"Ke qi 7–8" is one of main Lycium barbarum varieties planted in Ningxia, and its fruits (LB) and leaves (LBL) are regarded as a preferred source of bioactive chemicals. Recent studies have focused on different methods that affect the extraction rate of active compounds. In our study, biosurfactant extraction (BSE) method was reported to significantly increase the extraction efficiency of total phenols in LB and LBL which reached at 2.459 ± 0.006 mg GAE/g and 3.16 ± 0.010 mg CatE/g, respectively. BSE efficaciously augmented the clearance of ABTS˙+ and DPPH˙ with a rate of 1.223±0.001 mg/g and 1.585±0.001 mg/g in LB. According to HPLC-MS/MS, metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolite were at the top of KEGG pathways, which were related to TP and TF. As a result, BSE can be employed as an effective technique to extract flavonoids from LB and LBL, and our data offer practical value for the development and functional research of the phenolic active components of L. barbarum fruits and leaves. Display omitted •Biosurfactant extraction (BSE) is the optimal way for total phenol (TP) extraction.•BSE was effective in improving the antioxidant potential of Lycium barbarum TP.•Biosynthesis of secondary metabolite pathways was linked to TP and antioxidants.•BSE can provide important theoretical and applied values for the extraction of TP.