Lycium barbarum L.: A neuroprotective drug for glaucoma

Abstract

The active components in L. barbarum (wolfberry) include polysaccharide (LBP), zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, betaine, flavonoids, etc. The biological activities of L. barbarům can be summarized into two aspects. The first one is the intercellular effects on neurons. L. barbarum has immune modulation effects and it can activate microglia to an appropriate state (moderately activated) to protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) against ocular hypertension in glaucoma. It also suppresses the up-regulated GFAP immunoreactivity in the ocular hypertension retinas. The second aspect is the intracellular effects on neurons. L. barbarum is able to modulate a number of intracellular signaling pathways to reduce different pathological damages. It modulates both survival and pro-apoptotic pathways to maintain homeostatsis of our body under stress conditions. AU these lines of evidence suggest that L. barbarum utilizes multiple mechanisms for its protective effects on neurons. The ability of L. barbarum to interfere these pathways may explain why it can provide a broad-spectrum of protection, and this is the holistic approach of anti-aging herbs.

枸杞子的活性成份包括杞子多糖(LBP)、玉米黃質、β胡蘿卜素、甜菜堿、類黃酮等。枸杞子的生物效應至少包括兩方面:首先是對神經元的細胞間效應,枸杞子具有免疫調節作用,且可通過適度激活小膠質細胞而保護視網膜神經節細胞免受青光眼高眼壓的損害;它還可抑制高眼壓視網膜的GFAP免疫活性增高。其次是枸杞子對神經元的細胞內效應,它可調節多個細胞內途徑減低不同的病理損害。在應激情況下,它可通過調節細胞存活和凋亡通路來保持機體平衡。因此,枸杞子具有多種不同的神經保護機制,這也正是抗衰老中草藥的整體作用方式。