Elaengus angustfolia is also known as silver berry or wild olives.

Toxic effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia fruit extract on chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in mouse limb buds.

“We determined the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia extract on chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in mouse embryo limb buds in vitro and in vivo. Limb bud mesenchyme from day 12.5 embryos were used for high-density micromass cultures. Water/alcohol extract was added to culture media at 10, 100, 1000 and 10000 μg/L. For in vivo experiments, 40 pregnant mice were given 0.5, 5.0 or 50.0 mg/kg of the extract between days 8 and 18 of gestation.

In limb bud cultures 10 μg/mL of extract reduced chondrogenesis but not osteogenesis. Higher concentrations had no effect on chondrogenesis or osteogenesis. In pregnant mice 50 mg/kg of the extract significantly increased fetal femur and ossified zone length, but significantly decreased bone and cartilage volumes{How can something increase femur length but decrease bone and cartilage volume?}.

The extract had no favorable effects on chodrification or ossification and appeared to reduce chondrogenesis. This is in apparent contradiction to its empirical effects in human adults.”

“Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive, Russian silverberry, Oleander), [is] a plant native to Western Asia”  How the authors prepared the extract can be gotten from the Extract Preparation section in the full study.

The authors hypothesize that the effect of the extract is due to flavinoids and antioxidants.

Both 0.5mg/kg and 50mg/kg reduced cartilage volume but only 5mg/kg and 50mg/kg increased embryo femoral bone length.  5mg/kg actually increased cartilage volume in contrast to 0.5mg/kg, 50mg/kg, and control.

“1000 µg/mL of the extract reduced cell survival. High cell density can induce the mesenchymal cells to differentiate into the chondroblasts. At 1000 µg/mL, cell density decreased; therefore the number of differentiated nodules was reduced. Lower concentrations of the extract led to a decrease in the number and the area of the nodules. Stereological study confirmed that bone and cartilage volumes were reduced by feeding the animals with a high dose of the extract. The difference in the effective concentrations in vitro and in vivo may be attributed to differences in the bioavailability of the extract components”

“the extract may exert an effect on the chondrogenic potential of mesenchymal cells through GPR30.”<-Royal jelly is also associated with GPR30.  Also, GPR30KO is also associated with longer femur length.

Wild Olives wouldn’t be the first supplement to inhibit chondrogenesis and yet increase bone length.  It would be nice to compare the ingredients to Royal Jelly to see if there are any similarities and then the direct height increasing materials could be identified.

Given the chondroinhibitory effects, it would only have potential to increase height during development and not post growth plate cessation.