From Elderflower to Bioactive Extracts: Phytochemical Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Sambucus nigra (elderflower) possesses known medicinal properties.
• Understanding its phytochemical profile is crucial for optimizing therapeutic applications.
• Inflammatory skin conditions require effective and safe treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the phytochemicals in elderflower extracts.
• To correlate chemical profiles with anti-inflammatory activity.
• To establish an optimized extraction method for elderflower.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and maceration.
• HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS for phytochemical fingerprinting.
• In vitro anti-inflammatory assays using TNFα-stimulated HaCaT NF-κB Luc reporter keratinocytes.
• Chemometric analysis (PLS-DA) to identify active compounds.

Main Results:

• UAE with an ethanol-water mixture yielded the highest rutin and chlorogenic acid.
• Elderflower extracts, particularly anhydrous ethanolic ones, significantly inhibited NF-κB activation.
• Naringenin was identified as a primary contributor to the anti-inflammatory effect.

Conclusions:

• Extraction solvent and method significantly impact elderflower's phytochemical composition and bioactivity.
• Optimized Sambucus nigra extracts demonstrate potent, naringenin-driven anti-inflammatory effects.
• These extracts hold promise for dermatological and cosmetic applications in managing inflammatory skin disorders.