Zeaxanthin dipalmitate alleviates hepatic injury induced by superimposed chronic hepatitis B and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in non-obese mice

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate-enriched wolfberry extract improves vision in a mouse model of photoreceptor degeneration

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate (ZD) is a chemical extracted from wolfberry that protects degenerated photoreceptors in mouse retina. However, the pure ZD is expensive and hard to produce. In this study, we developed a method to enrich ZD from wolfberry on a production line and examined whether it may also protect the degenerated mouse retina. The ZD-enriched wolfberry extract (ZDE) was extracted from wolfberry by organic solvent method, and the concentration of ZD was identified by HPLC. The adult C57BL/6 mice were treated with ZDE or solvent by daily gavage for 2 weeks, at the end of the first week the animals were intraperitoneally injected with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea to induce photoreceptor degeneration. Then optomotor, electroretinogram, and immunostaining were used to test the visual behavior, retinal light responses, and structure. The final ZDE product contained ~30mg/g ZD, which was over 9 times higher than that from the dry fruit of wolfberry. Feeding degenerated mice with ZDE significantly improved the survival of photoreceptors, enhanced the retinal light responses and the visual acuity. Therefore, our ZDE product successfully alleviated retinal morphological and functional degeneration in mouse retina, which may provide a basis for further animal studies for possible applying ZDE as a supplement to treat degenerated photoreceptor in the clinic.

Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common chronic liver disease in clinical practice. It has been considered that NASH is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and carcinoma. The mechanism of the NASH progression is complex, including lipid metabolism dysfunction, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, fibrosis and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Except for lifestyle modification and bariatric surgery, there has been no pharmacological therapy that is being officially approved in NASH treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a conventional and effective therapeutic strategy, has been proved to be beneficial in treating NASH in numbers of studies. In the light of this, TCM may provide a potential therapy for treating NASH. In this review, we summarized the associated mechanisms of action TCM treating NASH in preclinical studies and systematically analysis the effectiveness of TCM treating NASH in current clinical trials.

HSF-1 and SIR-2.1 linked insulin-like signaling is involved in goji berry (Lycium spp.) extracts promoting lifespan extension of Caenorhabditis elegans

The anti-cancer, vision-improving, and reproduction-enhancing effects of goji berry have been generally recognized, but its role in anti-aging is rarely studied in depth. Therefore, two widely-circulated goji berries, Lycium ruthenicum Murr. (LRM) and Lycium Barbarum. L (LB), were selected to explore their effects on extending lifespan and enhancing defense against extrinsic stress and to uncover the mechanism of action through genetic study. The results showed that supplementation with high-dose LRM (10 mg mL^-1) and LB (100 mg mL^-1) extracts significantly extended the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) by 25.19% and 51.38%, respectively, accompanied by the improved stress tolerance of C. elegans to paraquat-induced oxidation, UV-B irradiation and heat shock. Furthermore, LRM and LB extracts remarkably enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes including SOD and CAT in C. elegans, while notably decreased the lipofuscin level. Further genetic research demonstrated that the expression levels of key genes daf-16, sod-2, sod-3, sir-2.1 and hsp-16.2 in C. elegans were up-regulated by the intervention with LRM and LB, while that of the age-1 level was down-regulated. Moreover, the daf-16 (mu86) I, sir-2.1 (ok434) IV and hsf-1 (sy441) I mutants reversed the longevity effect brought about by LRM or LB, which confirmed that these genes were required in goji berry-mediated lifespan extension. Therefore, we conclude that HSF-1 and SIR-2.1 act collaboratively with the insulin/IGF signaling pathway (IIS) in a daf-16-independent mode. The present study indicated goji berry as a potential functional food to alleviate the symptoms of aging.

The major zeaxanthin dipalmitate derivatives from wolfberry

Zeaxanthin dipalmitate (3) and two zeaxanthin dipalmitate derivatives, including one new compound (1), were obtained from wolfberry [the fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae)]. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Compound 2 is isolated from the genus Lycium for the first time, and its 1D/2D NMR data are firstly reported. All the compounds belong to carotenoids which are a kind of major bioactive constituents in wolfberry and are also responsible for wolfberry's red color.

Zeaxanthin Dipalmitate in the Treatment of Liver Disease

Goji berry, Lycium barbarum, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but its properties have not been studied until recently. The fruit is a major source of zeaxanthin dipalmitate (ZD), a xanthophyll carotenoid shown to benefit the liver. Liver disease is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world. Some conditions, such as chronic hepatitis B virus, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, remain incurable. Managing them can constitute an economic burden for patients and healthcare systems. Hence, development of more effective pharmacological drugs is warranted. Studies have shown the hepatoprotective, antifibrotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, antitumor, and chemopreventive properties of ZD. These findings suggest that ZD-based drugs could hold promise for many liver disorders. In this paper, we reviewed the current literature regarding the therapeutic effects of ZD in the treatment of liver disease.