Elaeagnus angustifolia

Fresh Elaeagnus angustifolia is crispy, sweet and sour, and very delicious. Fully mature Elaeagnus angustifolia is crispy and melts in the mouth, delicious and different from fresh Elaeagnus angustifolia. Elaeagnus angustifolia bark, flowers, and fruits all have pharmacological properties. The bark can clear away heat and cool blood, the flowers can relieve cough and asthma, the fruit can stop diarrhea and calm, and the jujube kernel can treat neurasthenia and insomnia.

Introduction to Elaeagnus angustifolia

Elaeagnus angustifolia, also known as osmanthus fragrant willow, is produced in the western desert of Inner Mongolia. Because the fragrance of its flowers is similar to that of osmanthus in the south of the Yangtze River and its vitality is very tenacious, it is known as the "osmanthus in the desert". Elaeagnus angustifolia is shaped like a date, yellow-red or yellow-brown, with shiny silver dots on the peel, white and sandy flesh, and tastes sweet with a slight sour taste. Elaeagnus angustifolia is a treasure from head to toe. Elaeagnus angustifolia flour can be used to make pancakes, steamed buns, and noodles, and can also be used as raw materials for pastries, jams, soy sauce, sugar, wine, and vinegar. Elaeagnus angustifolia leaves are a favorite feed for pigs, cattle, and sheep. The trunk of the Elaeagnus angustifolia tree is hard and is high-quality wood that can be used to make various wooden products. Elaeagnus angustifolia bark, flowers, and fruits all have pharmacological properties. The bark can clear away heat and cool blood, the flowers can relieve cough and asthma, the fruit can stop diarrhea and calm, and the jujube kernel has the function of treating neurasthenia and insomnia.

Characteristics of Elaeagnus angustifolia

Elaeagnus angustifolia has strong vitality and is drought-resistant, wind-resistant, salt-alkali-resistant, and barren-resistant. Natural Elaeagnus angustifolia is only distributed in deserts and semi-desert areas with precipitation below 150 mm, which is related to the shallow groundwater level. If the groundwater level is below 4 meters, it will grow poorly. Elaeagnus angustifolia has high requirements for heat conditions. It grows well in areas with accumulated temperatures above 3000℃ and above 10℃. When the accumulated temperature is below 2500℃, it will produce less fruit. It starts to sprout when the active accumulated temperature is greater than 5℃. When it is above 10℃, the growth enters the peak season, and when it is above 16℃, it enters the flowering period. The fruit is mainly formed during the high temperature period of midsummer with an average temperature of more than 20℃. It also has strong salt-alkali tolerance, but it varies with the type of salt. It has strong adaptability to sulfate soil and weak resistance to chloride. It can grow when the total salt content of sulfate soil is less than 1.5%, but it is not suitable for growth when the total salt content exceeds 0.4% on chloride soil. Elaeagnus angustifolia has well-developed lateral roots with large root widths. In loose soil, it can produce many nodules. The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia in it can also improve soil fertility and improve soil. The lateral branches have strong germination power, while the terminal buds grow weakly. The branches are dense and often form dense clusters. After the branches are buried in the sand, adventitious roots are easy to grow, which has the effect of preventing wind and fixing sand. In the Hexi Corridor area of ​​Gansu, the sap of Elaeagnus angustifolia begins to flow in late March, buds begin to sprout in mid-April, and enter the flowering period from the end of May to the beginning of June. The flowering period is about 3 weeks, young fruits appear in early July, fruits are formed in late August, and fruits mature in October. The fruiting period is about 100 days. The phenological period in Xinjiang and Ningxia is similar to that in the Hexi Corridor, and the phenological period in central Inner Mongolia is slightly later. Elaeagnus angustifolia has been selected and bred by the masses, and there are many excellent varieties.

Feeding value and utilization technology of Elaeagnus angustifolia

Elaeagnus angustifolia has a long history as a feed in Northwest my country. Its leaves and fruits are high-quality feed for sheep, and sheep like to eat them in all seasons. After eating the fruits of Elaeagnus angustifolia, sheep not only gain weight and become strong, but also increase the estrus rate of ewes and the breeding rate of rams, which is beneficial to reproduction. In the winter storm weather in Northwest China, Elaeagnus angustifolia forests are places for sheep to avoid disasters and protect livestock. It can also be fed to pigs and other livestock, and has a good promoting effect on pig fattening, birthing and lactation. From the nutritional content of Elaeagnus angustifolia, its leaves and fruits contain nutrients needed by livestock. In addition to being used as feed, Elaeagnus angustifolia is also a good tree species for afforestation, greening, firewood, windbreak and sand fixation. Elaeagnus angustifolia powder can also be used to make wine, vinegar, soy sauce, jam, etc., and the dregs can still be used for feeding. Elaeagnus angustifolia flowers are fragrant and are a good nectar source plant. They contain aromatic oils and can be used to extract flavors and spices. The sap can be used to extract Elaeagnus angustifolia gum, which is a substitute for gum arabic. Flowers, fruits, branches and leaves can be used as medicine to treat burns, bronchitis, indigestion, neurasthenia, etc. The various economic uses of Elaeagnus angustifolia have been widely valued and it has become one of the main afforestation tree species in the northwest region. From the perspective of feeding, Elaeagnus angustifolia is of great significance in establishing artificial fodder forests.

Chemical constituents of Elaeagnus angustifolia

The fruit of Elaeagnus angustifolia contains oil, and the fatty acid components include palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. The unsaponifiable part includes carotene and tocophenol. It also contains flavonoids such as isorhamnetin, isorhamnetin-3-O-tail-D-galactopyranoside, and caffeic acid. The juice contains potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. The main component of the peel is palmitic acid, and it also contains linoleic acid, oleic acid, and tert-sitosterol. The seeds and peel contain more than 55% nonacosane, and the main component of the seed oil is oleic acid, which accounts for more than 59.1%.

Medicinal effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia

Elaeagnus angustifolia (Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Xinjiang)

[Synonyms] Silver willow, red bean (Illustrated Guide to Higher Plants of China)

[Source] It is the fruit of the Elaeagnus angustifolia plant of the Elaeagnaceae family.

[Collection] Pick the fruit when it is ripe.

[Chemical composition] The fruit contains flavonoids. The pulp contains 43-59% sugar (20% of which is fructose), about 10% protein, and a small amount of tannins and mucilage. The roots and above-ground parts are a good source of harman alkaloids, including harman, halol, harminine, etc. The leaves contain caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, vitamin C140-350 mg%, and flavonoids. [Pharmacological action] The gelatin and tannin concentrates obtained from the fruit have anti-inflammatory effects; for animals with artificial diarrhea, it can inhibit the motor function of the small intestine, so it can be used for intestinal