Nu Zhen Zi (Ligustrum lucidum)

Nu Zhen Zi (Ligustrum lucidum) berries contain a complex array of bioactive compounds rather than significant macronutrient content. Key bioactive constituents include: Oleanolic acid (primary triterpenoid, approximately 0.5-1.2% dry weight), Ursolic acid (co-occurring triterpenoid, ~0.3-0.8% dry weight), and Oleuropein (secoiridoid glycoside, ~1.0-2.5% dry weight). The signature compound Specnuezhenide (a phenylethanoid glycoside) is present at approximately 0.5-1.5% dry weight and serves as the primary quality marker in pharmacopeial standards. Ligustroside and nuzhenide are additional secoiridoid glycosides present at 0.2-0.8% dry weight. Polysaccharides (primarily glucose and galactose polymers) constitute approximately 8-15% dry weight and are considered key immunomodulatory components with moderate bioavailability. Flavonoids including luteolin and apigenin glycosides are present at ~0.1-0.4% dry weight. Salidroside (tyrosol glucoside) is detected at ~0.05-0.2% dry weight. Regarding micronutrients: zinc (~2.1 mg/100g dry weight), manganese (~1.8 mg/100g), and potassium (~320 mg/100g) are the most notable minerals. Crude fiber content is approximately 18-22% dry weight. Protein content is modest at ~4-6% dry weight. Bioavailability notes: Oleanolic acid has limited oral bioavailability (~2-3%) due to poor aqueous solubility; processing as decoction or ethanol extract significantly improves extraction of glycosides; wine-processing (jiu zhi) traditional preparation increases absorption of certain triterpenes by approximately 30-40% based on comparative studies.