Tinctura Sambuci Elderberry tincture 30ml (Sambucus nigra)

Sambucus nigra L. belongs to Adoxaceae family distributed in temperate and subtropical regions. It is popularly known as “sabugueiro”, elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry and European black elderberry, and has European origin, described in pharmacopoeia of several countries. Sambucus graveolens Willd. is cited as a synonym of this species.

 

Common cold and flu are caused by common respiratory viral pathogens, which results in hospitalization and death in the world. Among the viral infections, influenza viruses have worldwide spread with major effects on health of societies. Change in antigenic structures of influenza viruses is associated with the lack of effective treatments. Therefore, the use of herbal medicine as alternative choice can be used for management of flu and cold. The flowers of Sambucus nigra or black elders have been approved by commission E for cold, and flu. Although, elders are used in different herbal formulates, but there is no comprehensive study. The subject of this review article was to summarize the efficacy of black elder in treatment of cold and flu. For preparing this manuscript, the electronic resources, books, and thesis were searched by key words of Sambucus, elder, cold, flu, and viral infections. The results of investigations exhibited that there are four clinical trials for elder berries, which it reduced the cold duration and severity (fever, pain, congestion, cough).

Elderberry flowers and berries have been used in folk medicine to treat feverish conditions, coughing, nasal congestion and influenza, besides its popular use as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and diuretic agent (Młynarczyk et al., 2018; Strugała et al., 2018). Indeed, corroborating for the widespread use, some properties have already been proven in the literature, such as the efficacy of Elderberry as a potent antiviral against influenza infection and black S. nigra supplementation as reducer of upper respiratory symptoms of common cold and influenza (Hawkins et al., 2019; Torabian et al., 2019). Recently, it was demonstrated that Bilsaan, a product containing the exudate from the stem of S. nigra traditionally used it Saudi Arabia, presented antiasthmatic effect by modulating the inflammation in mice (Alrumaihi et al., 2020).

The Sambucus nigra's flowers mainly contain flavonoids in an amount above to 3%, mainly glycosylates such as rutin, which can reach amounts above 2.5% in dry flowers. Added to rutin, the flowers also contain isoquercitrin, astragalin, hyperoside, nicotiflorin, isorhamnetin glycosides and aglycone such as kaempferol and quercetin in lesser amounts (Bhattacharya et al., 2013; Davídek, 1961).

Scientifically, the S. nigra's flowers aqueous extract showed diuretic activity and increased sodium excretion in rats (Beaux et al., 1999), and the ethanol extract presented anti-inflammatory properties (Mascolo et al., 1987). Ho et al. (2017) demonstrated that the ethanol extract obtained from flowers and fruits of S. nigra presented inflammation-modulatory effect due to strong complement fixation and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages and dendritic cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

 

Medicinal actions of Sambucus nigra and its preparations (mother tincture) are well known in folklore for hundreds of years, with numerous  beneficial properties for human organism;

• Anti-inflammatory
• Diaphoretic
• Laxative
• Diuretic
• Anti-rheumatic
• Emunctory stimulant (all excretory organs or ducts)
• Anti-neuralgic
• Alterative
• Carminative
• Emetic

 

Traditional and mecinal use of Sambucus nigra

 

Black elder tree has been popular plant from ancient times. Russian believe that elder tree drives away the evil spirits and takes away the fevers. Hanging the elder branches on the doors and windows are believed to drive away witches and evils. In traditional medicine, elder fruits and flowers are known most often medicinal parts of plant. Black elder is one important medicinal plant in Germany, which its flowers are used as diaphoretic agent for feverish common colds (Bradley 1992). Black elder flowers are used for treatment of scarlatina and fever (Kaur et al. 2014). 

In 400 BCE, elder tree is regarded as a medicine for chest. Elderberry extract was a prophylactic treatment for influenza like diseases and there is one report of animal study for treatment of influenza like symptoms in a colony of chimpanzees (Burge et al. 1999).

 

Sambucus nigra is specific for the treatment of colds, and other acute infections with fever and hot dry skin, headache and nausea, rhinitis, asthma, croup, hay fever, conjunctivitis, rheumatism, pharyngitis, tonsilitis, and stomatitis. Sambucus flowers have anti-catarrhal action. Berries are good for joint diseases, allergic conditions (i.e. sinusitis, asthma), colds and coughs, diarrhea, and rheumatism.  The high content of vit. C in Sambucus berries potentiate these effects on collagen and mast cells.

Commercial products from elder berries extracts are standardized on the base of flavonoids, flavonols and flavones and the major studies were performed on standard elderberries extracts.

 

Pharmacology of Sambucus nigra

• Flavonoids may be responsible for the diaphoretic and diuretic effects.
• Increases cytokine productions, strengthens cell membranes and protects against virus penetration.
• Lectins in bark and cyanogenic glycosides in leaves are potentially toxic.

 

The antiviral activities of elder berries and elder flowers are related to flavonoid contents. The antiviral effects of pure flavonoids were confirmed against herpes simplex virus type 1, Para-influenza, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (Mahmood et al. 1993; Nagai et al. 1992).

In addition to antiviral activity of elder berries extract, the antiviral activity of elder flowers were confirmed. Elder flowers and leaves methanol extract had antiviral activity against dengue virus serotype-2 (400 μg/mL) (Castillo-Maldonado et al. 2017). A yellow lyophilized powder (SHS-174) hot infusion extract of ground, air-dried elder flowers, Hypericum perforatum aerial parts, and Saponaria oficinalis (100 g; 70 g; 40 g) had anti-viral activity against influenza and herpes simplex virus type 1 (Serkedjieva et al. 1990).

The elder flowers are a composition of free aglycones (Kaempferol, quercetin), flavonol glycosides (hyposide, astragalin, isoquercitrin, rutin), phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acids), sterols, triterpenes (α-, β-amyrin), triterpene acids (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid), free fatty acids, alkanes, tannins, mucilage and sugar. Elder flowers are rich of N-phenylpropenoyl-l-amino acid amides (Hensel et al. 2007), which strongly stimulated the mitochondrial activity and cell proliferation of human keratinocytes and liver cells and deduced the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to the human stomach without any necrotic toxicity effects (Hensel et al. 2007).

Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside), ascorbic acid and quercetin were isolated from elder berries (Kaack and Austed 1998). Cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside are present in elderberries at percent of 65.7 and 32.4 of total anthocyanins (Brønnum-Hansen and Honoré Hansen 1983). Elderberries are containing the low amount of essential oil (0.01) (Knudsen and Kaack 2015). Thirty-four components were identified the elderberry essential oil, extracted by micro-distillation, which representing 86.1% of total oil composition. Phenylacetaldehyde (32.3%), benzaldehyde (7.9%), ethyl linoleate (5.4%), 4-vinyl guaiacol (4.9%), linalool (4.5%), and phenyl ethyl alcohol (4.1%) were the main components of elderberry essential oil (Duymus Agalar et al. 2014). Fruit ripening process can influence on the content of anthocyanin, soluble solid, and titratable acid (Rodrigues et al. 2018). The aroma characteristic of elderberries is used in different formulations. Aliphatic esters ((E)-β-damascenone, 2-phenyl ethanol, phenylacetaldehyde, dihydroedulan, ethyl-9-decenoate, and nonanal) are responsible for fruity sweet characteristic aroma of elderberries (Kaack 2008). The presence of cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside is responsible for dark color of European elder berries (Mateus et al. 2004). Chemical composition of elder berries and flowers exhibited the presence of a number of health promoting compounds (Vlachojannis et al. 2010), which makes it as favorite supplements.