Advantages of contemporary extraction techniques for the extraction of bioactive constituents from black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) flowers

摘要

Since ancient times, elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) has been used in traditional medicine, but also as a supplement in various beverages and dishes. Although elderberry is a widespread species in the Balkan Peninsula, it is not sufficiently exploited and it is barely chemically and biologically characterized. The present study was focused on the phytochemical composition and biological effects of S. nigra flowers' extracts, obtained by different techniques (microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and maceration (MAC)) in the presence of different solvents (50% ethanol (EtOH) or water (H2O)). The phytochemical profiles of the obtained extracts were determined by LC-MS/MS and spectrophotometric techniques: rutin and 5-O-caf-feoylquinic acid were found to be the major compounds in all extracts.