Effects of Daily Lycium barbarum Consumption Regimens on Bone and Muscle in Aging Mice

Building on our previous findings that Lycium barbarum ("goji" berry, wolfberry) extracts mitigate age-related bone loss and improve muscle endurance, a key translational question emerges regarding its practical consumption. This study therefore investigates whether a common daily intake mode-simply soaking a small amount in hot water as tea or eating dried fruits directly confers comparable bone and muscle protective effects.

This study aimed to determine whether 3 different daily consumption regimens of L. barbarum confer bone and muscle protective effects comparable to a concentrated extract in aging mice.

Two-month-old adult mice were used as controls. In a natural aging model, 14-mo-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 5 treatment groups (n = 8): aging control, Lycium barbarum extract (LBE, a concentrated aqueous decoction), hot water infusion without residue (LBHWI, daily water-soaked 15 goji berries), infusion with residue (LBHWI + Res), and whole fruit ingestion. After 16 wk of oral gavage, bone (microcomputed tomography, calcein labeling) and muscle (grip endurance, fiber typing) parameters were evaluated. Statistical analysis employed one-way analysis of variance followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test.

LBE significantly increased bone mineral density by 43.5% (P < 0.05) and type IIa muscle fibers by 29.1% (P < 0.05) compared with aging controls. In vitro, LBE raised alkaline phosphatase activity from 0.034 to 0.047 nmoL/mg protein/min (P < 0.01) and upregulated Bglap expression 1.43-fold (P < 0.01). In contrast, none of the 3 daily consumption regimens (LBHWI, LBHWI + Res, whole fruit) improved any major in vivo endpoint (all P > 0.05).

The efficacy of L. barbarum is highly dependent on its form of administration. These findings suggest that conventional dietary intake may be insufficient, whereas standardized extracts offer a potent, evidence-based strategy for supporting skeletal and muscle health during aging; how to eat L. barbarum indeed matters.