Lycium Barbarum and Human Health

This book seeks to unravel the mysteries of wolfberry, and systematically introduces its mechanisms in preventing aging-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, liver and neurodegenerative diseases. Wolfberry, the dried fruit of Lycium barbarum, is an anti-aging herbal medicine. There have been numerous reports investigating the underlying mechanisms of its anti-aging effects and its role in preventing pathological changes in many aging-associated diseases. Its holistic effects on the body can attenuate liver toxicity and combat the spread of cancer; it also prevents degeneration in the central nervous system, and can even positively affect the skin. As such, wolfberry has become a very popular food supplement around the world. This book will serve as an excellent reference source for researchers and graduate students studying herbal medicine and aging-associated diseases, while also providing insights for the pharmaceutical industry with regard to developing potential drugs for these diseases.

Dr. Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang is an associate professor in Department of Anatomy, the University of Hong Kong. He serves as the associate editor for the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and in the Editorial Board of several journals, such as Journal of Brain and Behavioral Sciences and Neural Regeneration Research. His research mainly focuses on molecular mechanism of neuronal degeneration and its pharmacological intervention, and he has published nearly 100 research articles since 2000.

Dr. Kwok-Fai So is currently Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy, Jessie Ho Professor in Neuroscience at The University of Hong Kong, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Co-Director of the State Key laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at HKU, and director of Join Laboratory for Brain Function and Health Jinan University and the University of Hong Kong. He is one of the pioneers in the field of axonal regeneration in visual system, and has published more than 200 articles.