Investigating the methods for obtaining extracts from twotypes of herbal substances from elderberry, Sambucusnigra L

Besides the most abundant flavonols (quercetin and apigenin) in the flowers, sambunigrin is mostly represented in the leaves. Some triterpenes, sterols, amino acids (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and alanine), as well as lectins, have also been reported in the leaves and branches of elderberry, Sambucus nigra L1. We investigated two different methods of extraction: Soxhlet extraction (SOX) and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE), against the conventional method for obtaining herbal infusions from two types of herbal substances: elderberry flower and elderberry herb (leaf with branches). SOX and UAE were performed with ethanol, while infusions were prepared with water. We noticed an important difference in the extraction yields from different herbal parts. Water is an ideal extraction solvent for elderberry flowers, but it has a very weak potential for extracting bioactive compounds from leaves and barks. Ethanolic Soxhlet extraction, performed as a 4-hour continuous extraction at a temperature of 60-65 ºC, was the most potent method for this aim. SOX extract absorbances measured at 550 nm were almost 10 times higher for the herb than for the flowers, with an A = 1.032 and 0.136, respectively. In conclusion, although elderberry flowers are commonly known for their phyto-therapeutic properties, these preliminary findings suggest that there are different groups of hydrophobic bioactive substances represented in the leaves and barks of elderberry. These parts, traditionally used in the treatment of skin burns or wounds, should be analyzed in detail so their benefits can be fully realized.