Lycium Barbarum and Human Health

Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang • Kwok-Fai So Editors

Lycium Barbarum and Human Health

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Editors Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases Department of Anatomy LKS Faculty of Medicine the University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China

Kwok-Fai So Department of Anatomy LKS Faculty of Medicine the University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China

ISBN 978-94-017-9657-6     ISBN 978-94-017-9658-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9658-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014958968 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science + Business Media (www.springer.com)

Preface

The fruit of Lycium barbarum (also called Wolfberry) is known to be anti-aging and nurtures the eyes or vision. It is an upper class Chinese medicine, meaning that it can be used as medicine for therapy as well as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Collective efforts from different research teams have proven that the fruits of Lycium barbarum have rich sources that protect our whole body, from the skin to the liver, brain and eyes. Therefore, regular consumption of Lycium barbarum can help us to keep the balance of Yin/Yang in our body to fight against any possible age-associated diseases. There is a famous Chinese story related to Lycium barbarum. One day a young man was walking in a village. On his way, he found two people arguing with each other in a narrow lane. He went to see what had happened and found a relatively young and strong man with black hair arguing with a weak elder with grey hair. It looked like the elder had been blamed for something. In Chinese culture, we all have great respect for the elderly. This was why this young man did not feel quite right and thought that the man with black hair was not paying respect to his senior. He asked this weak elder with grey hair whether the black-haired man had done him some injustice. The grey-haired man then pointed to the strong black-haired man, saying, ‘he is my big brother’. The strong black-haired big brother said that his little brother did not listen to him and take Lycium barbarum. This was why his little brother looked old and weak. From this story, we have insight into the beneficial effects of Lycium barbarum. In this book, we have carefully arranged the content from the plant, the chemical components and the effects on different organs/biological systems as well as its potential harmful effects. Authors in every chapter used different scientific methods to prove the effects of Lycium barbarum. We are not just showing the benefits of Lycium barbarum. Some people may be allergic to Lycium barbarum. This book is the first book about Lycium barbarum written in English. As more people are searching for health food supplements and there are many so-called ‘secrete formulations of herbs and health food supplements’, we should look for some reliable health food with solid scientific evidence and be cautious of any possible deleterious effects. We hope that this book gives us a comprehensive understanding of the pros and cons of this anti-aging Lycium barbarum.  

Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang Kwok-Fai SO

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Contents

1  Chemical and Genetic Diversity of Wolfberry����������������������������������������    1 Ying Wang, Hao Chen, Min Wu, Shaohua Zeng, Yongliang Liu and Jingzhou Dong 2  Immunoregulation and Lycium Barbarum����������������������������������������������   27 Xiaorui Zhang, Wenxia Zhou and Yongxiang Zhang 3 The Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Antiapoptotic Effects of Wolfberry in Fatty Liver Disease��������������������������������������������   45 Jia Xiao and George L. Tipoe 4 Effects of Lycium barbarum on Modulation of Blood Vessel and Hemodynamics������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   65 Xue-Song Mi, Ruo-Jing Huang, Yong Ding, Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang and Kwok-Fai So 5  Dermatologic Uses and Effects of Lycium Barbarum������������������������������   79 Hui Zhao and Krzysztof Bojanowski 6  Lycium Barbarum and Tumors in the Gastrointestinal Tract����������������   85 Peifei Li, Bingxiu Xiao, Huilin Chen and Junming Guo 7 Prevention of Neurodegeneration for Alzheimer’s Disease by Lycium barbarum����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   99 Yuen-Shan Ho, Xiao-ang Li, Clara Hiu-Ling Hung and Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang 8  Prosexual Effects of Lycium Barbarum����������������������������������������������������   113 Benson Wui-Man Lau, Mason Chin-Pang Leung, Kai-Ting Po, Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang and Kwok-Fai So 9  Lycium Barbarum: Neuroprotective Effects in Ischemic Stroke������������   125 Amy CY Lo and Di Yang vii

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Contents

10 Secondary Degeneration After Partial Optic Nerve Injury and Possible Neuroprotective Effects of Lycium Barbarum (Wolfberry)�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   135 Hong-Ying Li, Henry HL Chan, Patrick HW Chu, Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang and Kwok-Fai So 11  Role of Lycium Barbarum Extracts in Retinal Diseases������������������������   153 María Benlloch, María Muriach, Gloria Castellano, Francisco Javier Sancho-Pelluz, Emilio González-García, Miguel Flores-Bellver and Francisco J. Romero 12  Allergenic Sensitisation Mediated by Wolfberry����������������������������������   179 Jerónimo Carnés, Carlos H. de Larramendi, María Angeles López-Matas, Angel Ferrer and Julio Huertas

Contributors

María Benlloch  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Krzysztof Bojanowski  Sunny BioDiscovery, Inc., Santa Paula, CA, USA Jerónimo Carnés  R&D Department, Laboratorios LETI S.L., Madrid, Spain Gloria Castellano  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Henry HL Chan  Laboratory of Experimental Optometry (Neuroscience), School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang   Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Hao Chen  South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China Huilin Chen  Ningbo College of Health Sciences, Ningbo, People’s Republic of China Patrick HW Chu  Laboratory of Experimental Optometry (Neuroscience), School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Yong Ding  Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Jingzhou Dong  Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China ix

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Contributors

Angel Ferrer  Allergy Unit, Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Alicante, Spain Miguel Flores-Bellver  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Emilio González-García  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Junming Guo  Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, People’s Republic of China Clara Hiu-Ling Hung  Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China Institute of Chinese Medicinal Science, University of Macau, Macau SAR, People’s Republic of China Yuen-Shan Ho  School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China Ruo-Jing Huang  Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Julio Huertas  Allergy Section, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Cartagena, Murcia, Spain Carlos H. de Larramendi  Allergy Section, Hospital Marina Baixa, Villajoyosa and Centro de Especialidades Foietes, Benidorm, Alicante, Spain Benson Wui-Man Lau  Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China LKS Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong Mason Chin-Pang Leung  Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Hong-Ying Li  GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Department of Anatomy, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Department of Ophthamology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

Contributors

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The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science and the Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Peifei Li  Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, People’s Republic of China Xiao-ang Li  State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR, People’s Republic of China Yongliang Liu  Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China Amy CY Lo  Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China María Angeles López-Matas  R&D Department, Laboratorios LETI S.L., Madrid, Spain Xue-Song Mi  Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China María Muriach  Unidad predepartamental Medicina, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain Kai-Ting Po  Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Francisco J. Romero  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Department of Physiology, University CEU–Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Francisco Javier Sancho-Pelluz  Universidad Católica de Valencia ‘San Vicente Mártir’, Valencia, Spain Kwok-Fai So  Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

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Contributors

The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China LKS Faculty of Medicine, Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China George L. Tipoe  Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China Ying Wang  South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China Min Wu  South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China Bingxiu Xiao  Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo, People’s Republic of China Jia Xiao  Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Tissue Transplantation and Immunology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Di Yang  Department of Ophthalmology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Shaohua Zeng  South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China Xiaorui Zhang  State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Yongxiang Zhang  State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Hui Zhao  Sunny BioDiscovery, Inc., Santa Paula, CA, USA Wenxia Zhou  State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China