*3.3. Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content*

The total phenolic (TPC)/flavonoid (TFC) content assays are rapid and low-cost methods used for the screening of herbal or food samples subjected to different processing or treatment procedures [39,40]. In this study, the highest value for the TPC was found in the W4U sample, followed by P4D, whereas the highest TFC was obtained from the P4U and W4U samples, as seen in Table 3. Interestingly, the lowest values for the TPC were presented by the samples collected from Romania, while Italian samples presented overall higher values for TPC. The results obtained in this study for the Italian samples are comparable with the ones obtained for samples collected in the Umbria region (central Italy) [41], while the results obtained for the Romanian samples are more comparable with the findings concerning samples collected from Northern Italy [14]. Furthermore, these results support the evidence that TPC in our tested goji berries could vary among different genotypes and was strictly dependent on the pre-harvest practices, cultivar/clone, environmental conditions, and maturity stage at harvest. All these experimental variables could modulate the accumulation of specific phenolics [42], which are majorly responsible of the antioxidant and biological activity.

**Table 3.** Total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2- -azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) scavenging capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and tyrosinase inhibition of the extracts of *Lycium* cultivars (values expressed are means ± SD of three measurements).


na: not active.
