Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds from Flowers and Fruits of Black Elder (Sambucus Nigra L.)
Abstract
Historically Sambucus nigra L., known as black elder, has been used medicinally by many indigenous cultures for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions. Elder medicinal potential comes from its antioxidant activity, a property shared by numerous phytochemicals. The purpose of this research was to run a comparative study on the content of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C) and antioxidant capacity of berries and flowers of wild Sambucus nigra L. species. Total content of polyphenols, flavonoids, respectively antioxidant activity was determined by the spectrophotometric methods, while the quantification of vitamin C was carried out titrimetrically. The obtained results confirmed that both elder flowers and fruits can serve as a good source of bioactive compounds in human diet, having, at the same time, a potential use in the development of many innovative nutritional supplement formulations.
Keywords
