Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.1, sa.2, ss.27-36, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
Purpose: Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) has been utilized in traditional medicine for centuries for various ailments, making it a plant of interest due to the distinct biological activities. Although it is reported in the literature that extracts sourced from various parts of Sambucus nigra exhibit antimicrobial properties, there is a lack of information about their effectiveness in commercial products. Thus, this study assessed the antibacterial activities of commercial food supplement preparations containing Sambucus nigra.
Method: Commercial food supplement preparations (11) containing Sambucus nigra were sourced from pharmacies and markets. Their antibacterial activities were assessed against 7 clinical and 12 standard bacterial cultures, initially employing the agar well diffusion method and subsequently utilizing the microdilution method.
Results: The findings revealed that only one of the 11 tested products demonstrated activity against Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella quasipneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Using the microdilution method, it was established that the effective product, SN7, had MIC values of 200 and 250 μL/mL and exhibited a bactericidal effect. According to the results obtained, no activity was detected in the 10 products tested, even in the commercial food supplement preparations containing Sambucus nigra, which is known to have in vitro antimicrobial activity.
Conclusions and Suggestions: In commercial products, it is often unclear which extraction method, solvent, or plant part is utilized. Consequently, the limited antibacterial activity observed in commercial preparations of Sambucus nigra may be linked to the product's formulation, the presence of additional ingredients, or variations in the concentration of the active compounds. This study is one of the first to evaluate the antibacterial potential of commercial Sambucus nigra products. It underscores the importance of scientifically assessing the effectiveness of herbal products that are consumed directly.