Shrubs in the Sambucus genus are found globally, and their traditional use has been documented in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, including treatments for infections,[1][2] ophthalmological issues,[3] benign prostatic hyperplasia,[4] and a broad range of other conditions.[5]
Indigenous peoples of the Americas have also been known to use elderberry leaves for medicinal purposes.[6] More than 60 different Indigenous peoples of the Americas, notably the Iroquois, Cherokee, Paiute, Thompson/Ntlakyapamuk, and Kawaiisu tribes, have used elderberry as a traditional treatment for a total of nearly 50 recorded conditions and ailments. The most common uses for elderberry by First Nations include as an emetic, dermatological aid, gastrointestinal aid, fever reducer, laxative, pain reliever, gynecological aid, and cold remedy.[7]
References
- ^Caceres A, Lopez BR, Giron MA, Logemann HPlants used in Guatemala for the treatment of dermatophytic infections. 1. Screening for antimycotic activity of 44 plant extracts.J Ethnopharmacol.(1991-Mar)
- ^di Tizio A, Łuczaj ŁJ, Quave CL, Redžić S, Pieroni ATraditional food and herbal uses of wild plants in the ancient South-Slavic diaspora of Mundimitar/Montemitro (Southern Italy).J Ethnobiol Ethnomed.(2012-Jun-06)
- ^Calvo MI, Cavero RYMedicinal plants used for ophthalmological problems in Navarra (Spain).J Ethnopharmacol.(2016-Aug-22)
- ^Nidal Amin Jaradat, Abdel Naser Zaid, Rowa Al-Ramahi, Malik A Alqub, Fatima Hussein, Zakaria Hamdan, Mahmoud Mustafa, Mohammad Qneibi, Iyad AliEthnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants practiced by traditional healers and herbalists for treatment of some urological diseases in the West Bank/PalestineBMC Complement Altern Med.(2017 May 8)
- ^Lesibana Peter Maema, Martin Potgieter, Salome Mamokone MahloINVASIVE ALIEN PLANT SPECIES USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS DISEASES IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICAAfr J Tradit Complement Altern Med.(2016 Jul 3)
- ^Black Elderberry: Calscape. Sacramento, CA: California Native Plant Society.
- ^Moerman, Daniel ENative American Ethnobotany A Database of Foods, Drugs, Dyes and Fibers of Native American Peoples, Derived from Plants.University of Michigan-Dearborn.(2023 Oct)