lycium barbarum fruits Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Lycium Species Lycium barbarum L. Lycium chinense Mill. Lycium halimifolium Mill. synonym for L. barbarum Lycium ovatum Loisel. synonym for L. chinense Mill. var. chinense Lycium turbinatum Veill. or Loisel. synonym for L. barbarum Lycium vulgare Dunal synonym for L. barbarum Wolfberry is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum Chinese: 寧å¤?枸æ?ž; pinyin: NÃngxià gÇ’uqÇ? and L. chinense Chinese: 枸æ?ž; pinyin: gÇ’uqÇ?, two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae which also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, deadly nightshade, chili pepper, and tobacco. Although its original habitat is obscure probably southeastern Europe to southwest Asia, wolfberry species currently grow in many world regions.1 Only in China, however, is there significant commercial cultivation. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Germplasm Resources Information Network,2 it is also known as Chinese wolfberry, goji berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll's tea tree,3 or matrimony vine.4 Unrelated to the plant's geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use5 in the health food market for products from this plant. Contents 1 Significance 2 Description 2.1 Leaves and flower 2.2 Fruit 3 Etymology 4 Cultivation 4.1 China 4.1.1 Pesticide and fungicide use 4.2 Tibetan goji berry 4.3 Importance of cultivar 4.4 United Kingdom 4.4.1 Importation of mature plants 4.5 Uses 4.6 Medicinal 4.7 Safety issues 4.8 Culinary 5 Nutrient content 5.1 Macronutrients 5.2 Micronutrients and phytochemicals 5.3 Ningxia wolfberries 5.4 Functional food and beverage applications 6 Marketing 6.1 Commercial products marketed outside Asia 6.2 Marketing claims under scrutiny in Europe 6.3 Marketing claims under scrutiny in Canada and the United States 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External links 9.1 Botanical databases 9.2 Medical databases 9.3 News stories 9.4 Video and Pictures 10 See also Significance Renowned in Asia as a highly nutritious food, wolfberries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for about 1,900 years Gross et al., 2006. Their undocumented legend, however, is considerably older, as wolfberries are often linked in Chinese lore to Shen Nung Shennong, China's legendary First Emperor, mythical father of agriculture, and herbalist who lived circa 2,800 BC. Since the early 21st century in the United States and other such developed countries, there has been rapidly growing recognition of wolfberries for their nutrient richness and antioxidant qualities, leading to a profusion of consumer products. Such rapid commercial development extends from wolfberry having a high ranking among superfruits67 expected to be part of a multi-billion dollar market by 2011.89 Description Lycium barbarum illustration from Flora von Deutschland, by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany. Lycium barbarum illustration from Flora von Deutschland, by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany. Wolfberry species are deciduous woody perennial plants, growing 1-3 m high. L. chinense is grown in the south of China and tends to be somewhat shorter, while L. barbarum is grown in the north, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and tends to be somewhat taller. The botanical division named to the upper right, Magnoliophyta, identifies plants that flower and the class Magnoliopsida represents flowering plants Dicotyledons with two embryonic seed leaves called cotyledons appearing at germination. The order Solanales names a perennial plant with five-petaled flowers that are more or less united into a ring at the base; well-known members of the order include morning glory, bindweed, and sweet potato as well as the plants of the Solanaceae, mentioned below. Lastly, Solanaceae is the nightshade family that includes hundreds of plant foods like potato, tomato, eggplant, wolfberry, peppers paprika, crop commodities tobacco, and flowers petunia. Although the Solanales includes many plant foods, some members are poisonous for example belladonna. Leaves and flower Wolfberry leaves and flower Wolfberry leaves and flower Wolfberry leaves form on the shoot either in an alternating arrangement or in bundles of up to three, each having a shape that is either lanceolate shaped like a spearhead longer than it is wide or ovate egg-like. Leaf dimensions are 7 cm long by 3.5 cm wide with blunted or round tips. One to three flowers picture occur on stems 1-2 cm in length. The calyx eventually ruptured by the growing berry is comprised of bell-shaped or tubular sepals forming short, triangular lobes. The corolla are lavender or light purple, 9-14 cm long with five or six lobes shorter than the tube. The stamens are structured with anthers that open lengthwise, shorter in length than the filaments picture. In the northern hemisphere, flowering occurs from June through September and berry maturation from August to October, depending on latitude, altitude, and climate. Fruit Close-up, ripe wolfberries, Zhongning County, Ningxia, China Close-up, ripe wolfberries, Zhongning County, Ningxia, China These species produce a bright orange-red, ellipsoid berry 1-2 cm long11 photo. The number of seeds in each berry varies widely based on cultivar and fruit size, containing anywhere between 10-60 tiny yellow seeds that are compressed with a curved embryo. The berries ripen from July to October in the Northern hemisphere. Etymology Wolfberry is the most commonly used English name, while gÇ’uqÇ? 枸æ?ž is the Chinese name for the berry producing plant. In Chinese, the berries themselves are called gÇ’uqÇ?zi 枸æ?žå?, with zi meaning seed or specifically berry. Other common names are the Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree3 and matrimony vine.4 Rarely, wolfberry is also known in pharmacological references as Lycii fructus, meaning Lycium fruit in Latin. Although origin of the common name wolfberry is undefined, it may have derived from the Greek word for wolf, lycos λÏ?κος, first applied to tomato Solanum lycopersicum with derivation of 'lyco' as wolf, plus 'persicum' as peach, i.e., wolf-peach by Carolus Linnaeus in 175312, the same year Lycium barbarum was entered into botanical nomenclature. Botanically related to tomato in family Solanaceae, wolfberry may have assumed its name from the more common, larger berry, tomato - the wolf-peach. Why Linnaeus named tomato after the wolf remains unknown. In the English-speaking world, goji berry has been widely used since the early 21st century as a synonym for wolfberry. While the origin of the word goji is unclear, it is probably a simplified pronunciation of gÇ’uqÇ?, the Mandarin name of the plant, developed by those marketing wolfberry products in the West. Lycium, the genus name, is derived from the ancient southern Anatolian region of Lycia Λυκία.10 Interpreters of botanical nomenclature believe barbarum, the species name, indicates that the wolfberry was of foreign origin, perhaps originating outside Anatolia or China, or was deemed a plant not native to the region where it was first discovered. Together, these names are used as specific botanical identifiers in binomial nomenclature for which barbarum is the specific epithet. The end abbreviation, L., refers to Linnaeus, who described the species in 1753 in Species Plantarum. L. chinense was first described by the Scottish botanist Philip Miller in the eighth ion of his The Gardener's Dictionary, published in 1768. In Japan the plant is known as kuko クコ and the fruits are called kuko no mi クコã?®å®Ÿ or kuko no kajitsu クコã?®æžœå®Ÿ; in Korea the berries are known as gugija hangul: 구기ìž?; hanja: 枸æ?žå?13; in Vietnam the fruit is called ká»· tá» æ?žå?, cẩu ká»· 枸æ?ž, cẩu ká»· tá»æž¸æ?žå? but the plant and its leaves are known more popularly as củ khởi; and in Thailand the plant is called găo gèe เà¸?๋าà¸?ี่. In Tibetan the plant is called dre-tsher-ma , with dre meaning ghost and tsher-ma meaning thorn; and the name of the fruit is dre-tsher-mai-dre-bu , with dre-bu meaning fruit. Cultivation China Ripe wolfberries, Zhongning County, Ningxia, China Ripe wolfberries, Zhongning County, Ningxia, China The majority of commercially produced wolfberries come from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of north-central China and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China, where they are grown on plantations. In Zhongning County, Ningxia, wolfberry plantations typically range between 100 and 1000 acres or 500-6000 mu in area. Cultivated along the fertile aggradational floodplains of the Yellow River for more than 600 years, Ningxia wolfberries have earned a reputation throughout Asia for premium quality sometimes described commercially as red diamonds.14 Government releases of annual wolfberry production, premium fruit grades, and export are based on yields from Ningxia, the region recognized with: The largest annual harvest in China, accounting for 42% 13 million kg, 2001 of the nation's total yield of wolfberries, estimated at approximately 33 million kg 72 million lb in 2001. Formation of an industrial association of growers, processors, marketers, and scholars of wolfberry cultivation to promote the berry's commercial and export potential. Ongoing horticultural research conducted on the wolfberry plant at the Ningxia Research Institute, Yinchuan see References: Gross et al., 2006, chapter 9. The nation's only source of therapeutic grade superior-grade wolfberries used by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.15 In addition, commercial volumes of wolfberries grow in the Chinese regions of Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei. The oblong, red berries are very tender and must be picked carefully or shaken from the vine into trays to avoid spoiling. The fruits are preserved by slowly drying them in the shade on air exchange tables or by mechanical dehydration employing a progressively increasing series of heat exposure over 48 hours. Wolfberries are celebrated each August in Ningxia with an annual festival coinciding with the berry harvest it was first held in Ningxia's capital, Yinchuan, but is now held in Zhongning County, an important center of wolfberry cultivation for the region.16 China, the main supplier of wolfberry products in the world, had total exports generating US$120 million in 2004. This production derived from 82,000 hectares farmed nationwide, yielding 95,000 tons of wolfberries.17 Pesticide and fungicide use Organochlorine pesticides are conventionally used in commercial wolfberry cultivation to mitigate destruction of the delicate berries by insects. Since the early 21st century, high levels of pyrethroid insecticide residues including fenvalerate and cypermethrin and fungicide residues such as triadimenol, have been detected by the United States Food and Drug Administration in some imported wolfberries and wolfberry products of Chinese origin, leading to the seizure of these products.18 Due to the demand for organic products in the West, some Chinese growers are beginning to experiment with integrated pest management and to explore the possibility of obtaining organic certification, something that has not yet been publicly disclosed for Chinese wolfberry farms and products. Some Western resellers may state that their wolfberries are organically grown when in fact they are not. The Green Certificate claimed by some wolfberry marketers to be the equivalent of the United States Department of Agriculture's USDA Organic seal19 is in actuality simply an agricultural training program for China's rural poor.20 China's Green Food Standard,21 administered by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture's China Green Food Development Center, does permit some amount of pesticide and herbicide use.222324 Despite some claims that wolfberries sold in Europe, the United States, and Canada meet organic standardscitation needed, there is no public evidence for standardized organic certification of wolfberries from the Asian regions where they are commercially grown. Often, these berries are marketed as Tibetan or Himalayan Goji Berries that have been wild crafted or wild harvested. On the contrary, however, Tibet's agriculture conventionally uses fertilizers and pesticides, and neither wolfberries goji of Tibetan or Himalayan origin sold outside Tibet nor organic certification of such berries have been proved25. Tibetan goji berry Since the early 21st century, the names Himalayan Goji berry and Tibetan Goji berry have become common in the global health food market, applied to berries claimed to have been grown or collected in the Himalaya region 26 or sometimes the Tibetan and Mongolian Himalayas27, a misnomer because the Himalayas do not extend into Mongolia, which lies approximately 1500 km 1000 miles to the northeast28. Although none of the companies marketing such berries specifies an exact location in the Himalayas or Tibet where their berries are supposed to be grown, Earl Mindell's website states that his Himalayan Goji products do not actually come from the Himalayas, but instead from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and the Tian Shan Mountains of western Xinjiang, China29. Although Lycium species do grow in some regions of Tibet, commercial export production of wolfberries in the Tibetan Himayalas must be a myth11 fabricated for a marketing advantage, as this mountain range bordering the Tibetan Plateau is a region inhospitable to commercial cultivation of plant foods of any kind. In the Himalayan foothills, bleak desolation is unrelieved by any vegetation beyond sparse, low bushes30, whereas eastern valleys and plains of the Tibetan Plateau at lower altitude support growth of wild Lycium chinense31. The Tibetan Plateau, comprising most of Tibet north and east of the Himalayas, lies at more than 3000 m 10,000 ft in altitude, with poor soil and arid climate conditions unfavorable for fruit crops. Defined by the geography of Tibet, particularly in the western Himalayas, cold nighttime temperatures averaging -4°C year round 32 with six months of continual frost33 would inhibit plant bud development and prevent fruit formation. Existing in Tibet are minimal subsistence agriculture and impoverished crop management and transportation facilities unsupportive of commercial berry production. Although limited fertile regions suitable for food crops exist in the valleys of Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, and the Brahmaputra River, there are no objective economic, scientific, or government reports on the commercial production of Lycium berry species from these Tibetan regions34. Importance of cultivar Described in ancient Chinese texts, gÇ’uqÇ? wolfberry, named Lycium barbarum L. in 1753 has existed in China over recorded history and has likely been used to make hybrid plants dozens of times across Asia, as attested by some 90 species of boxthorn, wolfberry's genus. Although several wolfberry marketers state that their Tibetan goji is a specific species, given variously as Lycium eleganus, Lycium eleganus barbarum, or Lycium eleagnus, no such species exist. Elaeagnus Silverberry or Oleaster is a genus of about 50-70 species of flowering plants in the Elaeagnaceae family. The vast majority of Elaeagnus species are native to temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, including Elaeagnus umbellata, which grows near the Himalayas and bears an orange-red berry possibly confused with Lycium barbarum. Some Internet authors claim Lycium eleagnus barbarum another nonexistent species is the original Lycium barbarum or an improved cultivar of it.35 However, Lycium and Elaeagnus are sufficiently disparate genera that successful cross-breeding is unlikely. Further, there is no evidence in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants of a Lycium species of Elaeagnus or vice versa.36 37 United Kingdom Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll 1682-1761 delighted in growing exotic trees and shrubs in his garden at Whitton in Middlesex, England he was nicknamed the Treemonger by Horace Walpole and introduced the plant into the United Kingdom in the 1730s where it is known as Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree. It was and still is used for hedging, especially in coastal districts. Its red berries are attractive to a wide variety of British birds.12 The plant continues to grow wild in UK hedgerows. On 15 January 2003, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom Government launched a project to improve the regulations protecting traditional countryside hedgerows, and specifically mentioned Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree as one of the species to be found growing in hedges located in Suffolk Sandlings, Hadley, Bawdsey, near Ipswich, and Walberswick.13 The wolfberry has been naturalized as an ornamental and edible plant in the UK for nearly 300 years. On June 18, 2007, the FSA UK Food Standards Agency stated that there was a significant history of the fruit being consumed in Europe before 1997, and has removed it from the Novel Foods list 38. It is now legal to sell the goji berry in the UK as a food as reported by the British Food Standards Agency 39.also see discussion below, Marketing claims under scrutiny in Europe. Importation of mature plants Importation of wolfberry plants into the United Kingdom from most countries outside Europe is illegal, due to the possibility that alien plants could be vectors of diseases attacking native members of the Solanaceae family, such as potato or tomato.14 Uses Dried wolfberries Dried wolfberries Wolfberries are almost never found in their fresh form outside of their production regions, and are usually sold in open boxes and small packages in dried form. The amount of desiccation varies in wolfberries: some are soft and somewhat tacky in the manner of raisins, while others may be very hard. Wolfberries with a vibrant orange-red color may have been treated with sulfites. Wolfberries are usually used directly, and do not need to be rehydrated prior to use. Medicinal Wolfberries have long played important roles in traditional Chinese medicine TCM where they are believed to enhance immune system function, improve eyesight, protect the liver, boost sperm production and improve circulation, among other effects.15 In TCM terms, wolfberries are sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They act on the liver, lungs, and kidneys and enrich yin. They can be eaten raw, consumed as juice or wine, brewed into an herbal tea photo 1photo 2 or prepared as a tincture. The berries are also used in traditional Korean medicine, traditional Japanese medicine and traditional Tibetan medicine. Wolfberry leaves may be used to make tea40 and Lycium root bark called dìgÇ”pÃ; 地骨皮 in Chinesephoto for TCM treatment of inflammatory and some types of skin diseases. A glucopyranoside and phenolic amides isolated from wolfberry root bark have inhibitory activity in vitro against human pathogenic bacteria and fungi 4142. An early mention of wolfberry occurs in the 7th century Tang Dynasty treatise Yaoxing Lun. It is also discussed in the 16th century Ming Dynasty Compendium of Materia Medica of Li Shizhen. From marketing literature for wolfberry products including several goji juices, a reputation exists for wolfberry polysaccharides having extensive biological effects and health benefits, although none of these has been proved by peer-reviewed research. A May 2008 clinical study published by the peer-reviewed Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine indicated that parametric data, including body weight, did not show significant differences between subjects receiving Lycium barbarum berry juice and subjects receiving the placebo. The study concluded that subjective measures of health were improved and suggested further research in humans was necessary.16 Wolfberry polysaccharides show antioxidant activity in vitro17 and might also have biological activities in vivo currently under research 20 publications on this topic since 1991; PubMed, February 2007. As a source of dietary fiber, however, polysaccharides would yield products from bacterial fermentation in the colon, such as several short-chain fatty acids, e.g., butyric acid, which may provide health benefits.1819 Although the macromolecular structure of wolfberry polysaccharides has not been elucidated, preliminary structural studies appear to indicate that they exist in the form of complex glycoconjugates .2021 Wolfberry fruits also contain zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering roles.2223 A human supplementation trial showed that daily intake of wolfberries increased plasma levels of zeaxanthin.24 Several published studies, mostly from China, have also reported possible medicinal benefits of Lycium barbarum, especially due to its antioxidant properties,25 including potential benefits against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases,2627 vision-related diseases28 such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma29, having neuroprotective properties30 or as an anticancer31 and immunomodulatory agent.32 However, in the west, none of this research has been scientifically verified, confirmed in clinical studies, or accepted by regulatory authorities. Safety issues A published case report described a 61-year-old Chinese woman who experienced an elevated international normalized ratio INR after drinking a tea made from wolfberry fruit. Further in vitro testing revealed that the tea inhibited warfarin metabolism. These observations indicate a potential herbal-drug interaction between warfarin and wolfberry.33 Another case report describes an 80-year-old Chinese woman on a chronic stable dose of warfarin who experienced two episodes of an elevated INR after drinking wolfberry tea.34 Atropine, a toxic alkaloid found in other members of the Solanacea family, occurs naturally in wolfberry fruit. The atropine concentrations of berries from China and Thailand are variable, with a maximum content of 19 ppb, below the likely toxic amount.35 Culinary As a food, dried wolfberries are traditionally cooked before consumption. Dried wolfberries are often added to rice congee,photo as well as used in Chinese tonic soups, in combination with chicken or pork, vegetables, and other herbs such as wild yam, Astragalus membranaceus, Codonopsis pilosula, and licorice root.photo 1photo 2 The berries are also boiled as an herbal tea, often along with chrysanthemum flowersphoto and/or red jujubes, and packaged teas are also available.photo Various wines containing wolfberries called gÇ’uqÇ? jiÇ”; 枸æ?žé…’ are also produced,363738 including some that are a blend of grape wine and wolfberries.photo At least one Chinese company also produces wolfberry beer, and New Belgium Brewery makes an ale with wolfberries used as flavoring.photo Since the early 21st century, an instant coffee product containing wolfberry extract has been produced in China.photo 1photo 2photo 3 Young wolfberry shoots and leaves are also grown commercially as a leaf vegetable.photorecipe In the West, dried wolfberries are also eaten hand-to-mouth as a snack, in the manner of raisins or other dried fruit. Their taste has an accent of tomato and is similar to that of dates, dried cranberries or raisins, though drier, more tart, less sweet and with an herbal scent. Dried wolfberries are also used frequently in raw food diets. Nutrient content Macronutrients Wolfberry contains significant percentages of a day's macronutrient needs - carbohydrates, protein, fat and dietary fiber. 68% of the mass of dried wolfberries exists as carbohydrate, 12% as protein, and 10% each as fiber and fat, giving a total caloric value in a 100 gram serving of 370 kilocalories.3940 Micronutrients and phytochemicals Wolfberries contain many nutrients and phytochemicals3940 including 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals 18 amino acids 6 essential vitamins 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides 5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols 5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin below, lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll numerous phenolic pigments phenols associated with antioxidant properties Select examples given below are for 100 grams of dried berries. Other nutrient data are presented in two reference texts3940 Calcium. Wolfberries contain 112 mg per 100 gram serving, providing about 8-10% of the Dietary Reference Intake DRI. Potassium. Wolfberries contain 1,132 mg per 100 grams dried fruit, giving about 24% of the DRI. Iron. Wolfberries have 9 mg iron per 100 grams 100% DRI. Zinc. 2 mg per 100 grams dried fruit 18% DRI. Selenium. 100 grams of dried wolfberries contain 50 micrograms 91% DRI Riboflavin vitamin B2. At 1.3 mg, 100 grams of dried wolfberries provide 100% of DRI. Vitamin C. Vitamin C content in dried wolfberries has a wide range from different sources from 29 mg per 100 grams to as high as 148 mg per 100 grams respectively, 32% and 163% DRI. Wolfberries also contain numerous phytochemicals3940 for which there are no established DRI values. Examples: Beta-carotene: 7 mg per 100 grams dried fruit. Zeaxanthin. Reported values for zeaxanthin content in dried wolfberries vary considerably, from 25 mg per 100 grams 43 to 200 mg per 100 grams 44. The higher values would make wolfberry one of the richest edible plant sources known for zeaxanthin content.45 Up to 77% of total carotenoids present in wolfberry exist as zeaxanthin.46 Polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are a major constituent of wolfberries, representing up to 31% of pulp weight. Note on wolfberry polysaccharides: marketers of some wolfberry products report that polysaccharides have specific physiological roles mediated by specialized cell receptors, master control properties over other bioactive chemicals and cells, and characteristic spectral peaks defining one berry's geographic origin from another Bibliography, Mindell, 2005. These unconfirmed theories are an important marketing message for wolfberry products branded as Tibetan Goji Berries or Himalayan Goji Juice47. Such statements, however, have no scientific evidence published under peer-review and are not compliant with regulatory guidelines for marketing natural food products see below, Marketing claims under scrutiny in Europe, Canada and the United States Note on micronutrient and phytochemical contents: differences in the degree of berry maturation at the time of picking, soil conditions and geographic region where the berries were grown, post-harvest handling and processing, duration of storage, residual water content and assay preparation can significantly affect individual nutrient contents, especially those for vitamins and phytochemicals. These factors make data comparisons between different assays or sources difficult to reconcile. Ningxia wolfberries Interesting interpretation about soil origins has arisen to explain the exceptional nutrient qualities of the Ningxia wolfberry. To the west of Ningxia is the province of Gansu, notable for its expansive mineral-rich desert, the Loess Plateau. As the Yellow River passes through Gansu downstream toward Ningxia, loess is wind-eroded into the river water where it is carried as silt in its downstream course. The Yellow River is renowned as the most silt-laden body of water in the world, as this is where the river's name is derived48. Finer than sand, yellow Gansu loess was formed 2 million years ago after glaciation left behind dust rich in a host of minerals unlike anywhere else on Earth. Gansu erosion into the Yellow River is so dense that silt content in the Yellow River in Ningxia weighs 37 kg for every cubic meter of water49 -- the highest silt density measured. Yellow River floods in Ningxia have occurred repeatedly over millennia, depositing the mineral-rich silt over the river's floodplains where wolfberry fields and other crops are renewed and fertilized by the deposited sediment. The dense mineral content of Gansu loess, therefore, may be the origin of the enriched soil which nourishes Ningxia wolfberries.3940 Functional food and beverage applications Cultivated for a variety of food and beverage applications within China, but increasingly today for export as dried berries, juice and powders of pulp or juice, wolfberries are prized for their versatility of color and nut-like taste in common meals, snacks, beverages and medicinal applications. A major effort is underway in Ningxia, China to process wolfberries for functional wine. Marketing Since the early 21st century, the dried fruit has been marketed in the West as a health food typically under the name Tibetan goji berry, often accompanied by scientifically-unsupported claims regarding its purported health benefits. By unconfirmed reports, its most recognized nutritional attribute is an exceptional level of vitamin C, reputed to be among the highest in natural plants.citation needed However, demonstrated by independent assays on dried berries to actually be in a range of 29-148 mg per 100 grams of fruit,3940 the level is actually comparable to many citrus fruits and strawberries5051. Although considered nutritionally excellent, wolfberry's vitamin C content is considerably lower than for numerous other fruits and berries, such as the Australian Kakadu billy goat plum Terminalia ferdinandiana, blackcurrant, and sea-buckthorn.52 Companies marketing the berries often also include the unsupported claim that a Chinese man named Li Qing Yuen, who was said to have consumed wolfberries daily, lived to the age of 252 years 1678-1930, another one of the numerous myths surrounding the health benefits of wolfberry. Commercial products marketed outside Asia Typical of many exotic fruits being introduced into western food and beverage commerce, wolfberry is best known as a juice marketed over the Internet since 2002 with an increasing presence in health food stores and grocery markets in many countries. While juice prepared entirely from fresh wolfberries is rare, blends containing several other berry and fruit juices are used for nearly all wolfberry juice products, many of which are nevertheless labeled as goji juice. The percentage of wolfberry contained in these juices is generally not stated on such products' labels. Since 2005, wolfberry has been increasingly mentioned in reports on the emerging functional food industry as one of the exotic superfruits.41 Superfruit is meant to imply nutrient richness with medical research results indicating potential health benefits, combined with uncommon but appealing taste, pigmentation, and antioxidant strength.424344 During 2006-7, the market for wolfberries included 89 new product introductions in eight retail segments not including the larger commercial area of network marketing having an estimated sales total of $9 million, growing rapidly.45 An executive of one network marketing company was quoted as saying the juice market alone for wolfberries would be valued at more than $1 billion by 2013.46 Other wolfberry consumer applications are as dried berries picture above, berry pieces in granola bars, and skin soap made from seed oils. Commercial suppliers have processed wolfberry as an additive for manufacturing, such as juice concentrate, whole fruit purée, powders from juice or juice concentrate made from spray drying, pulp powders, whole or ground seeds, seed oils as done for grape seed oil, and essential oils derived from seeds. Marketing claims under scrutiny in Europe In February 2007, the Food Standards Agency FSA of Great Britain, an advisor for food safety to the European Food Safety Authority of the European Union EU, published an inquiry to retailers and health food stores requesting evidence of significant use of wolfberries in Europe before 1997.47 This period would document a safety history and evaluate how novel the berries are in the EU, affecting their authorization status for sale. Proponents hoped this review would provide important safeguards for consumers by checking whether new foods are suitable for the whole population, including people with food allergies. Opponents on the other hand feared it would limit consumer choice and protect monopolistic interests rather than the public.4849 Food safety in the EU relies importantly on a scientific basis for label information on foods like wolfberries that may be claimed to furnish health benefits.50 In June 2007, the FSA announced its decision that wolfberries indeed had a history of use in Great Britain before 1997.5152 Accordingly, wolfberries do not require registration as a novel food. Marketing claims under scrutiny in Canada and the United States In January 2007, marketing statements for a goji juice product were subject of an investigative report by CBC Television's consumer advocacy program Marketplace TV series53. In a review of medical literature pertaining to each proposed claim of health benefits from Himalayan Goji Juice54 Mindell and Handel, 2003, Gross et al. 2006, book chapter 6; see Article Bibliography summarized that 22 of 23 claims had no evidence for providing a health benefit beyond that inferred from preliminary in vitro or laboratory animal research. For cancer specifically, four studies were reviewed in Chapter 4 of their book, but Gross et al. 2006 concluded the research was too preliminary to allow any conclusion about an anti-cancer effect of consuming wolfberries or wolfberry juice. By one specific example in the CBC interview, Earl Mindell claimed the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York had completed clinical studies showing that use of wolfberry juice would prevent 75% of human breast cancer cases, a statement false in three ways: no such project has been undertaken at Memorial Sloan-Kettering55 according to the National Cancer Institute of the US National Institutes of Health, no natural or pharmaceutical agent has been shown in clinical trials to fully prevent breast cancer, only to reduce its risk 56; specifically, there are no completed or ongoing clinical trials in the United States testing the effects of wolfberries or juice on breast cancer outcomes 57 or any other disease58 and beyond preliminary laboratory studies59 6061 and one Chinese clinical trial described only in an abstract62, there is no scientific evidence for wolfberry phytochemicals or wolfberry juice having cancer-preventive properties Gross, et al., 2006, chapters 4, 6. Significant in nutrient and phytochemical composition, wolfberries are being developed6364656667 as new products in the functional food industry under FDA regulatory review since December, 2006 for label and marketing claims68 as being conducted in 2007 by the European Union above. During 2006, the FDA placed two goji juice distributors on notice with warning letters about marketing claims. These statements were in violation of the United States Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 21 USC/321 g169 because they establish the product as a drug intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease when wolfberries or juice have had no such scientific evaluation. Additionally stated by the FDA, the goji juice was not generally recognized as safe and effective for the referenced conditions and therefore must be treated as a new drug under Section 21p of the Act. New drugs may not be legally marketed in the United States without prior approval of the FDA, as stated in the letters below: Dynamic Health Laboratories Inc. of Brooklyn, New York, May 8, 200670 Healthsuperstore.com of Elk Grove, California, August 7, 200671 References ^ Lycium barbarum Permaculture Information Web, 09/12/2004. Retrieved 6 September 2006. ^ GRIN Taxonomy for Lycium barbarum ^ a b LYCIUM BARBARUM The Ecological Flora of the British Isles at the University of York. Retrieved 6 September 2006. ^ a b www.stanford.edu Retrieved 6 September 2006. ^ Gross PM. Goji - What it is...and isn't. Natural Products Information Center Retrieved 15 September 2007 ^ Gross PM. Tracking market meteors: exotic superfruits, Natural Products Insider, November 2007 ^ Sohn E. Superfruits, super powers? Los Angeles Times, March 10, 2008 ^ McNally A. Superfoods market set to double by 2011, NutraIngredients.com-Europe, October 8, 2007 ^ Runestad T. Functional Ingredients market overview, Functional Ingredients, October 2007 ^ Huxley, A., ed. 1992. New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5. ^ Fruitless Search for the Tibetan Goji Berry by Simon Parry, from South China Morning Post, December 2, 2006 PDF file ^ A Touch Of Argyll In Norfolk Julia Page in The Corncrake, Colonsay , Scotland I was intrigued to discover that the common name of lycium halimifolium is the Duke of Argyll's Tea-tree or Teaplant and was keen to discover how this name came about. I succeeded with the help of my friend Craig nice Scottish name at Kew Gardens Library and a historical Who's Who. Accessed November 2006 ^ Government Launches Consultation On Future Of Legal Protection For Hedgerows Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 15 January 2003. Retrieved 6 September 2006. ^ Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, April, 2008. Prohibited Import of Goji Plants. April 30, 2008 ^ Gross PM, Zhang X, Zhang R. Wolfberry phytochemicals and disease research: implied health benefits, chapter 6 and Wolfberries and Traditional Chinese Medicine, chapter 7 in Wolfberry: Nature's Bounty of Nutrition and Health, 2006, Booksurge Publishing, Charleston, SC, USA ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18447631 A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum Goji Juice, GoChi. ^ See Pubmed1; Li XM, Ma YL, Liu XJ.2; Luo Q, Li Z, Huang X, Yan J, Zhang S, Cai YZ ^ Short-chain fatty acids: ready for prime time? Nutr Clin Pract. 2006 - PubMed Result ^ Colonic health: fermentation and short chain fatty...J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006 - PubMed Result ^ See Pubmed3; Tian M, Wang M. ^ See Pubmed4; Zhao H, Alexeev A, Chang E, Greenburg G, Bojanowski K. ^ See PubmedTrevithick-Sutton CC, Foote CS, Collins M, Trevithick JR ^ See Pubmed Whitehead AJ, Mares JA, Danis RP ^ See Pubmed Cheng CY, Chung WY, Szeto YT, Benzie IF ^ See Pubmed5 Wu SJ, Ng LT, Lin CC. ^ The effect of lycium barbarum polysaccharide on v...Sheng Li Xue Bao. 1998 - PubMed Result ^ Lycium barbarum polysaccharides: Protective effect...Life Sci. 2006 - PubMed Result ^ See Pubmed6; Cheng CY, Chung WY, Szeto YT, Benzie IF. ^ See Pubmed7; Chan HC, Chuen-Chung Chang R, Koon-Ching Ip A, Chiu K, Yuen WH, Zee SY, So KF.. ^ See Pubmed8 Yu MS, Leung SK, Lai SW, Che CM, Zee SY, So KF, Yuen WH, Chang RC. ^ See Pubmed9; Gan L, Hua Zhang S, Liang Yang X, Bi Xu H. ^ See Pubmed10 He YL, Ying Y, Xu YL, Su JF, Luo H, Wang HF. ^ Lam AY, Elmer GW, Mohutsky MA. Possible interaction between warfarin and Lycium barbarum L. Ann Pharmacother. 2001, Oct; 3510:1199-201. ^ Leung H, Hung A, Hui AC, Chan TY. Warfarin overdose due to the possible effects of Lycium barbarum L. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008, May; 465:1860-2. ^ Michael Adams, Matthias Wiedenmann, Gerolf Tittel, Rudolf Bauer. HPLC-MS trace analysis of atropine in Lycium barbarum berries. Phytochemical Analysis 175:279-283. ^ Bottle of gÇ’uqÇ? jiÇ” www.tjyxw.com. Retrieved 6 September 2006. ^ Several bottles of gÇ’uqÇ? jiÇ” www.chong-yang.com. Retrieved 25 January 2007. ^ Bottle of gÇ’uqÇ? jiÇ” data.bip.und.cn. Retrieved 25 January 2007. ^ a b c d e f Young G., R. Lawrence, and M. Schreuder 2005. Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood. Essential Science Publishing. ISBN 0-943685-44-3. ^ a b c d e f Gross, P.M., X. Zhang, and R. Zhang 2006. Wolfberry: Nature's Bounty of Nutrition and Health. Booksurge Publishing. ISBN 1-4196-2048-7. ^ Gross PM. Exploring exotic antioxidant superfruits. Natural Products Insider, October 2006 ^ Gross PM. Superfruits take center stage: defining an emergent category. Natural Products Information Center, February 2007 ^ Bradley K. Fruits of the future? Natural Products Insider, March 2007 ^ Starling S. Superfruits - superheroes of functionality. Functional Ingredients, April, 2007 ^ Rourke K, Tirone A. Goji berries: exotic, healthy and gaining momentum, Natural Products Insider, October 2007 ^ Goji: birth of a 'miracle' superfruit, New Nutrition Business, London, UK, July, 2007 ^ Agency seeks evidence of goji berry consumption, UK Food Standards Agency, February 2007 ^ Ignore Euro threats at your peril companies warned, Natural Products Online, May 2007 ^ 'Miracle' goji berries face ban under EU red tape, The Daily Mail, February 2007 ^ Nutrition and health claims, European Food Safety Authority, May 2007 ^ Responses on goji berries reviewed, UK Food Standards Agency, June 2007 ^ Goji berries, UK Food Standards Agency, June 2007 Bibliography Ai, Changshan 2002. Zhi Bu Liang Yi Hua Gou Qi A Word About Lycium chinense, Effective for Therapy and Nutrition. Changchun, China: Jilin Ke Xue Ji Shu Chu Ban She. ISBN 7538424024. ISBN 9787538424027. Dharmananda, Subhuti 2007. Lycium Fruit: Food and Medicine, Institute for Traditional Medicine Online Gross, Paul M.; Xiaoping Zhang; and Richard Zhang 2006. Wolfberry: Nature's Bounty of Nutrition Health. Charleston, South Carolina, United States: BookSurge Publishing. ISBN 1419620487. ISBN 9781419620485. Mindell, Earl; and Rick Handel 2003. Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret. Momentum Media Health Series. Dallas, Texas, United States: Momentum Media. ISBN 0967285526. ISBN 9780967285528. Mindell, Earl 2005. Dr. Earl Mindell's Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret. 2nd ed. Lake Dallas, Texas, United States: Momentum Media. ISBN 0967285577. ISBN 9780967285573. Oyama, Sumita 1964. Kuko o Aishite Junen Lycium chinense in Favorable Use for Ten Years. Tokyo, Japan: Shufu no Tomosha. Shufo no Tomosha 1963. Kuko no koyo Medicinal and Therapeutic Effects of Lycium chinense. Tokyo, Japan. Takayama, Eiji 1966. Jinsei no Honbutai wa Rokujissai Kara: Furo Choju Kuko no Aiyo The Real Stage in Life Begins at Sixty: Habitual Use of Lycium chinense for Longevity. Tokyo, Japan: Koyo Shobo Young, Gary; Ronald Lawrence; and Marc Schreuder 2005. Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood: How the Ningxia Wolfberry and Four Other Foods Help Combat Heart Disease, Cancer, Chronic Fatigue, Depression, Diabetes and More. Orem, Utah, United States: Essential Science Publishing. ISBN 0943685443. ISBN 9780943685441. Zhang, Yanbo 2000. Molecular Approach to the Authentication of Lycium barbarum and its Related Species. M. Phil. thesis. Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong Baptist University Zhao, Yue 2005. The Market Prospect of Ningxia Wolfberry/Wolfberry Products in China. Thesis. Netherlands: University of Professional Education Larenstein Deventer. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lycium barbarum Botanical databases Flora of China citation for L. barbarum Flora of China citation for L. chinense Information about Lycium barbarum L. matrimony vine from the United States Department of Agriculture Plants For A Future database Species Records of Lycium, USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network -GRIN. Online Database. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 2007-02-11. Plant-life.org Plant viruses associated with L. barbarum and L. chinense, from the Plant Viruses Online VIDE database Medical databases Searching for Lycium on the Pubmed database finds 146 papers of interest; 87 of these are for Lycium barbarum 1991 to July 2007 and 33 for Lycium chinense 1963 to July 2007. NHIondemand database PDR for Herbal Remedies News stories The Commercial Legend of Goji: Selling a Chinese Crop Under the Tibetan Flag from TibetInfoNet, June 29, 2007 Fruitless Search for the Tibetan Goji Berry by Simon Parry, from South China Morning Post, December 2, 2006 PDF file Mysterious Chinese Berry Brings Solid Profits to Zhongning County, Ningxia from China Daily, August 30, 2006 Wolfberry Festival in Ningxia from China Daily, July 19, 2004 Ningxia wolfberry news site Chinese BBC News coverage A Friendly Skeptic Looks at Goji Juice by Dr. Ralph Moss Berry Bad Things The Daily Truth by Jack Marx, Sydney Morning Herald, June 25, 2007 Ontario Family First to Gamble on Gojis, Tillsonburg News, August 1, 2008 Video and Pictures CBC TV News report about Earl Mindell and Himalayan Goji Juice video Pictures of medlar harvest, July 2007, Xinhua See also Gouqi jiu List of culinary fruits v d e Dietary supplements Types Amino acids Bodybuilding supplement Energy drink Energy bar Fatty acids Herbal Supplements Minerals Prebiotics Probiotics Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium Vitamins Whole food supplements Vitamins and minerals Retinol Vitamin A B vitamins: Thiamine B1 Riboflavin B2 Niacin B3 Pantothenic acid B5 Pyridoxine B6 Biotin B7 Folic acid B9 Cyanocobalamin B12 Ascorbic acid Vitamin C Ergocalciferol and Cholecalciferol Vitamin D Tocopherol Vitamin E Naphthoquinone Vitamin K Calcium Choline Chlorine Chromium Cobalt Copper Fluorine Iodine Iron Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Sodium Sulfur Zinc Other common ingredients Carnitine Chondroitin sulfate Cod liver oil Copper gluconate Creatine/Creatine supplements Dietary fiber Elemental calcium Ephedra Fish oil Folic acid Ginseng Glucosamine Glutamine Iron supplements Japanese Honeysuckle Krill oil Lingzhi Linseed oil Melatonin Red yeast rice Royal jelly Saw palmetto Spirulina Taurine Wheatgrass Wolfberry Yohimbine Zinc gluconate Related articles Codex Alimentarius Enzyte Metabolife Hadacol Nutraceutical Multivitamin Nutrition Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Wolfberry Categories: Solanaceae | Berries | Chinese ingredients | Dietary supplements | Medicinal plants | Herbs | Leaf vegetables | Plants used in Traditional Chinese medicine | NingxiaHidden categories: All articles with statements | Articles with statements since February 2008 | Articles with statements since April 2007 Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Français Lietuvių Nederlands 日本語 Polski Português РуÑ?Ñ?кий ไทย Tiếng Việt ä¸æ–‡ This page was last modified on 13 August 2008, at 23:3
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