This study was conducted to investigate both fruit and different levels of leaf supplementation on the growth performance, organ indices and intestinal microflora of rats. Twenty-five healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The rats in the control (NC) and positive control (PC) groups were fed by gavage a basal diet and a basal diet with 4 g/kg of L. barbarum fruit homogenate, respectively. The test (LD, MD, and HD) groups were fed basal diets with additional 2, 4, and 8 g/kg of L. barbarum leaf homogenate, respectively. The feeding period was 35 d. The result revealed that the rats in the LD group had the highest average weight gain (p < 0.05). The cardiac and renal indexes in the LD and MD groups were significantly higher than in NC group, respectively (p < 0.05). Diversity analysis revealed that adding low concentrations of L. barbarum leaf homogenates markedly reduced the Shannon index of the rats cecum (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota was higher in the LD group than those in other groups (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Actinobacteriota was found significantly higher in PC group than others (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Akkermansia in LD group was the highest (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Romboutsia in the PC group was considerably higher than that in other groups. The relative abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas in the supplementation groups was appreciably lower than those found in other groups. The relative abundance of Alloprevotella was significantly lower in PC, LD, and MD groups than in NC and HD groups (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Oscillibacter was significantly higher in HD group than in other groups (p < 0.05). Thus, L. barbarum leaf homogenate fed to rats could increase their growth performance, internal organ weights and additionally enhance the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. Therefore, based on the obtained data in the current study, a dose of L. barbarum leaf homogenate supplemented with 2 g/kg in diet is recommended, however, further studies are required to confirm, especially in animals.

In the present study, the in vivo absorption and fecal excretion of a purified fraction of polysaccharides from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L. (LBPs-4) in rats were investigated by labelling LBPs-4 with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). It was found that the fluorescent labeled LBPs-4 (LBPs-4-FITC) was not detected in the plasma within 24 h following the administration of a single dose of LBPs-4-FITC (100 mg/kg of body weight) to rats, indicating that LBPs-4 was hardly absorbed in its prototype form. Instead, a smaller fragment dissociated from LBPs-4-FITC was observed in feces and was accumulated in a time-dependent manner, suggesting that LBPs-4 was excreted into the feces with a form of degradation. Meanwhile, we observed that LBPs-4-FTIC could modulate the fecal bacterial community profile via increasing the relative abundances of Bacteroides ovatus and Alistipes and promote the production of acetic acid. Furthermore, the monoculture experiment confirmed that LBPs-4 could be metabolized into smaller fragment by B. ovatus, producing acetic acid. Collectively, our study provides information on the destiny of LBPs-4 after oral administration: non-absorbed but moved to the large intestine and catabolized by gut microbiota, especially B. ovatus.

Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBP) can benefit lipid parameters such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein levels and upregulate the level of Firmicutes, increase the diversity of gut microbiota and reduce metabolic disorders, finally relieving weight gain of obese rats. But it cannot reverse the outcome of obesity. Over 30 differential metabolites and four pathways are altered by LBP.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Lycium barbarum is of rich medicinal value, and its polysaccharides are particularly interesting due to their significant pharmacological effects and potential health benefits. This study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) by examining their interaction with the TLR4/MD-2 complex and the impacts of gastrointestinal digestion on these interactions. We discovered that the affinity binding of LBPs for TLR4/MD-2 and their cytokine induction capability are influenced by molecular weight, with medium-sized LBPs (100-300 kDa) exhibiting stronger binding affinity and induction capability. Conversely, LBPs smaller than 10 kDa showed reduced activity. Additionally, the content of arabinose and galactose within the LBPs fractions was found to correlate positively with both receptor affinity and cytokine secretion. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion resulted in the degradation of LBPs into smaller fragments that are rich in glucose. Although these fragments exhibited decreased binding affinity to the TLR4/MD-2 complex, they maintained their activity to promote cytokine production. Our findings highlight the significance of molecular weight and specific monosaccharide composition in the immunomodulatory function of LBPs and emphasize the influence of gastrointestinal digestion on the effects of LBPs. This research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effects of traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides and their practical application.

Nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) are environmental contaminants with potential endocrine disrupting effects. However, there is limited research on the mechanisms and intervention of combined NP and OP exposure-induced neurotoxicity. This study aims to explore the cytotoxicity of combined NP and OP exposure and evaluate the potential of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) in mitigating the aforementioned toxicity. In present study, LBP (62.5, 125 and 250 µg/mL) were applied to intervene rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells treated with combined NP and OP (NP: OP = 4:1, w/w; 1, 2, 4 and 8 µg/mL). The results showed that NP and OP induced oxidative stress, disrupted the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and cholinergic systems in PC-12 cells. Additionally, they activated the p38 protein kinase (p38) and suppressed the expression of silent information regulation type 1 (SIRT1), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), phosphorylated cyclic-AMP response binding protein (p-CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B (p-TrkB). However, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment counteracted the changes of signalling molecule p38, SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways-related proteins induced by NP and OP. LBP pretreatment ameliorated combined NP and OP exposure-induced oxidative stress and neurotransmitter imbalances. Furthermore, the application of LBP and administration of a p38 inhibitor both reversed the alterations in the signaling molecule p38, as well as the proteins associated to the SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways. These results implied that LBP may have neuroprotective effects via p38-mediated SIRT1/MAOA and CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathways.

Studying the physicochemical properties and biological activities of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides(LBPs) is of great significance. The previous study had extracted LBPs(LBP-1, LBP-2, LBP-3, LBP-4, and LBP-5) by five different methods(cold water extraction, boiling water reflux extraction of the residue after cold water extraction, ultrasonic extraction with 50% ethanol, ultrasonic extraction with 25% ethanol of the residue after 50% ethanol extraction, and hot water extraction). In this study, the structures of the obtained five LBPs were characterized by UV spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the antioxidant, blood lipid-lowering, nitrosation-inhibting, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting, and tyrosinase-inhibiting activities of the five LBPs were measured in vitro. The results showed that high-temperature extraction destroyed the polysaccharide structure, while ultrasound-assisted extraction ensured the structural integrity. The thermal stability and degradation behaviors differed among the five LBPs. However, the UV spectroscopic results of the five LBPs did not show significant differences, and all of the five LBPs showed the characteristic absorption peaks of proteins. LBP-3 and LBP-4 exhibited strong antioxidant activity, while LBP-3 had the strongest blood lipid-lowering activity. In addition, LBP-3 outperformed other LBPs in inhibiting nitrosation and acetylcholineste-rase, and LBP-2 showed the strongest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase. This study explored the effects of different extraction methods on the physicochemical properties and biological activities of LBPs, with a view to providing a basis for the selection of suitable extraction methods to obtain LBPs with ideal biological activities.

High soybean meal diet (HSBMD) decreased the immunity and damaged the liver health of spotted sea bass; in this study, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) was added to HSBMD to explore its effects on the immunity and liver health. The diet with 44% fish meal content was designed as a blank control. On this basis, soybean meal was used to replace 50% fish meal as HSBMD, and LBP was added in HSBMD in gradient (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 g/kg) as the experimental diet. 225-tailed spotted sea bass with initial body weight of 44.52 ± 0.24 g were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed the corresponding diet for 52 days, respectively. The results show that: after ingestion of HSBMD, the immunity of spotted sea bass decreased slightly and hepatic tissue was severely damaged. And the addition of LBP significantly improved the immune capacity and protected the hepatic health. Specifically, the activities of serum lysozyme (LZM), immunoglobulin M (IgM), liver acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) were increased, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were significantly decreased, and hepatic morphology was improved. In the analysis of transcriptome results, it was found that toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) were down-regulated in toll-like receptor signaling pathway. And LBP may protect hepatic health by regulating Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis, Insulin signaling pathway, Steroid biosynthesis and other glucolipid-related pathways. In conclusion, the addition of LBP in HSBMD can improve the immunity and protect the hepatic health of spotted sea bass, and its mechanism may be related to glucose and lipid metabolism.

Polysaccharides and polyphenols are biologically active components that coexist in Lycium barbarum fruit, and there may be interactions between them that affect the release of each other. In this study, polyphenols bound to L. barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) were characterized, and the stability of bound phenolics (BP) was assessed by gastrointestinal digestion and colon fermentation. The results showed that a total of 65 phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and coumarins were identified by UPLC-MS/MS. Quantitative analysis revealed that the major phenolic constituents were rutin, p-coumaric acid, catechin, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, and gallic acid, and their contents were 58.72, 24.03, 14.24, 13.28, 10.39, and 6.7 mg GAE/100 g DW, respectively. The release of BP by gastric digestion and gastrointestinal digestion was 9.67 % and 19.39 %, respectively. Most polyphenols were greatly affected by gastric digestion, while rutin was released in small intestine. The BP were fully released (49.77 %) and metabolized by gut microorganisms, and a considerable number of intermediates and end-products were detected, such as phloroglucinol, phenylacetic acid, and phenyllactic acid. Microbiomics data emphasized the positive impact of LBP on gut bacteria of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Clostridioides. These findings could deepen our understanding of the bioavailability and biological fate of BP and also provide reference data for nutrient release and utilization of L. barbarum as a whole.

The pro-tumorigenic M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) promote the progression, angiogenesis, and metastasis of breast cancer. The repolarization of TAMs from an M2-type toward an M1-type holds great potential for the inhibition of breast cancer. Here, we report that Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs) can significantly reconstruct the TME by modulating the function of TAMs. Specifically, we separated four distinct molecular weight segments of LBPs and compared their repolarization effects on TAMs in TME. The results showed that LBP segments within 50-100 kDa molecular weight range exhibited the prime effect on the macrophage repolarization, augmented phagocytosis effect of the repolarized macrophages on breast cancer cells, and regression of breast tumor in a tumor-bearing mouse model. In addition, RNA-sequencing confirms that this segment of LBP displays an enhanced anti-breast cancer effect through innate immune responses. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of LBP segments within the 50-100 kDa molecular weight range for macrophage repolarization, paving ways to offer new strategies for the treatment of breast cancer.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is the main active component of Fructus Lycii, exhibiting various biological activities. This study aims to explore the protective effects of LBP on human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) and a rat corneal injury model. Potential target points for LBP improving corneal injury repair were screened from public databases, and functional and pathway enrichment analyses of core targets were conducted using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Rat corneal alkali burns and HCEC oxidative stress injury models were established, and the results were validated through slit lamp examination, HE staining, TUNEL assay, immunofluorescence, CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, scratch assay, and qRT-PCR methods. In the context of database retrieval, identification of 10 LBP monosaccharide components and 50 corneal injury repair-related targets was achieved. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that LBP might regulate the IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways through targets such as JUN, CASP3, and MMP9, thereby improving corneal damage. In vivo and in vitro experimental results indicated that LBP could reduce the increase of inflammation index scores (p < 0.05), inflammatory cell density (p < 0.01), TUNEL-positive cells (p < 0.01), corneal opacity scores (p < 0.01), and expression of corneal stromal fibrosis-related proteins α-SMA, FN, and COL (p < 0.01) caused by chemical damage to rat corneas. LBP inhibited oxidative stress-induced decreases in cell viability (p < 0.001) and migration healing ability (p < 0.01) in HCECs, reducing apoptosis rates (p < 0.001), ROS levels (p < 0.001), and the expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 (p < 0.01). qRT-PCR results demonstrated that LBP intervention decreased the mRNA levels of JUN, CASP3, and MMP9 in H2O2-induced alkaline-burned corneas and HCECs (p < 0.01).The integrated results from network pharmacology and validation experiments suggest that the inhibitory effects of LBP on apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis after corneal injury may be achieved through the suppression of the TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways mediated by JUN, CASP3, and MMP9.