Lycium ruthenicum studies: Molecular biology, Phytochemistry and pharmacology

•Lycium ruthenicum is an ethnic medicine, nutraceutical food, and important for restoration of desert ecosystems.•The genetic affinity between L. ruthenicum and other species in genera Lycium is ambiguous.•Phytochemistry studies focus on the separation of chemical components.•The quality control of L. ruthenicum is a blank.•Pharmacology studies focus on the polyphenolic bioactivities of antioxidants. Lycium ruthenicum has been used as ethnic medicine and nutraceutical food. Existing studies of L. ruthenicum can be classifies into three areas: (1) those in which molecular biology methods were used to study its origin, genetic variation and relationships with other species; (2) those in which phytochemical methods were used to extract, isolate, and identify compounds; and (3) those in which pharmacological methods were used to study active compounds. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of L. ruthenicum studies. This review will provide a useful bibliography for further investigations and applications of L. ruthenicum in medicines and foods.