Gou Qi Zi
StarLycium barbarum
Synonyms: Lycium vulgare var. barbarum, Jasminoides flaccidum
Traditionally used for
- Dizziness
- Eye health
- Nose & throat
- Cough & breathing
- Colds & fever
- Fertility & vitality
- Pain & joints
- Energy & fatigue
Cautions & contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
☯ TCM Properties
Nourishes and tonifies Liver and Kidney Blood and Yin; Benefits Jing and brightens the eyes; Nourishes Yin and moistens the Lungs
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gou Qi Zi (枸杞子) is the ripe fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae), Fructus Lycii, the wolfberry or goji berry. It is sweet and neutral, entering the Liver, Lung and Kidney channels. It nourishes and tonifies Liver and Kidney Blood and Yin, benefits the Essence and brightens the eyes, and nourishes Yin to moisten the Lungs.
It is the standard herb for Liver and Kidney Yin and Blood deficiency presenting in the eyes and head: blurred or dim vision, dizziness, floaters, and diminished visual acuity — the indication behind Qi Ju Di Huang Wan. It is equally used for sore, weak lower back and knees, seminal emission and nocturnal emission, and consumptive cough with dry throat from Lung Yin deficiency, and it appears in the traditional management of wasting-and-thirsting disorder.
It is sweet, mild and well tolerated, and is as much a food as a medicine — eaten in congee, soup and tea, and taken over long periods. Because it is sweet and moistening it is used with restraint where there is Dampness with loose stools or an active exterior invasion with fever.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Immunoregulating: Fruit extracts raised RES phagocytosis in mice; LBP (1-20 mg/kg i.p.) enhanced T-cell proliferation, CTL/NK cytotoxicity, countered cyclophosphamide suppression, restored responses in aged mice and synergized with IL-2 on LAK activity; extract promoted IL-2 receptor expression.
- Adjuvant antitumor: Little effect alone, but augmented cyclophosphamide against sarcoma W256 in rats and, with 60Co irradiation and BCNU, prolonged survival of mice with brain G422 tumor.
- Hematopoietic: Decoction raised leukocytes in mice and LBP stimulated marrow progenitors; 50 g/day for 10 days raised WBC in 50 healthy subjects (6446±2811 to 7143±2938) and in 28 chemotherapy patients (3909±310 to 6371±2500).
- Anti-peroxidation and anti-hepatotoxic: Inhibited RBC membrane lipid peroxidation; cerebrosides reduced GPT/SDH release from CCl4-injured hepatocytes; long-term aqueous extract protected rat liver from CCl4.
- Hypoglycemic: L. barbarum fruit extract caused prolonged blood sugar decrease and improved carbohydrate tolerance in rats.
- Other: L. chinensis aqueous extract showed cholinomimetic activity (lowering BP, inhibiting heart, stimulating intestine) and promoted lactobacillus growth.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 642.
Used In Formulas (37)
Relationships
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Gallery
Botanical Description
Lycium barbarum is a deciduous shrub reaching 1-3 m tall, with arching, sometimes spiny branches. Leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, 2-8 cm long, fleshy, and alternate or in clusters. Small, tubular, lilac-purple flowers are borne singly or in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is a bright red to orange-red elliptic berry (wolfberry/goji) 1-2 cm long containing multiple flat, yellow seeds. The berries are sweet and slightly sour when fresh, and are widely dried for food and medicine.
Hillsides, roadsides, hedgerows, river banks, and cultivated fields; native to northwestern China (Ningxia, Qinghai), widely cultivated throughout China, Central Asia, and increasingly worldwide.
Lycium barbarum is widely cultivated commercially, particularly in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. Wild populations exist in northwestern China and are stable. Extensive cultivation has removed pressure on wild populations. No conservation concerns.
Active Constituents
Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP)
Polysaccharide (glycoconjugate complex)Concentration: Quantitatively the most important fraction; up to ~5-8% of dried fruit
The signature bioactive fraction, comprising polysaccharide-protein complexes (Mw ~10-2300 kDa). Immunomodulatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective (notably retinal/photoreceptor protection), hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective; underlies much of the fruit's tonic and eye-benefiting activity.
Zeaxanthin (and zeaxanthin dipalmitate)
Carotenoid (xanthophyll)Concentration: ~0.5-1.2 mg/g dry weight; goji is among the richest dietary sources
Macular xanthophyll that accumulates in the retina; increases macular pigment optical density and protects photoreceptors from oxidative and light damage, consistent with the traditional use for 'brightening the eyes.'
Betaine
Quaternary ammonium alkaloid (trimethylglycine)Concentration: Notable constituent of the fruit
Osmolyte and methyl donor with hepatoprotective and lipotropic activity; a recognized quality marker of Fructus Lycii used in pharmacopoeial identification.
Quercetin and rutin
FlavonoidsConcentration: ~1.0-1.3 mg/g dry weight (flavonoid fraction)
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoids that scavenge free radicals and support vascular and hepatic protection.
Carotenoids (β-carotene and esters)
CarotenoidConcentration: Major lipophilic pigments of the red fruit
Provitamin-A and antioxidant carotenoids contributing to the fruit's characteristic color, retinal support and free-radical scavenging.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Water-soluble vitaminConcentration: ~2.4-49 mg/100 g fresh fruit
Antioxidant vitamin supporting immune function and collagen synthesis and contributing to the overall antioxidant capacity of the berry.
Cerebroside / lyciumin peptides
Sphingolipid and cyclic peptidesConcentration: Minor constituents
Cerebrosides show hepatoprotective activity and lyciumins are characteristic cyclic peptides of Lycium; both contribute to the fruit's protective phytochemical profile.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Warfarin
Multiple case reports describe elevated INR and bleeding when goji (juice, wine or tea) is taken with warfarin. The mechanism is not fully defined but may involve inhibition of warfarin metabolism (CYP2C9); a small study found the pharmacopoeial 6 g/day dose did not raise INR, whereas higher intakes (>6-12 g) enhanced anticoagulant effect.
Clinical note: Advise warfarin patients to avoid large amounts of goji products (juice, wine, concentrated teas) and to monitor INR if any goji is consumed; documented cases include INR rising from 2.46 to 3.84 with hematuria.
CYP2C9 substrate drugs
Because the warfarin interaction is thought to involve CYP2C9 inhibition, goji could theoretically affect other narrow-therapeutic-index CYP2C9 substrates (e.g., phenytoin, sulfonylureas).
Clinical note: Extrapolated from the warfarin data; monitor when large goji doses are combined with sensitive CYP2C9 substrates.
Antidiabetic agents (insulin, sulfonylureas)
Lycium barbarum polysaccharides have hypoglycemic activity, which could be additive with glucose-lowering medication.
Clinical note: Monitor blood glucose in diabetic patients using large amounts of goji alongside antidiabetic drugs.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6–12 g | daily | — | adult | 中国药典 2020年版 一部 【枸杞子】【用法与用量】6～12g。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I. May also be taken as a tea, in wine, or in congee. |
Preparation Methods
Raw dried fruit (eaten whole or as tea)
Parts: fruit
Ripe fruit sun-dried and used directly: chewed as a snack, steeped as a tea, or added to congee and soups. Typical medicinal dose 6-12 g per day. Because the actives include heat-labile vitamins and glycosides, gentle steeping preserves activity better than prolonged boiling.
Decoction
Parts: fruit
Added to herbal decoctions (often near the end of cooking) to nourish Liver and Kidney Yin and benefit the eyes; commonly combined with chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) and Rehmannia in classical eye formulas.
Medicinal wine / tincture (soaked in rice wine or spirits)
Parts: fruit
Fruit macerated in rice wine or spirits for several weeks to make a tonic wine used for Liver/Kidney and Jing support. Note: alcoholic goji preparations carry the greatest risk of interaction with warfarin.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Liver and kidney yin are nourished while the liver is cleared, together brightening the eyes.
Basis of Qi Ju Di Huang Wan for dim vision.
Named pairing — Lü Jingshan, Shi Jinmo Dui Yao
Kidney essence is replenished with both yin and yang supported, treating infertility and seminal deficiency.
Core pair of a classical formula — Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan, She Sheng Zhong Miao Fang
Evidence Tier
Strong evidence · 3 studiesRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
3
3 verified · 0 unverified
Show 3 studies
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi
- Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults
- Goji Berry Intake Increases Macular Pigment Optical Density in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Pilot Trial
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
0
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi
First Western RCT of standardized goji juice: 34 healthy adults took 120 mL/day of GoChi or placebo for 14 days. The goji group reported significant improvements in subjective ratings of energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, calmness and general well-being versus placebo.
Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 50 adults (aged 55-72) taking 120 mL/day goji juice for 30 days. The goji group showed increased serum SOD (+8.4%) and GSH-Px (+9.9%) and decreased MDA (-8.7%) versus baseline, with no change in placebo, indicating enhanced endogenous antioxidant defenses.
Goji Berry Intake Increases Macular Pigment Optical Density in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Pilot Trial
Randomized parallel trial in adults aged 45-65 consuming 28 g goji berries five times weekly for 90 days versus a lutein/zeaxanthin supplement. Macular pigment optical density increased significantly in the goji group, supporting a retinal-protective, eye-brightening effect.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
Contraindications
Its use is prohibited in patients with exterior pathogen, excess heat, dampness or diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 368–376.
Historical Texts
Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
Eastern Han dynasty, c. 200 CEBencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1596References
- Amagase H, Farnsworth NR. A review of botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, clinical relevance in efficacy and safety of Lycium barbarum fruit (Goji) . Food Research International 44(7):1702-1717 (2011) [DOI]
- Zhang J, Tian L, Xie B. Bleeding due to a probable interaction between warfarin and Gouqizi (Lycium barbarum L.) . Toxicology Reports 2:1209-1212 (2015) [DOI]
- Amagase H, Nance DM. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi . Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 14(4):403-412 (2008) [DOI]
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Gouqizi (Lycii Fructus), Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, Vol. I . China Medical Science Press (2020) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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