Abstract
In this study, the content composition and antioxidant activity of goji berry fruits from two species (Lycium barbarum and Lycium chinense) were assessed. The total carbohydrate and phenolic contents were evaluated using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) spectroscopy, while the antioxidant activity of fruits was examined with two in vitro methods, which are based on the scavenging activity of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) free radicals. The fatty-acid profile was determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results of this study indicate that the fruits of L. barbarum present higher concentrations in carbohydrates and phenolics than L. chinense Mill. fruits. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity based on the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) measurements of DPPH• and ABTS•+ free-radical scavenging was higher in L. barbarum than L. chinense Mill. Also, the GCMS analysis confirms the high levels of linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids contained in the fruits of both species. Finally, the results of this study clearly show that the concentration of bioactive and antioxidant molecules is higher in L. barbarum than in L. chinense fruits, which was also confirmed by ATR-FT-IR measurements.
Highlights
Plants and their fruits contain a wide variety of biological active secondary metabolites and, they are used for the development of drugs, dietary supplements, and functional foods, because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties [1,2]
The current study was conducted to investigate the chemical profiles of two varieties of the genus Lycium cultivated in central Greece by measuring the Total Carbohydrate Content (TCC) and Total Phenol Content (TPC), fatty-acid profile, and the antioxidant activity based on the ability to scavenge the free radicals of DPPH and ABTS+
The results show that the Greek L. barbarum fruits from the Thessaly region contain higher amounts TCC and TPC than L. chinense
Summary
Plants and their fruits contain a wide variety of biological active secondary metabolites and, they are used for the development of drugs, dietary supplements, and functional foods, because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties [1,2]. Lycium barbarum is a perennial deciduous shrub with ellipsoid orange-red berries and a sweet-tangy flavor, known as goji berry, wolfberry, barbary wolfberry, and Chinese boxthorn (or gouqizi in Chinese). The Lycium genus includes up to 70 species that vegetate in regions from the temperate to the subtropical regions of Eurasia, Australia, southern Africa, and North and South America [3]. Lycium species have a long history in China as they were used as medicine and functional food, and they are referred to in the Traditional Chinese Pharmacopeia (TCP). Among the functional natural components, Goji berry fruits contain L. barbarum polysaccharides (LPB) that are water-soluble glycoconjugates, and they are the most well-researched components [4]. In addition to LBP, Goji berry fruits contain carotenoids, Antioxidants 2019, 8, 60; doi:10.3390/antiox8030060 www.mdpi.com/journal/antioxidants
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