Anti-aging and antioxidant effects
Goji berries have long been used in Oriental medicine as a potent anti-aging agent. Aging is a progressive deterioration of physiological function that impairs the ability of an organism to maintain homeostasis and consequently increases the organism’s susceptibility to disease and death.10 The aging of the immune system (immunosenescence) is associated with dramatic reduction in immune responsiveness as well as functional dysregulation. This translates into less-effective innate and adaptive immune responses, increased reactivity against self-antigens (autoimmunity), and decreased incidences of infectious diseases and cancer.11 Oxidative damage of biomolecules increases with age and is postulated to be a major causal factor of various degenerative disorders.12,13 Oxidative stress is a condition under which increased production of free radicals, reactive species (including singlet oxygen and reactive lipid peroxidation products, such as reactive aldehydes and peroxides), and oxidant-related reactions occur, which result in cellular and organ damage. Free radical scavengers or antioxidants play an important role in retarding biological aging. Consequently, the concept of anti-aging by antioxidants such as LBPs has been supported by a line of evidence. Oxidative stress has been incriminated as one of several mechanisms that induce toxic effects in different organs due to enhanced production of oxygen free radicals and is considered as a major risk factor that contributes to increased lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidants in aging and aging-related degenerative diseases.12,13