Evaluation of Lycium chinense Germplasms in China Based on Fruit Quality Traits

The fruits of Lycium chinense are important medicinal and edible resources with multiple bioactive functions, including hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects. Although this species is widely distributed in China and exhibits abundant germplasm resources, systematic evaluations of fruit quality variation among wild germplasm remain limited, restricting the selection and breeding of superior resources. In this study, eight wild germplasm resources of L. chinense were collected from the eastern coastal regions of China, including Liaocheng (LC), Rugao (RG), Dafeng (DF), Suzhou (SZ), Qidong (QD), Dongtai (DT), Jingjiang (JJ), and Sheyang (SY). A total of 29 fruit quality-related traits, including fruit size, flavonoids, soluble sugars, vitamin C, and amino acids, were analyzed. Significant differences were observed among germplasm resources in both fruit size and internal quality. Comprehensive evaluation based on principal component analysis and entropy weight-grey relational analysis indicated that SY and LC ranked highest. SY exhibited smaller fruits but superior nutritional quality, with higher levels of soluble protein, vitamins, and amino acids. In contrast, LC showed larger fruits and higher contents of polysaccharides and total phenolics, along with stronger antioxidant capacity. Overall, SY and LC represent promising germplasm resources for breeding and utilization of L. chinense.