Plant Comparison
Lungwort vs Elder
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Lungwort and Elder: they share 4 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, inflammation (general), respiratory support, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Lungwort | Elder | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 2/10 | 5/10 | Stronger for Elder |
| Inflammation (general) | 2/10 | 5/10 | Stronger for Elder |
| Respiratory support | 2/10 | 8/10 | Stronger for Elder |
| Skin irritation | 1/10 | 5/10 | Stronger for Elder |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
The main antioxidant and COX-2-inhibiting constituents; LC-MS/MS profiling of the aerial parts identified dozens of phenolic compounds (caffeic acid esters and danshensu/dicaffeic-acid conjugates), nine of them previously undescribed, with marked seasonal variation.
Give the ripe berries their deep colour and much of their antioxidant activity.
Found in both flower and berry, contributing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Present in raw berries, leaves, bark and stems; the basis for the caution to always cook berries before eating and avoid raw plant material.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Traditional demulcent / expectorant for cough, bronchitis, sore throat and respiratory catarrh (mucilage and saponins)
Traditional demulcent / expectorant for cough, bronchitis, sore throat and respiratory catarrh (mucilage and saponins)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Traditional demulcent / expectorant for cough, bronchitis, sore throat and respiratory catarrh (mucilage and saponins)
inferred from demulcent action
Traditional demulcent / expectorant for cough, bronchitis, sore throat and respiratory catarrh (mucilage and saponins)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antiviral action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
As a member of the borage family (Boraginaceae), which can contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, prolonged or high-dose internal use is best avoided; use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended.
Traditional use only; clinical evidence in humans is limited, so a cough or respiratory complaint that persists needs medical assessment.
The dark blue or purple berries are mildly poisonous in their raw state, but are edible after cooking.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-nccih-26https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-Fagan-2019-28 Components of the elderberry plant, including its fruit, contain diverse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemical, such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaloid, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectin, and cyanogenic glycosides, which may be toxic if consumed raw.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-drugs-8 Consumption of berries, leaves, bark or stems, if not properly prepared, may cause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausea, vomiting, and severe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarrhea.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-nccih-26https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-drugs-8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-msk-27 Elderberry plant constituents or products should not be consumed during pregnancy or by people with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrointestinal_disease.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-drugs-8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-msk-27 Elderberry products may cause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effect when used with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prescription_drug.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-drugs-8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra#cite_note-msk-27
Duke (2002) rates elderflower and elderberry as +++ with clinical evidence (score 2) for bronchostimulant, diaphoretic, and secretagogue activities, consistent with Commission E approval. Clinical use for colds, bronchitis, and fever is well-supported. Dose: dried flower: 3–5 g as tea three times daily. Important safety consideration: raw elderberries and elder bark contain sambunigrin (cyanogenic glycoside) and lectins — always cook berries before consumption, and avoid bark preparations for medicinal use without expert guidance (Duke, 2002).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Low, hairy perennial herb (Boraginaceae), 15-30 cm tall. Basal leaves are long-stalked, ovate to lance-shaped, often white-spotted - the spotted pattern was historically likened to diseased lung tissue under the medieval Doctrine of Signatures, giving rise to the name 'lungwort' - and covered in bristly hairs. Funnel-shaped flowers open pink and turn blue as they mature, borne in small coiled clusters (cymes).[10]
Deciduous shrub or small tree (Adoxaceae), 3-10 m tall (occasionally larger), with corky, furrowed grey-brown bark. Leaves are pinnate with 5-7 toothed leaflets. Abundant flat-topped clusters (corymbs) of small, fragrant, creamy-white flowers are followed by drooping clusters of small, glossy, purple-black berries.[11]
Habitat
Native to central and southern Europe, growing in damp, shaded woodland, hedgebanks and scrub on humus-rich soils; widely cultivated as a shade garden plant.[10]
Native throughout Europe, western Asia and North Africa, extremely common in hedgerows, woodland edges, waste ground and disturbed sites, tolerating a wide range of soils.[11]
Harvesting
Aerial flowering parts are cut during flowering (spring); the plant can also be gathered later in the growing season, though the phenolic constituent profile is documented to differ measurably between spring and autumn harvests.[11]
Flowers are picked in full bloom (late spring/early summer), ideally on a dry day, and dried quickly. Berries are picked in late summer/early autumn once fully ripe (deep purple-black) and always cooked before use, as raw berries - and all other parts of the plant - contain cyanogenic glycosides and should not be eaten raw.[11]
Traditional Uses
Lungwort's spotted leaves inspired its traditional use, under the Doctrine of Signatures, as a remedy for lung and respiratory complaints - coughs, bronchitis, catarrh and sore throat - valued for its soothing mucilage and astringent tannins. Modern research confirms antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (COX-2-inhibiting) activity of its phenolic-rich extract, though clinical trial evidence in humans remains limited.[10]
Elder has one of the most celebrated European folk-medicine reputations, described as a 'medicine chest' of the countryside. The flowers have official European herbal-monograph use for symptoms of the common cold, and the berries - cooked, or as a standardised extract - are widely used and clinically studied for upper respiratory and flu-like symptoms.[2, 11]
Preparations
Dried aerial parts steeped in hot water, the traditional respiratory remedy.
Dried flower steeped in hot water - the classic cold and flu remedy.
Cooked, sweetened berry preparation - the most widely used commercial and traditional form for immune and cold support.
The concentrated form used in influenza clinical trials.
Dosage
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 2-4 g dried herb per cup as an infusion, up to three times daily, for short-term use; avoid prolonged or high-dose internal use given the borage family's potential pyrrolizidine-alkaloid content. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
References & Sources
- Ignjatijevic, A., Andjic, T., Ljesevic, M., Nikolic, B. and others (2025) 'Assessment of Antioxidant Activity and Dose-Dependent Effect on Genotoxicity/Antigenotoxicity of Pulmonaria officinalis Ethanolic Extract', Pharmaceutics, 17(9), pp. 1134. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics17091134 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17091134 - Krzaczek, T. and others (1995) 'Flavonoid glycosides from aerial parts of Pulmonaria officinalis', Planta Medica, 61(5), pp. 488. doi:10.1055/s-2006-959385 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-959385 - Krzyzanowska-Kowalczyk, J. and others (2019) 'Pulmonaria officinalis L. Extract in Cystic Fibrosis: In Vitro Evidence on Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates', Molecules, 24(6), pp. 1151. doi:10.3390/molecules24061151 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24061151 - Neagu, E., Radu, G.L., Albu, C. and Paun, G (2016) 'Antioxidant activity, acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory potential of Pulmonaria officinalis and Centaurium umbellatum extracts', Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 25(3), pp. 578-585. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.02.016 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.02.016 - Akram, M. and Rashid, A (2017) 'Anti-coagulant activity of plants: mini review', Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis, 44(3), pp. 406-411. doi:10.1007/s11239-017-1546-5 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-017-1546-5 - Byshevskii, A.Sh., Gerbert, I.Ia., Dement'eva, I.A., Leven, P.I. and Chiriat'ev, E.A (1990) 'Nature, properties and the mechanism of the effect on blood coagulation of the preparation obtained from Pulmonaria officinalis', Gematologiia i Transfuziologiia, 35(10), pp. 6-9. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Nature%2C%20properties%20and%20the%20mechanism%20of%20the%20effect%20on%20blood%20coagulation%20of%20the%20preparation%20obtained%20from%20Pulmonaria%20officinalis - Ivanova, D., Gerova, D., Chervenkov, T. and Yankova, T (2005) 'Polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of Bulgarian medicinal plants', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 96(1-2), pp. 145-150. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.08.033 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.08.033 - Neuhauser, C., Schwarzinger, B., Schwarzinger, C., Feichtinger, M. and others (2024) 'Insulin-Mimetic Activity of Herbal Extracts Identified with Large-Scale Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy', Nutrients, 16(14), pp. 2182. doi:10.3390/nu16142182 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142182 - Luthy, J., Brauchli, J., Zweifel, U., Schmid, P. and Schlatter, C (1984) 'Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in medicinal plants of Boraginaceae: Borago officinalis L. and Pulmonaria officinalis L', Pharmaceutica Acta Helvetiae, 59(9-10), pp. 242-246. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Pyrrolizidine%20alkaloids%20in%20medicinal%20plants%20of%20Boraginaceae%3A%20Borago%20officinalis%20L.%20and%20Pulmonaria%20officinalis%20L. - Krzyzanowska-Kowalczyk, J., Kowalczyk, M., Ponczek, M.B., Pecio, L., Nowak, P. and Kolodziejczyk-Czepas, J (2021) 'Pulmonaria officinalis and Pulmonaria obscura Extracts as Mitigators of Peroxynitrite-Induced Oxidative Stress and Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors - In Vitro and In Silico Studies', Molecules. doi:10.3390/molecules26030631 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030631 - Krzyzanowska-Kowalczyk, J. and Pecio, L. and Moldoch, J. and Ludwiczuk, A. and Kowalczyk, M (2018) 'Novel Phenolic Constituents of Pulmonaria officinalis L. LC-MS/MS Comparison of Spring and Autumn Metabolite Profiles', Molecules, 23(9). doi:10.3390/molecules23092277 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23092277 - Krzyzanowska-Kowalczyk, J., Kolodziejczyk-Czepas, J., Kowalczyk, M., Pecio, L., Nowak, P. and Stochmal, A (2017) 'Yunnaneic Acid B, a Component of Pulmonaria officinalis Extract, Prevents Peroxynitrite-Induced Oxidative Stress in Vitro', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65(19), pp. 3827--3834. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00718 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00718
- Liu, D., He, X.Q., Wu, D.T., Li, H.B. and others (2022) 'Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): Bioactive Compounds, Health Functions, and Applications', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 70(14), pp. 4202-4220. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00010 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00010 - Hawkins, J., Baker, C., Cherry, L. and Dunne, E (2018) 'Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials', Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 42, pp. 361-365. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.004 - Uhl, K. and Mitchell, A.E (2024) 'Elderberry, an Ancient Remedy: A Comprehensive Study of the Bioactive Compounds in Three Sambucus nigra L. Subspecies', Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 15(1), pp. 27-51. doi:10.1146/annurev-food-072023-034423 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-072023-034423 - Asgary, S. and Pouramini, A (2022) 'The Pros and Cons of Using Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19', Advanced Biomedical Research, 11, pp. 96. doi:10.4103/abr.abr_146_21 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.4103/abr.abr_146_21 - Ferreira, S.S., Martins-Gomes, C., Nunes, F.M. and Silva, A.M (2022) 'Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) extracts promote anti-inflammatory and cellular antioxidant activity', Food Chemistry: X, 15, pp. 100437. doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100437 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100437 - Dominguez, R., Pateiro, M., Munekata, P.E.S., Santos Lopez, E.M. and others (2021) 'Potential Use of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) as Natural Colorant and Antioxidant in the Food Industry. A Review', Foods, 10(11), pp. 2713. doi:10.3390/foods10112713 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112713 - Sanlier, N., Ejder, Z.B. and Irmak, E (2024) 'Are the Effects of Bioactive Components on Human Health a Myth?: Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) from Exotic Fruits', Current Nutrition Reports, 13(4), pp. 815-827. doi:10.1007/s13668-024-00572-6 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-024-00572-6 - Ulbricht, C., Basch, E., Cheung, L., Goldberg, H. and others (2014) 'An evidence-based systematic review of elderberry and elderflower (Sambucus nigra) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration', Journal of Dietary Supplements, 11(1), pp. 80-120. doi:10.3109/19390211.2013.859852 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3109/19390211.2013.859852 - Has, I.M., Teleky, B.E., Szabo, K., Simon, E. and others (2023) 'Bioactive Potential of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): Antioxidant, Antimicrobial Activity, Bioaccessibility and Prebiotic Potential', Molecules, 28(7), pp. 3099. doi:10.3390/molecules28073099 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28073099 - Kim, J., An, J., Song, Y., Jang, M. and others (2024) 'Effect of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) Extract Intake on Normalizing Testosterone Concentration in Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome Rat Model Through Regulation of 17beta-HSD, 5alpha-Reductase, and CYP19A1 Expression', Nutrients, 16(23), pp. 4169. doi:10.3390/nu16234169 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234169 - European Medicines Agency (2018) 'European Union herbal monograph on Sambucus nigra L., flos'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=European%20Union%20herbal%20monograph%20on%20Sambucus%20nigra%20L.%2C%20flos - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Zakay-Rones, Z., Thom, E., Wollan, T. and Wadstein, J (2004) 'Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections', 32(2), pp. 132--140. doi:10.1177/147323000403200205 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1177/147323000403200205 - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Jimenez, P. and Gayoso, M. and Tejero, J. and Cabrero, P. and Cordoba-Diaz, D. and Basterrechea, J.E. and Girbes, T (2012) 'Toxicity in mice of lectin ebulin f present in dwarf elderberry (Sambucus ebulus L.)', Toxicon, 61, pp. 26-9. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.10.009 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.10.009 - Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (2023) 'Sambucus ebulus L., dwarf elder (Fermanagh species accounts)'. Available at: https://bsbi.org/in-your-area/local-botany/co-fermanagh/fermanagh-species-accounts/sambucus-ebulus-l Traditional / reference
https://bsbi.org/in-your-area/local-botany/co-fermanagh/fermanagh-species-accounts/sambucus-ebulus-l - Botanical-online (2024) 'Differences between elder and dwarf elder (Sambucus nigra vs Sambucus ebulus)'. Available at: https://www.botanical-online.com/en/botany/differences-sambucus-nigra-ebulus Traditional / reference
https://www.botanical-online.com/en/botany/differences-sambucus-nigra-ebulus
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.