| Common Names | Black Elder, Elder, Elderberry, European Black Elderberry, European Elder, European Elderberry |
|---|---|
| Description | |
| Locations | Epirus |
| Clinical Summary | |
| Contraindications | Plant's consumption may cause gastric disorders. The fresh fruits, which contain a toxin, may be toxic. Although, fruits toxicity disappears when they are cooked, as the contained toxin is thermosensitive. |
| Active Substance | phytic acids essential oil calcium Flavonoids sambunigrin (glycoside) essential oil (which contains terpenes, glycosides, rutin, quercetin, mucus, tannins) vitamin A, C and P |
| Active Substance Plant Part | fruit flowers Bark leaves |
| Adverse Reaction | |
| Educational Research | |
| Interaction | |
| Features Description | Sambucus nigra is a deciduous tree growing up to 6m, with large, green, lanceolate, serrated leaves and small, yellow-white flowers in umbels. The fruits are small, black berries. The flowering lasts from June to July and the harvesting of flowers takes place in spring and summer, while that of bark and fruits takes place in August and September. |
| Method Administration | The plant is administered as expectorant, astringent, diuretic and immune stimulant in the form of herbal tea (2 spoons of dried herb in a cup of boiled water, three times daily) and in the form of tincture against cold, influenza and allergyWarning: The use of herb preparations is not recommended without seeking advice from your physician or pharmacist. The substances they contain may interact with the subscribed drugs that the patient already takes, thus eliminating their therapeutic efficacy or inducing toxicity. They may also burden further weakened vital functions of the body thus exposing the patient to increased morbidity and life threatened conditions. |
| Pharmacological Info | The bark has laxative, emetic and diuretic properties. The poultice made from the fresh leaves is applied externally as emollient and healing. Also, it is administered in the form of herbal tea as laxative, expectorant, diuretic and diaphoretic. The flowers are used proactively to stimulate the respiratory system and against the allergic symptoms. The fruit extract has diaphoretic, diuretic and laxative properties. Finally, the herbal tea made from the leaves and the flowers is recommended for the treatment of bruises, sprains, injuries, cold, influenza, runny nose, inflammations of the upper respiratory system and rheumatism. |
| Pharmacological Use | |
| Mechanism Action | |
| References | Bιβλίο: Τα φαρμακευτικά βότανα και οι θεραπευτικές τους ιδιότητες, Λάμπρου Π. Σπύρου, Αγροτικός εκδοτικός οίκος, Αθήνα 1981, Β' τόμος, σελίδες: 468-470 Βιβλίο: Οδηγός των φαρμακευτικών φυτών, Paul Schauenberg, Ferdinand Paris, Εκδότης Μ. Γκιούρδας, Αθήνα 1981, σελίδα 125 KOSUGI, PETER J. HYLANDS and JUNZO. BRYONOSIDE AND BRYOSIDE-NEW TRITERPENE GLYCOSIDES FROM BRYONIA DIOICA. Phytochemistry. 1982, Vol. 21, 6, pp. 1379-1384. http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-elderberry.html http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/elderberry http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/sambucus-nigra-elder |
| Research |
