Abstract
Elaeagnus umbellata thunb. is a nitrogen-fixing deciduous shrub with spiny branches that grows in cold mountainous areas ranging from southeastern Europe through Asia Minor, the Himalayas to China, Japan and Korea. It has white, fragrant flowers and edible, dark red fruits, about 1 cm in size.
They contain a large amount of bioactive compounds which posess bioactivity such as antioxidant (vitamins and carotenoids) and antibacterial properties. The fruits are considered as a functional food and the whole plant has a firm place in the traditional medicine of many eastern countries.
Current ethnopharmacological research shows the importance of Elaeagnus umbellata for contemporary Western medicine.