Gou Qi Zi
StarLycium barbarum
Synonyms: Lycium vulgare var. barbarum, Jasminoides flaccidum
☯ 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
Zhe Bei Mu (Zhejiang fritillary bulb) is a cold, bitter herb that clears Heat and transforms Phlegm-Heat — making it the preferred fritillary for acute, excess-type conditions. It is used for cough with yellow, thick phlegm from Lung Heat, and for softening and dispersing nodules, swellings, and thyroid enlargements from Phlegm-Heat accumulation. Unlike the more nourishing Chuan Bei Mu, Zhe Bei Mu has a more potent Heat-clearing and Phlegm-dissolving action suited to robust constitutions.
Western Herbalism Properties
Used In Formulas (2)
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 | 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.
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.
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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