The ripe fruits of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. (black wolfberry) have been utilized as folk medicine and nutritional food for thousands of years. L. ruthenicum fruits are rich in polysaccharides, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, carotenoids, alkaloids, vitamins, essential oils, etc. Among them, polysaccharides are considered as the major bioactive components in L. ruthenicum fruits. In the past decade, polysaccharides have been isolated from L. ruthenicum fruits by physical and enzymatic methods. The structural characterization of L. ruthenicum polysaccharides (LRPS) is associated with the separation and purification methods of polysaccharides as well as the planting region of L. ruthenicum. Moreover, LRPS possess several biological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-radiation, anti-fatigue, heptatoprotective, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-osteoporosis, anti-tumor and prebiotic activities. For the first time, this review presents the recent advances on the isolation, structure and bioactivities of LRPS. Also this review highlights the challenges of existing studies and future perspectives on LRPS.
Keywords: Bioactivity; Black wolfberry; Lycium ruthenicum; Polysaccharides; Structure.
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