Abstract
The fruit (goji berry) of Lycium barbarum, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used in health diets due to its potential role in the prevention of chronic diseases. One of the most popular applications of goji berry is to make goji wine in China by steeping goji berry in grain liquor. However, how the steeping process affects antioxidant capacities and phytochemicals of goji berry is not yet fully understood. Therefore, to provide scientific data for the utilization of goji berry in the nutraceutical industry, the diffusion rate of betaine, β-carotene, phenolic compounds in goji berry and their antioxidant capacities affected by alcohol concentration and steeping time were determined by UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The results showed that low alcohol concentration (15% or 25%) would promote the diffusion of betaine and increase antioxidant activity, while high concentration (55% or 65%) would generally increase the diffusion of flavonoids and reduce antioxidant activity. The steeping time had no significant effect on the diffusion of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities. However, all goji berry wine steeped for 14 days with different alcohol concentrations exhibited the highest betaine concentration. Current findings provide useful information for the nutraceutical industries to choose proper steeping time and alcohol concentration to yield desired health promotion components from goji.
Highlights
Goji berry species are deciduous woody perennial plants which are grown in the northwestern part ofChina, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Beside the dry fruit of goji berry sold in the market, the most notable products are the goji beverage and goji wine which have been recognized as functional drinks
The present investigation shows that low alcohol concentration can promote the diffusion of functional components in large extent, except the total flavonoid content which is boosted by high alcohol concentration
Summary
Goji berry species are deciduous woody perennial plants which are grown in the northwestern part ofChina, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Goji berry is prized for its versatility of color and nut-like taste in common meals, snacks, beverages, and medicinal applications It has been widely used as a functional ingredient in nutraceuticals since excessive studies have been carried out and demonstrated that goji berry act as a crucial role in improving of vision, prevention of aging and age-related diseases, inhibition of cancer development and boosting immune system [1,2]. These healthy contributions have been proved and associated with the presence of various functional components including betaine, phenolics, β-carotenes and polysaccharides. The functional compounds of goji berry can be extracted by grain liquor
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