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The wolfberry is believed to improve eyesight in traditional Chinese medicine. Soaking wolfberry in thermos cups has become a common health‐preserving practice. The object of this paper was to research the protective effects of wolfberry water extract (WWE) on oxidative injury induced by blue light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) in ARPE‐19 cells and C57BL/6J mice. Wolfberry water extract significantly increased cell viability, reduced ROS production, stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibited apoptosis in blue LED‐induced cells (P < 0.05). The protective effects of WWE against blue LED‐induced cytotoxicity and ROS accumulation in cells were abolished by transfection with Nrf2 siRNA. In blue LED‐exposed C57BL/6J mice, WWE treatment markedly increased the amplitudes of electroretinogram (ERG) waves a and b, increased the thickness of retinal outer nuclear layer (ONL), activated endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and decreased MDA levels in the retina and lens. WWE also promoted NRF2 translocation and the expression of the downstream genes Ho‐1, Nqo1, Gclc, and Gclm in the retina. The protection of WWE in ERG a and b wave amplitudes and ROS levels were abrogated in Nrf2 knockout mice. These results suggested that WWE has beneficial effects on retinal injury induced by blue LED, and mechanisms of action at least partly via the NRF2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: So far, no articles have discussed the hypolipidemic effect of wheat germ protein in in vivo experiments. Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of wheat germ protein (WGP, 300 mg/kg/day) and wheat germ (WG, 300 mg/kg/day) on cholesterol metabolism, antioxidant activities, and serum and hepatic lipids in rats fed a high-fat diet through gavage. Methodology: We used 4-week-old male Wistar 20 rats in our animal experiment. Biochemical indicators of fecal, serum and liver were tested by kits or chemical methods. We also conducted the cholesterol micellar solubility experiment in vitro. Results: After 28 days of treatment, our results showed that WGP significantly reduced the serum levels of total cholesterol (p < 0.05) and nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.05), improved the enzymatic activities of cholesterol 7-α hydroxylase (p < 0.01) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (p < 0.01) and increased bile acid excretion in feces (p < 0.05). Conclusion: WG did not significantly increase bile acid excretion in feces or decrease serum levels of total cholesterol. Moreover, WGP and WG both presented significant antioxidant activity in vivo (p < 0.05) and caused a significant reduction in cholesterol micellar solubility in vitro (p < 0.001). Therefore, WGP may effectively prevent hyperlipidemia and its complications as WGP treatment enhanced antioxidant activity, decreased the concentration of serum lipids and improved the activity of enzymes involved in cholesterol metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]