Harmful (cyanogenic glycoside) and beneficial (phenolic) compounds in different Sambucus species

BACKGROUND: Sambucus species have been used for various purposes. Many people know that some of the Sambucus species display high antioxidant activity, but it is much less well-known that they also contain harmful compounds - cyanogenic glycosides. OBJECTIVE: Different cyanogenic glycosides and phenolics were determined in three different Sambucus species (Sambucus nigra - black elderberry, Sambucus ebulus - dwarf elder and Sambucus racemosa - red elderberry) and their plant parts. METHODS: Their contents were quantified with the aid of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrophotometry (MS). RESULTS: The highest values of harmful compounds accumulated in the leaves of black elderberry (1.03 mg/g DW) and the lowest in the leaves of red elderberry (0.001 mg/g DW). In contrast, dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) contained the highest levels of beneficial phenolics in flowers (31.10 mg/g DW) and red elderberry berries the lowest, with only 0.58 mg per g DW. CONCLUSIONS: Dwarf elder was the richest in phenolics and in scope in cyanogenic glycosides. Its flowers and berries contained 40% higher total analyzed phenolic contents than black elderberry, which is considered to be rich in phenolic and antioxidant contents. It should be noted that dwarf elder additionally contained some other harmful compounds, for what further pharmacological studies should be carried out.