Elderberry Extracts: Characterization of the Polyphenolic Chemical Composition, Quality Consistency, Safety, Adulteration, and Attenuation of Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Induced Health Disorders

Abstract

Elderberry is highly reputed for its health-improving effects. Multiple pieces of evidence indicate that the consumption of berries is linked to enhancing human health and preventing or delaying the onset of chronic medical conditions. Compared with other fruit, elderberry is a very rich source of anthocyanins (approximately 80% of the polyphenol content). These polyphenols are the principals that essentially contribute to the high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities and the health benefits of elderberry fruit extract. These health effects include attenuation of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory disorders, as well as anti-diabetic, anticancer, antiviral, and immuno-stimulatory effects. Sales of elderberry supplements skyrocketed to $320 million over the year 2020, according to an American Botanical Council (ABC) report, which is attributable to the purported immune-enhancing effects of elderberry. In the current review, the chemical composition of the polyphenolic content of the European elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and the American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), as well as the analytical techniques employed to analyze, characterize, and ascertain the chemical consistency will be addressed. Further, the factors that influence the consistency of the polyphenolic chemical composition, and hence, the consistency of the health benefits of elderberry extracts will be presented. Additionally, adulteration and safety as factors contributing to consistency will be covered. The role of elderberry in enhancing human health alone with the pharmacological basis, the cellular pathways, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed health benefits of elderberry fruit extracts will be also reviewed.

Comparative Study on Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Anti-HSV-2 Activities of Sambucus nigra L. and Sambucus ebulus L. Extracts

“…The fruits and flowers of SN and SE are rich in bioactive phenolics including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which underlie their health benefits, supported by strong scientific evidence [14][15][16]. They act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, modulate the immune system, demonstrate activity against cancer, and exhibit a broad spectrum of antiviral properties [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Extracts and products from SN fruits that exhibit antiviral activity are currently some of the most significant highlights of research [24].…”

Polyphenolic profiles of a variety of wild berries from the Pacific Northwest region of North America

“…3 ). High total phenolic content have been previously reported from elderberries ( Liu et al, 2022 ; Osman et al, 2023 ) and have been suggested to be the major reason for the berries purported health benefits ( Ferreira et al, 2022a , 2022b ; Liu et al, 2022 ). The vast majority of these phenolic acids were identified as (5- or 3-) caffeoylquinic acid, more commonly known as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids (CQA).…”

Ameliorative effects of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) extract and extract-derived monosaccharide-amino acid on H2O2-induced decrease in testosterone-deficiency syndrome in a TM3 Leydig cell

“…Therefore, a key regulator of testosterone production is the scavenging of intracellular ROS. Many studies, including Ferreira et al (2022), have reported intracellular ROS scavenging by elderberry extract [ 39 – 41 ]. Scavenging of intracellular ROS by elderberry extract has been reported in many research papers Ferreira et al (2022) [ 39 – 41 ].…”

“…Many studies, including Ferreira et al (2022), have reported intracellular ROS scavenging by elderberry extract [ 39 – 41 ]. Scavenging of intracellular ROS by elderberry extract has been reported in many research papers Ferreira et al (2022) [ 39 – 41 ]. On the other hand, our study is about the ROS inhibitory effect of FL, a monosaccharide amino acid, which is not an anthocyanin component.…”