Viscum album, commonly known as common mistletoe, or mistletoe simply, is a semi-parasitic shrub growing on various deciduous trees, such as oak and walnut trees. V. album is native to western Asia, southern Asia, and Europe, and has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in those areas to treat diabetes, jaundice, indigestion, common fever, and asthma. 

A number of scientific studies to investigate the biological activities of V. album have been performed, and V. album is reported to have anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-dementia, anti-obesity, and immunostimulatory effects. V. album showed anti-glycation activity by inhibiting the formation of AGEs (advanced glycation end-products), and it protected cells from oxidative DNA damage. Methanolic extract of V. album showed anti-bacterial activity against a number of microbial species.