Quality and Safety of Lycium ruthenicum from Two Major Production Regions in Qinghai Province
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Abstract:
Lycium ruthenicum Murray (Black Chinese wolfberry) is a unique plant with both medical and dietary applications and has been an important source of study in both traditional medicine and modern pharmacological research. Currently, L. ruthenicum has been widely used as a health supplement, drawing attention to its quality and safety. As a major production region, Qinghai Province produces better quality L. ruthenicum compared to other regions and the former is very popular among consumers. Our study demonstrated that L. ruthenicum from Nuomuhong and Jinyu Lake, two major production areas in Qinghai Province, contained higher levels of active ingredients, such as anthocyanin and total flavonoids, as compared with L. ruthenicum from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Moreover, no residual carbendazim, imidacloprid, or avermectin was detected in L. ruthenicum from the two production regions, and the bacterial examinations for Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus showed negative results, meeting the green food standards of Ministry of Agriculture. However, heavy metal measurement indicated that chromium content exceeded the national food limit. Therefore, prevention of heavy metal pollution should be of immense importance for improving L. ruthenicum quality in the future plantation, production, and processing practices.
