10/07/2019 / By Darnel Fernandez
Elderberry — also known as Sambucus nigra — is a small, antioxidant-rich fruit commonly found in Europe and North America. This fruit has been used in folk medicine to treat many ailments. In a study published in the Journal of Functional Foods, researchers reported that the elderberry fruit can help fight the influenza virus.
Conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney, the study showed that elderberry contains compounds that have a mild inhibitory effect on the influenza virus in the early stages of infection. The compounds also have a considerably stronger inhibitory effect post-infection.
“It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells,” said Dr. Golnoosh Torabian, one of the authors of the study.
Elderberries are known to have flu-fighting properties. A previous study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported that elderberry liquid extract is effective against the influenza virus. (Related: Elderberry is an Effective Treatment for Colds and Flu.)
In the study, researchers investigated the antibacterial and antiviral activities of elderberry extract against several pathogens that cause upper respiratory tract infections. They found that the elderberry liquid extract is effective against some Streptococcus species and can stop influenza viruses from propagating.
For their study, Torabian explained that he and his team focused more on examining the mechanism by which phytochemicals — beneficial compounds produced by plants — can be used to combat influenza infections.
“What our study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,” he said.
The researchers turned commercially farmed elderberries into a juice serum which was then used to treat cells before, during, and after being infected by the influenza virus. The researchers found that the phytochemicals in the juice serum could effectively stop the influenza virus from infecting the cells. Additionally, the serum inhibited viral propagation at the later stages of the infection, much to the surprise of the researchers.
“This observation was quite surprising and rather significant because blocking the viral cycle at several stages has a higher chance of inhibiting the viral infection,” said Peter Valtchev, co-author of the study.
The elderberry juice serum can also stimulate cells to release cytokines — chemical messengers used by immune cells to coordinate a more efficient response to threats and invading pathogen. The researchers attributed elderberry’s powerful antiviral activity to anthocyanidins, which are the compounds responsible for the fruit’s purple color.
“These data support the use of Sambucus nigra berries as nutraceutical ingredients for the management of the influenza infection,” said the researchers.
Elderberry has other benefits besides being an antiviral agent. The fruit has been reported to aid digestion, support heart health, and even fight cancer.
Elderberry isn’t the only alternative treatment out there – visit AlternativeMedicine.news for more information.
Sources include:
BMCComplementAlternMed.BiomedCentral.com 1
BMCComplementAlternMed.BiomedCentral.com 2
Midwest-Elderberry.coop [PDF]
Tagged Under: alternative medicine, anthocyanidins, antibacterial, antioxidants, antiviral, cancer cures, cancer treatment, disease treatments, elderberries, folk medicine, food cures, food is medicine, functional food, healing food, herbal medicine, Herbs, immune system, infections, influenza, influenza virus, natural cures, natural medicine, natural remedies, nutraceuticals, phytonutrients, prevention, remedies, Sambucus nigra, superbugs, upper respiratory tract infections, viral infections, Viruses
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