Etymology of Goji Berry as well as cultivation.

It is also known as Chinese wolfberry, mede berry, barbary matrimony vine, bocksdorn, Duke of Argyll's tea tree, Murali (in India), red medlar or matrimony vine. Unrelated to the plant's geographic origin, the names Tibetan goji and Himalayan goji are in common use in the health food market for products from this plant.

"Wolfberry" is the most commonly used English name, while gǒuqǐ (枸杞) is the Chinese name for the berry producing plant. In Chinese, the berries themselves are called gǒuqǐzi (枸杞子), with zi meaning "seed" or specifically "berry".

When ripe, the oblong, red berries are tender and must be picked carefully or shaken from the vine into trays to avoid spoiling. The fruits are preserved by drying them in full sun on open trays over 48 hours.

Uses

Eat the dried berries or mix them in salads, snack mix, or baking. The berries can also be boiled as an herbal tea, often along with chrysanthemum flowers and/or red jujubes, or with tea. Various wines and beers are also brewed containing wolfberries.

Wolfberry also contains zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid antioxidant, and a human supplementation trial showed that daily intake of wolfberries increased plasma levels of zeaxanthin. [a]


Micronutrients and phytochemicals

Wolfberry contains significant percentages of a day's macronutrient needs – carbohydrates, protein, fat and dietary fiber. 68% of the mass of dried wolfberries exists as carbohydrate, 12% as protein, and 10% each as fiber and fat, giving a total caloric value in a 100 gram serving of 370 (kilo)calories. [b]

Wolfberries contain many nutrients and phytochemicals[b] including

11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals
18 amino acids
6 essential vitamins
8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides
5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols
5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (below), lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll numerous phenolic pigments (phenols) associated with antioxidant properties

Select examples given below are for 100 grams of dried berries.

Calcium. Wolfberries contain 112 mg per 100 gram serving, providing about 8-10% of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).
Potassium. Wolfberries contain 1,132 mg per 100 grams dried fruit, giving about 24% of the DRI.
Iron. Wolfberries have 9 mg iron per 100 grams (100% DRI).
Zinc. 2 mg per 100 grams dried fruit (18% DRI).
Selenium. 100 grams of dried wolfberries contain 50 micrograms (91% DRI)
Riboflavin (vitamin B2). At 1.3 mg, 100 grams of dried wolfberries provide 100% of DRI.
Vitamin C. Vitamin C content in dried wolfberries has a wide range (from different sources[citation needed]) from 29 mg per 100 grams to as high as 148 mg per 100 grams (respectively, 32% and 163% DRI).

Wolfberries also contain numerous phytochemicals[b] for which there are no established DRI values. Examples:

Beta-carotene: 7 mg per 100 grams dried fruit.
Zeaxanthin. Reported values for zeaxanthin content in dried wolfberries vary considerably, from 2.4 mg per 100 grams [c] to 82.4 mg per 100 grams [d] to 200 mg per 100 grams[e]. The higher values would make wolfberry one of the richest edible plant sources known for zeaxanthin content.[f] Up to 77% of total carotenoids present in wolfberry exist as zeaxanthin.[g]
Polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are a major constituent of wolfberries, representing up to 31% of pulp weight.


[a] Cheng CY, Chung WY, Szeto YT, Benzie IF
[b] 47 - a b c d e Young G., R. Lawrence, and M. Schreuder (2005). Discovery of the Ultimate Superfood. Essential Science Publishing. ISBN 0-943685-44-3
[c] Lam K-W, But P (1999). "The content of zeaxanthin in Gou Qi Zi, a potential health benefit to improve visual acuity". Food Chem. 67: 173-6.
[d] Weller P, Breithaupt DE (November 2003). "Identification and quantification of zeaxanthin esters in plants using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry". J. Agric. Food Chem. 51 (24): 7044–9. doi:10.1021/jf034803s. PMID 14611169.
[e] Peng Y, Ma C, Li Y, Leung KS, Jiang ZH, Zhao Z (December 2005). "Quantification of zeaxanthin dipalmitate and total carotenoids in Lycium fruits (Fructus Lycii)". Plant Foods Hum Nutr 60 (4): 161–4. doi:10.1007/s11130-005-9550-5. PMID 16395626.
[f] Yunyun L. Dry no more. BeijingReview.com.cn, October 11, 2008
[g] Li Z, Peng G, Zhang S (July 1998). "[Separation and determination of carotenoids in Fructus lycii by isocratic non-aqueous reversed-phase liquid chromatography]" (in Chinese). Se Pu 16 (4): 341–3. PMID 11367765.