How to identify the authenticity of black wolfberry

Since black wolfberry is relatively rare and very expensive, many unscrupulous merchants will sell some fake black wolfberry, but some people don’t know how to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry. If you want to know how to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry, you can find out through various channels, and you don’t have to strictly follow a certain method. Next, let us learn about how to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry.

The effects and functions of black wolfberry: 1. Enhance immunity and delay aging 2. Nourish the kidney and replenish essence 3. Promote fluid production and quench thirst, improve circulation 4. Nourish blood and calm the mind, improve sleep 5. Moisten the lungs and relieve cough, slow down aging, etc. Wild black wolfberry is known as "oral skin cosmetics". According to relevant data, black wolfberry is the food with the highest anthocyanin content today.

In order to make profits, some unscrupulous vendors use white thorn fruit, which looks very similar to black wolfberry, to impersonate black wolfberry. If you look closely, there is still a big difference between them, but it is difficult to distinguish them after they are dried.

How can you tell the difference between real and fake black wolfberries?

1. Let’s talk about fresh black wolfberry first. After the seeds are crushed, the authentic black wolfberry contains about ten small seeds, and the shape of the small seeds is like a fruit; the fake white thorn fruit has a single core. It doesn't have the deep blue-purple color like black wolfberry.

2. After the dried black wolfberry is soaked in water, the color of the black wolfberry gradually fades as the anthocyanin is released. After soaking for a long time, the black wolfberry will turn into a blue-white translucent color. Also, if you break open the black wolfberry, you will find about 10 small seeds inside.

3. It is particularly noteworthy that the anthocyanin content of black wolfberry is three times that of blueberry. Anthocyanin is light blue when soaked in tap water and purple in purified water. However, the difference will gradually decrease with the increase of soaking time. When the black wolfberry is opened, the inside is the same color, which cannot be achieved by dyeing. This is a good proof that black wolfberry is natural in color.

Identification by soaking in water: Black wolfberry has a very dark color and contains a large amount of anthocyanin, which will show different performances under different water qualities. It turns purple when soaked in acidic water (mineral water), and turns blue when soaked in alkaline water (spring water, tap water, etc.).

How to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry

Identification of properties: The black wolfberry fruit is dry and wrinkled, and after soaking in water, the berry is oval, slightly flat, and 5 to 8 mm long. Diameter 3~5mm. The surface is purple-black, with irregular wrinkles and slightly shiny. The fruit has traces of the style and pedicel and a persistent calyx. The texture is soft and moisturizing. The seed is single, oblong, 3.5-5mm long, 2-3mm wide, reddish brown or tan, slightly pointed at the apex, rounded and triangular, with 6 shallow longitudinal grooves extending to the middle, and obtuse at the base with dozens of quasi-circular pits. It has a slight odor and tastes sweet and slightly sour. After the finished black wolfberry is dry, the fruit stalk can stand up, and the part after the fruit stalk is removed is a very round, white circle. After it is completely dry, it turns into powder if you squeeze it with your hands. These are characteristics that other fake fruits do not have.

How to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry

Microscopic identification (cross section of peel): The exocarp of wolfberry is a row of flat cells with thick walls, covered with a cuticle, and with wavy outer edges. The mesocarp is composed of dozens of rows of thin-walled cells, which contain prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate. Double tough vascular bundles hash. Endocarp cells are in one row, small and elongated tangentially.

How to distinguish the authenticity of black wolfberry

4 Powder identification: The powder of black wolfberry is yellow-brown. There are numerous exocarp fragments. The cells are polygonal or quasi-rectangular when viewed from the surface, with thick walls and yellow-brown granules inside. Inadvertent stomata, 5 to 7 accessory cells and single-celled non-glandular hairs can be seen. The cells on the surface of the seed coat are polygonal, square, colorless or light yellow, often connected to thin-walled palisade cells, with faint keratin texture and fine particles, thin walls, and non-lignified; the palisade cells of the seed coat are in sheets, light yellow, and there are two types: the thick-walled type is narrow and long in side view, slightly uneven, with a pointed, obtuse or forked end, 120-250μm long and 7-19μm wide. The wall is extremely thick and strongly lignified, the cell cavity is not obvious or has fine grooves; when viewed from the top, the wall is extremely thick, the cell cavity is small, and the pores are not obvious. The thin-walled type is spindle-shaped or rectangular when viewed from the side, with thicker walls, large cell cavities, and obvious pores and grooves; the top view is polygonal, with fine pores and grooves, smaller cell cavities, and contains calcium oxalate crystals and pigment blocks. The non-glandular hairs on the pericarp are easily visible, colorless or light yellow, single-celled, relatively straight or slightly curved, gradually pointed at the apex, 75-113 μm long, 12-16 μm in diameter, with thin walls, slightly curved, non-lignified or slightly lignified, and with small tubercles on the surface. There are many prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, which are square, rectangular, and diamond-shaped, with a diameter of 6 to 25 μm. There are many pigment blocks, which are square or irregular in shape, yellow-brown or orange-red, and have a diameter of 15 to 19 μm. The endosperm cells are polygonal or quasi-round polygonal, contain fat droplets, and are filled with starch grains. Some of them have visible quasi-crystals, round polygons, and rhombuses.

The method of distinguishing the authenticity of black wolfberry is relatively simple. As long as we carefully confirm the appearance and taste, we will not be easily deceived. Of course, it is best to buy black wolfberry in some more formal supermarkets or pharmacies. Don't buy it from vendors because of cheapness or some other reasons, as you will be easily deceived.