Two anthocyanin monomers were separated from the crude anthocyanin extract from Lycium ruthenicum Murr. (LRM) by sequential preparative medium-pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) on microporous and gel-type resins, and their structures were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy. Their inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase was also evaluated. Results indicated that the contents of anthocyanins P1 and P2 in the purified product obtained with macroporous resin D101 were 18.22% and 30.77% and were increased to 84.16% and 81.48% after chromatography on Sephadex LH-20, respectively. P1 and P2 were identified as petunidin 3-O-rutinoside(trans-p-coumarin)-glucoside-5-O-glucoside and petunidin 3-O-rutinoside(trans-p-coumarin)-5-O-glucoside by UPLC-MS/MS and ¹H NMR, respectively. Both of them showed an excellent inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.250 and 0.224 mg/mL, respectively, which were much lower than that of the crude anthocyanin extract and the macroporous resin D101 purified product. This work provides a basis for further research and utilization of anthocyanins from LRM.

Phenolic compounds are a class of important plant secondary metabolites, which are regarded as prime constituents of nutraceuticals and functional foods due to their various bioactivities. Lycium barbarum L., an excellent tonic used for both medicinal and dietary purposes, is rich in phenolic compounds and their derivatives. This article aims to review recent progress in research on phenolic compounds and their derivatives in L. barbarum L. with respect to their extraction, separation, identification, and analysis methods as well as their bioactivities. Furthermore, it summarizes the current knowledge on the contribution of phenolic substances to the flavor and taste of L. barbarum L. along with their synthesis and metabolism and reviews recent progress in their deep processing and application. Finally, possible solutions to the problems existing in the research and development of phenolic compounds from L. barbarum L. and an outlook on future prospects are proposed. It is our expectation that this review will provide a reference for further exploration of phenolic compounds and derivatives in L. barbarum L., and offer theoretical guidance for the development and utilization of this specialty resource.