Wild jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou, as a food and health supplement worldwide, has rich nutritional value. It contains nutrients such as nucleosides, amino acids, polysaccharides, and fatty oils. The fruits, seeds, and leaves of wild jujube can all be used for food, medicine, or health care purposes. Among these, the fruits play many roles, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions, and can be used as a natural nutritional supplement to prevent aging. Simultaneously, the mature seed of wild jujube exhibits beneficial effects on central nervous system diseases and is often used for the treatment of insomnia and as a functional food for improving sleep quality and enhancing learning and memory. This review presents an overview of research progress relevant to the phytonutrients, biological functions, metabolism of bioactive compounds, and applications of wild jujube and aims to provide a scientific reference for the development and utilization of this plant.

The seed of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou (ZSS) is often used as a traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia due to its sedative and hypnotic effects, but the mechanism underlying this effect has not been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, an insomnia model induced by intraperitoneal injection of DL-4-chlorophenylalanine suspension in Sprague-Dawley rats was adopted to investigate the therapeutic effect of ZSS extract. Metabolomics analyses of plasma and urine as well as 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the intestinal flora were performed. The relationships between the plasma and urine metabolites and the intestinal flora in insomnia rats were also analyzed. The results showed that changes in plasma and urine metabolites caused by insomnia were reversed after administration of ZSS, and these changes were mainly related to amino acid metabolism, especially phenylalanine metabolism. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and short-chain fatty acid determination showed that the ZSS extract could reverse the imbalance of intestinal flora caused by insomnia and increase the contents of SCFAs in feces. All of these improvements are mainly related to the regulation of inflammation. Therefore, it is concluded that insomnia, which alters metabolic profiles and the intestinal flora, could be alleviated effectively by ZSS extract.

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The role of Semen Ziziphus jujube saponins in sedative and hypnosis has attracted much attention. The study aimed to investigate its possible UV damage protection and anti-aging effects. Total saponins (SZR I) and purified saponins (SZR II) were analyzed and compared by infrared spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The protective effects of SZR I, SZR II, and their three monomers on HaCaT cells damaged by UV were studied, and their anti-aging activities were observed by Caenorhabditis elegans with paraquat-induced oxidative stress. The results showed that SZR I and SZR II differ in chemical composition but both have the same three monomers. The cell survival rate treated with SZR I and SZR II at a concentration of 400 μg/mL increased by 34.45 and 88.98%, respectively, indicating that they could promote the proliferation of UVB-damaged HaCaT cells. Jujuboside A, Jujuboside B, and spinosin from the saponins exhibited similar effects on UVB-damaged HaCaT cells. SZR I and SZR II had little effect on reproductive performance but could delay the senescence caused by heat and oxidative stress of the C. elegans model. These results provide useful data that Semen Z. jujube saponin is a potential natural product with UV damage protection and anti-aging characteristics.