Lycium shawii (Solanaceae): nutritional composition, phytochemistry, biological activities, and food-use prospects of an underexplored desert edible plant

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Wild edible plants represent critical yet underutilized resources for enhancing dietary resilience in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult., a thorny desert shrub native to the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring regions, produces edible berries and exhibits marked ecological adaptability to saline, drought-prone environments. Despite its traditional use and ecological importance, a comprehensive synthesis of its nutritional, phytochemical, and biological attributes has remained limited. This review critically integrates available literature on the taxonomy, morphology, ecological adaptations, ethnobotanical significance, nutritional composition, phytochemical profile, biological activities, and safety considerations of L. shawii . Current evidence confirms that the berries are moisture-rich and carbohydrate-dominant, with measurable phenolic content and mineral presence, although standardized micronutrient profiling and multi-regional compositional benchmarking remain scarce. Extract-based studies report antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, wound-healing, and emerging antiparasitic activities, with wound healing supported by in vivo evidence. However, most pharmacological findings remain preclinical and exploratory, and clinical validation is lacking. From a sustainable food systems perspective, L. shawii should be positioned primarily as a climate-resilient desert berry with potential contribution to dietary diversification and land restoration initiatives. Integration into food value chains will require rigorous nutritional standardization, safety validation, bioavailability assessment, and agronomic feasibility studies. Strengthening this evidence base may support the strategic utilization of underexplored desert species in advancing sustainable nutrition and contributing to the Zero Hunger goal.

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