Gou Qi Zi supplement and extract health benefit

The small red berry, wolfberry (Fructus barbarum L.; Gou Qi Zi and Kei Tze), is one of the richest natural sources of zeaxanthin.

Gou Qi Zi supplement with milk
Enhanced bioavailability of zeaxanthin in a milk-based formulation of wolfberry (Gou Qi Zi; Fructus barbarum L.).
Br J Nutr. 2006 Jul;96(1):154-60. Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The present study investigated zeaxanthin bioavailability from three Gou Qi Zi formulations. Gou Qi Zi berries were homogenised in hot (80 degrees C) water, warm (40 degrees C) skimmed milk and hot (80 degrees C) skimmed milk, with freeze drying of each preparation into a powdered form. A zeaxanthin-standardised dose (15 mg) of each was consumed, in randomised order, together with a standardised breakfast by twelve healthy, consenting subjects in a cross-over trial, with a 3-5-week washout period between treatments. Results showed that triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein zeaxanthin peaked at 6 h post-ingestion for all formulations. Zeaxanthin bioavailability from the hot milk formulation was significantly higher than from the others. Results showed clearly that homogenisation of Gou Qi Zi in hot skimmed milk results in a formulation that has a 3-fold enhanced bioavailability of zeaxanthin compared with both the 'classical' hot water and warm skimmed milk treatment of the berries.

Absorption Gou Qi Zi extract
Absorption and tissue distribution of zeaxanthin and lutein in rhesus monkeys after taking Fructus lycii (Gou Qi Zi) extract.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001 Feb;42(2):466-71.Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
To study serum and tissue levels of zeaxanthin and lutein after feeding rhesus monkeys an extract of gou qi zi. A carotenoid-containing fraction (P1) from an extract of Gou Qi Zi (equivalent to 2.2 mg zeaxanthin) was fed to three rhesus monkeys for 6 weeks as a daily dietary supplement through a nasogastric tube. Three other monkeys were fed with the vehicle (olive oil) similarly for 4 weeks as a control. Another three animals were fed with normal diet only. Serum levels of zeaxanthin and lutein in the P1-fed group were significantly higher than those of vehicle control. Besides the retina, the liver had the highest zeaxanthin and lutein levels, whereas the levels in the brain were undetectable. Gou Qi Zi supplement appeared to elevate zeaxanthin levels in liver and spleen. The level of lutein was higher than that of zeaxanthin in the maculae of rhesus monkeys. However, there were no detectable carotenoids in the peripheral and the equatorial regions of the monkey retina. Gou Qi Zi treatment elevated zeaxanthin density but not lutein in the macula. Serum levels and macular density of zeaxanthin was raised by feeding a carotenoid-containing fraction of Gou Qi Zi. Therefore, Gou Qi Zi is a good dietary source of zeaxanthin supplement.

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