Lycium Genus Polysaccharide: An Overview of its Extraction, Structures, Pharmacological Activities and Biological Applications

Polysaccharide is considered to be the main active ingredient of genus Lycium L., which taken from dried fruit famous Chinese herbal medicine and precious tonic known as wolfberry. Traditional uses include nourishing liver kidney improving eyesight, with widespread use in clinical practice traditional medicine. Many studies have focused on isolation identification L. polysaccharide its biological activities. However, variety raw materials mechanisms polysaccharides differ. After extraction, structure activity obtained also To date, approximately 58 kinds been isolated purified genus, including water-soluble polysaccharides; homogeneous pectin acidic heteropolysaccharides; arabinogalactans, are composed arabinose, glucosamine, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, fructose, ribose, galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid. Pharmacological shown that LBPs exhibit a important activities, such protection nerves; promotion reproduction; anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, eyesight-improving The aim this paper summarize previous current references process, structural characteristics, activities polysaccharide. This review will provide useful reference for further research application field functional food