Table 3.
Medicinal potential of elderberry (Sambucus nigra) preparations – in vitro studies.
| Medicinal potential | Elderberry preparation | Results | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial activity | Ethanol extract of elder flowers and berries | Inhibitory activity for most of the 13 nosocomial pathogens (e.g. Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus cereus, Salmonella poona, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) | Hearst et al. (2010) |
| Aqueous extract of elder leaves | Moderate activity against Bacillus cereus and Serratia marcescens | ||
| Standardized liquid extract of elderberry (Rubini®) | Reduction in the growth of Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus Group C and G, Branhamella catarrhalis | Krawitz et al. (2011) | |
| Antiviral activity | Standardized liquid extract of elderberry (Rubini®) | Reduction in the spread of the foci size of influenza B human virus, reduction in the foci of influenza A (KAN-1) human virus in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell culture (MDCK) | Krawitz et al. (2011) |
| Elderberry extract: | Inhibition of influenza A (H1N1) human virus in MDCK | Roschek et al. (2009) | |
| concentration of 252 µg/ml | IC50 for H1N1 | ||
| concentration of 1000 µg/ml | 100% inhibition of H1N1 | ||
| Concentrated elderberry juice: | Inhibition of H1N1 in MDCK | Kinoshita et al. (2012) | |
| extract concentration of 720 µg/ml | IC50 for H1N1 (samples were given during infection) | ||
| extract concentration of 3600 µg/ml | IC50 for H1N1 (samples were given immediately after infection) | ||
| Elderberry extract | Inhibition of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) – a pathogenic chicken coronavirus. Reduction in IBV titers by several orders of magnitude, in dependence of the dose applied | Chen et al. (2014) | |
| Elder bark extract | High activity against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) – common domestic cats virus | Uncini Manganelli et al. (2005) | |
| Extract concentration of 500 µg/ml | 100% inhibition of syncytia formation | ||
| Diabetes treatment | Elder flowers extract (1 g/L) | Increase in glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and glycogenesis in mice abdominal muscles without added insulin | Gray et al. (2000) |
| Impact on urinary parameters | Elder flower extract in the form of capsules | No apparent inhibitory effect on uridine diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGTs). IC50 values were higher than 500 µg/mL for UGTs enzymes (UGT1A1, UGT1A4, UGT1A6, UGT1A9 and UGT2B7) | Choi et al. (2014) |
| Antitumour activity | Elderberry extract (extract fraction including phenolic compounds, iridoid monoterpene glycosides, phytosterols and sesquiterpenes) | Prevention of the initiation and promotion of cancerogenesis stages: strong induction of quinone reductase and inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 | Thole et al. (2006) |