Food Science and Human Wellness · Oct 30, 2026
Red and Maillard Reaction-Modified Brown Wolfberry Extracts Extend the Lifespan of C. elegans by Targeted Modulation of mitoUPR
By Du S, Yang R, Zhang X et al.
Abstract Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.), a dietary supplement valued for its immunomodulatory and anti-aging properties, is commonly consumed in aqueous form. Thermal processing induced the Maillard reaction, converting red wolfberry into a brown product and yielding a complex extract (BWE). Compared to the extract from unprocessed red wolfberry (RWE), BWE contained Maillard-modified polysaccharides, newly formed melanoidins, and significantly elevated levels of flavonoids (44.39%) and polyphenols (35.93%). These compositional changes conferred a markedly enhanced anti-aging effect in Caenorhabditis elegans, with BWE at 5 mg/mL nearly doubling the lifespan extension (26.17% vs. 13.23% for RWE) and improved healthspan. BWE also demonstrated superior antioxidant capacity, reducing ROS by 41.20% compared to 26.59% for RWE, and increasing key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px). Mitochondrial function analyses revealed that BWE enhanced ATP production (0.75-fold) and membrane potential (2.33-fold) compared to RWE. Genetic investigations revealed that these longevity-promoting effects were mediated via the coordinated activation of the atfs-1-dependent mitochondrial unfolded protein response and downstream DAF-16/FOXO signaling, as atfs-1 RNAi almost completely abrogated the observed lifespan extension. This study demonstrates that Maillard reaction modification potentiates the anti-aging efficacy of wolfberry via a novel mitochondrial-nuclear signaling axis, underscoring its promise as a dietary intervention to ameliorate age-related physiological decline.