Mice drinking goji berry juice (Lycium barbarum) are protected from UV radiation-induced skin damage viaantioxidant pathways

Abstract

The goji berry, Lycium barbarum, has long been recognised in traditional Chinese medicine for various therapeutic properties based on its antioxidant and immune-modulating effects. This study describes the potential for orally consumed goji berry juice to alter the photodamage induced in the skin of mice by acute solar simulated UV (SSUV) irradiation. In Skh:hr-1 hairless mice, 5% goji berry juice significantly reduced the inflammatory oedema of the sunburn reaction. Dilutions of goji berry juice between 1% and 10% dose-dependently protected against SSUV-induced immunosuppression, and against suppression induced by the mediator, cis-urocanic acid, measured by the contact hypersensitivity reaction. The immune protection could not be ascribed to either the minor excipients in the goji juice, pear and apple juice, nor the vitamin C content, nor the preservative, and appeared to be a property of the goji berry itself. Antioxidant activity in the skin was demonstrated by the significant protection by 5% goji juice against lipid peroxidation induced by UVA radiation. Furthermore, two known inducible endogenous skin antioxidants, haem oxygenase-1 and metallothionein, were found to be involved in the photoimmune protection. The results suggest that consumption of this juice could provide additional photoprotection for susceptible humans.

Lycium barbarum Fruit (Goji) Attenuates the Adrenal Steroid Response to an Exercise Challenge and the Feeling of Tiredness: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Human Clinical Study

“…Similar to the current results, they showed that dietary supplementation with anti-oxidants (daily vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, 1000 mg) and vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol, 400 IU) supplementation) blunted the cortisol response to a single prolonged exercise challenge (Davison et al, 2007). Also, LBP has been shown to prevent oxidative stress following exhaustive exercise in rats (Shan et al, 2011) and the anti-inflammatory effect of Lycium barbarum consumption was demonstrated by Reeve et al (2010) in an animal model of UV radiation induced oxidative skin damage.…”

A review of botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, clinical relevance in efficacy and safety of Lycium barbarum fruit (Goji)

“…Several clinical studies, various pre-clinical in vivo animal and in vitro cell culture studies have shown the efficacy of L. barbarum and LBP as anti-oxidants in protecting against various peroxidationrelated conditions (Gong, Shen, Jin, Xing, & Tang, 2005;Huang, Lu, Shen, & Lu, 1999;Huang, Tian, Wang, Dong, & Wu, 2001;Huang, Yang, Wu, & Yan, 2003;Huang et al, 1998;Li, Ma, & Liu, 2007;Li, Yang, Ren, & Wang, 2002;Luo et al, 2006;Ni, Qing, Kaisa, & Lu, 2004;Reeve, Allanson, Arun, Domanski, & Painter, 2010;Ren, Ma, Shen, & Gao, 1995;Sui et al, 1996;Wang et al, 2002;Wu, Ng, & Lin, 2004;Zhang, 1993;Zhang, Zhang, & Li, 1997;Zhao, Alexeev, Chang, Greenburg, & Bojanowski, 2005).…”

Dermatologic Uses and Effects of Lycium Barbarum

“…One of them reports that ingesting the aqueous extract (juice) of LB protects mice from UV-induced damage, such as inflammatory oedema, immunosuppression, and sunburn reactions (Reeve et al 2010). Here also the antioxidant mechanism of action appears to be implicated, as quantified by the inhibition of lipid peroxidation.…”