Chinese Business Network March 25, 2017

As a new type of health care product, Lycium barbarum is deeply loved by many people, but how to identify it is confusing. Is it true that the price of "wild black wolfberry" in the market varies widely? The curiosity of Huashang Daily in this issue will take you to find the answer through experiments.
> > Market visits Black Lycium barbarum prices vary greatly, and sellers say it is wild.
Mr. Wang, a citizen, pays attention to health preservation. He heard that "Black Lycium barbarum" has a high anthocyanin content, and it has an antioxidant effect. When traveling abroad, he bought a box of black Lycium barbarum with a net content of 100 grams, which is worth 200 yuan. Calculated, it costs 2,000 yuan per kilogram. "It is said to be wild, but I don’t understand it. I don’t know how to identify it." Mr. Wang said that the price of black wolfberry in the market is generally high, but because of the lack of professional knowledge, it is difficult to distinguish between true and false and good and bad.
A reporter from Huashang Daily recently visited the market and found that the price of black wolfberry varies greatly. There are one kilogram from 60 yuan and 140 yuan on the Internet, one kilogram from 360 yuan and 400 yuan in the fruit wholesale market, and as high as 3,600 yuan per kilogram in the black wolfberry specialty store. The sellers all claim that they sell wild Lycium barbarum, which is produced in Xinjiang, Ningxia and Qinghai.

> > Experiments verify that the seller claims that the wild Lycium barbarum is not wild.
So are these black wolfberry really wild as the seller said? The reporter from Huashang Daily collected five samples of Lycium barbarum and identified them through experiments.
Experimental institution: College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University.
Experimenters: Teacher Li Ziyan, Ph.D. in Plant Nutrition, School of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, and reporter from Huashang Daily.
Experimental samples: Sample 1: Wild Lycium barbarum in Nuomuhong, Qinghai (provided by Teacher Li Ziyan); Sample 2: Hujiamiao Fruit Wholesale Market, one kilogram in 360 yuan, said by the merchant to be produced in Xinjiang; Sample 3: Hujiamiao Fruit Wholesale Market, one kilogram in 400 yuan, said by the merchant to be produced in Ningxia; Sample 4: Mr. Wang bought it at the airport, 2000 yuan a kilogram; Sample 5: Online shopping, one kilogram in 64 yuan, said by the merchant to be produced in Qinghai.

Experimental method:
At first glance, the wild Lycium barbarum L. has an irregular spiny petiole and is harder.
The first sample is dark purple, the fruits are different in size and irregular in shape, and the pulp is similar to the touch of raisins. There is a spiny petiole at the tail, which is hard and sharp, and there are three white flower-like dry leaves at the junction of petiole and pulp. The second sample is also dark purple, the fruit size is different and irregular, and the pulp is similar to the touch of raisins. There are also spiny petioles and three white dry leaves at the tail, but the spines are soft. The third sample is also dark purple, with irregular fruit sizes and hard pulp. There are also spiny petioles and three white dry leaves at the tail, but the spines are soft. Most of the four samples are normal pulp, but a small part is dry yellow dried fruit. Most of the five samples are dry yellow dried fruits, which are very regular in shape and similar to pepper grains. After crushing, many grains are larger, while the grains of other samples are very small.
Expert’s explanation: Teacher Li Ziyan said that wild Lycium barbarum is a kind of bush berry in wasteland, with sparse fruit, which is purple-black oblate fruit. Fresh fruit can only be preserved for one day after ripening, so the black wolfberry in the market is dried and dried. There will be extrusion in drying, so the real wild Lycium barbarum will be partly irregular, and the flesh is full and the seeds are very small. From the appearance, samples 2 and 3 should be planted black wolfberry, because the planted black wolfberry tree is shorter, so the thorns will be softer. Moreover, the planted black wolfberry will be bigger than the wild one because of the abundant nutrients such as sunlight. Sample four and sample five are adulterated, especially sample five, most of which are unknown small dried fruits, which can be judged as fake black wolfberry. It is worth reminding that the three petals of dry leaves and spiny petioles at the tail of wild Lycium barbarum must be white, but dyeing Lycium barbarum will first dye the three petals of dry leaves and spiny petioles black and purple.

Second taste: wild black wolfberry is slightly sweet and has wolfberry fragrance.
When the sample is chewed in the mouth, it feels like raisins, tastes slightly sweet and smells like medlar. After eating, the mouth and teeth will turn purple. Sample 2 and sample 3 taste sour, while Lycium barbarum tastes weak. After eating, the mouth and teeth will turn purple. Sample 4 will melt quickly in the mouth, basically tasteless, and the mouth and teeth will turn purple after eating. Sample 5 has no taste, the taste is very dregs, and the mouth will not be stained after eating.
Expert’s explanation: Teacher Li Ziyan said that because of the strong sunshine and large temperature difference in the wasteland, wild Lycium barbarum has a high sugar content and tastes sweet fruity and Lycium barbarum. It is worth reminding that although the fifth sample is not dyed after eating, it does not rule out that other dyed Lycium barbarum will dye its mouth and teeth after eating.

Three bubbles: wild Lycium barbarum "drawing" is slow.
Take five samples, about 10 capsules each, and put them into a cup filled with tap water. After soaking for a while, the first sample quickly turns into uniform blue, and the second sample is slightly purple, the third sample is blue, the fourth sample is blue and purple, and the fifth sample is dirty purple. After soaking, the pulp of sample 1 is still dark purple, the pulp of sample 2 and sample 3 is slightly pale, a few particles in sample 4 have turned white, and sample 5 is still yellow as before soaking.
Expert’s explanation: Teacher Li Ziyan said that Lycium barbarum is rich in anthocyanins, which is blue in weakly alkaline water (such as tap water and mineral water) and purple in weakly acidic water (such as purified water). No matter whether it is wild or planted, Lycium barbarum will have this characteristic. Wild Lycium barbarum L. has a high anthocyanin content, so the color is still blue-purple after four or five soaks. Ordinary cultivated Lycium barbarum L. has no color after two or three soaks, while fake Lycium barbarum L. has no color after one soak.
Take one of the five samples and put them into a cup filled with tap water respectively. After a while, the samples will slowly separate out blue vertical lines, which is called "drawing". Samples 2, 3 and 4 will separate out blue faster, and sample 5 will not separate out after separating out little blue.
Experts dispel doubts: Teacher Li Ziyan said that the flesh of wild Lycium barbarum is tight and the anthocyanin precipitates slowly; The tissue of planting Lycium barbarum is loose, so the drawing is fast; Fake black wolfberry does not contain anthocyanins, and some may be dyed, so blue will not precipitate soon.

Experimental results: the online shopping of black wolfberry is fake, and the fruit market is to grow black wolfberry.
Teacher Li Ziyan said that from the experimental results, it can be preliminarily judged that the online purchase of black Lycium barbarum is fake, which may be other small fruits with similar shapes, but only partially doped with black Lycium barbarum. The black wolfberry that Mr. Wang bought at the airport was also mixed with a few other small fruits. Black Lycium barbarum sold in fruit market should be planted black Lycium barbarum, not wild black Lycium barbarum.

Expert reminder
It is difficult to buy real wild Lycium barbarum at a low price.
See more and taste more when buying.
Teacher Li Ziyan said that many investors now contract the wild base of Lycium barbarum in the saline-alkali desert of Qinghai, and pick it from July to October every year, which can be picked three times a season. However, the distribution of wild Lycium barbarum is sparse, and the trees are thorny, so it can only be cut one by one with gloves and scissors. The yield is very low. Each person can only pick 6 kilograms of fresh fruit every day and finally make a catty of dried fruit. However, a person’s daily salary is about 100~200 yuan, and with the costs of maintenance, drying and sterilization, the cost of a catty of wild Lycium barbarum is at least 700 yuan. Due to the scarcity of resources, plus the optimization of large regular fruit types and hardcover, the market price of black wolfberry will be higher, reaching thousands of yuan, but it also depends on the market conditions. Therefore, it may not be the real wild Lycium barbarum bought at a low price, but it may be the black Lycium barbarum planted conventionally or the unqualified products mixed with other fruits. It is recommended that you see more and taste more when buying.

Teacher Li Ziyan also said that in terms of nutrient elements, there is not much difference between wild Lycium barbarum and cultivated Lycium barbarum, but the concentration of wild Lycium barbarum is higher, and the wild Lycium barbarum is dry and cold due to climatic conditions, and the cultivated Lycium barbarum is prone to produce pests and diseases, which will inevitably lead to pesticide residues.
Teacher Li Ziyan said that the variety of Lycium barbarum in China’s organic crop catalogue has been suspended for more than ten years. Due to the improvement of the organic management level of Lycium barbarum in China, Lycium barbarum is expected to return to China’s organic catalogue in 2017, and it is currently in the demonstration stage. At present, the organic Lycium barbarum on the market is mainly certified by foreign countries, which is mainly used for export and domestic sales.
She introduced that black wolfberry is rich in anthocyanins, containing sodium ions, potassium ions and minerals, which can tonify the kidney, nourish the liver, improve eyesight, blacken hair and resist oxidation. It is better to eat or drink on an empty stomach in the morning and at night, but it is not suitable for people with excessive internal heat and inflammation.




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