Omnia SanaPlant Comparison
Elder vs Cramp Bark
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
Elder and Cramp Bark: both belong to the Adoxaceae family.
Key Constituents
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.
A principal antispasmodic constituent of the bark. A phytochemistry/biological-effects review documents the species' antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity and its traditional use for cramps and colds.
Contribute to the smooth-muscle-relaxant and astringent activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antiviral action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Antispasmodic for menstrual cramps (relaxes uterine smooth muscle)
Antispasmodic for general muscle spasm and cramping (smooth-muscle relaxant)
Mild analgesic for cramping pain
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
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).
Only the bark is used medicinally; the raw berries are toxic and cause stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten in quantity.
Human safety data are limited; medicinal use in pregnancy or breastfeeding should only be under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.
External Ids
Botanical Description
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]
Deciduous shrub with maple-like, three-lobed, toothed leaves that turn red in autumn. Flat-topped clusters of white flowers are borne in late spring, the outer ring of larger, showy sterile flowers surrounding smaller fertile ones, followed by translucent red berries in autumn.[11]
Habitat
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]
Grows in hedgerows, woodland margins, damp scrub and riverbanks on moist, often calcareous soils; native to Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia.[11]
Harvesting
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]
The bark is stripped from branches (not the main trunk) in spring or autumn, avoiding girdling any single branch, then dried.
Traditional Uses
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]
Cramp bark has a long European and North American folk reputation, reflected in its common name, as an antispasmodic remedy for muscle cramps, menstrual cramps and general smooth-muscle spasm, acting as a relaxant on both skeletal and uterine muscle.[11]
Preparations
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.
Dried bark simmered in water as the traditional antispasmodic preparation.
Dosage
A prospective clinical study in patients with distal ureteral stones used Viburnum opulus (gilaburu) extract at 1000 mg orally, compared against tamsulosin. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
References & Sources
- 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
- Wojcik-Bojek, U., Rywaniak, J., Bernat, P., Podsedek, A. and others (2021) 'An In Vitro Study of the Effect of Viburnum opulus Extracts on Key Processes in the Development of Staphylococcal Infections', Molecules, 26(6), pp. 1758. doi:10.3390/molecules26061758 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26061758 - Zaklos-Szyda, M., Pietrzyk, N., Szustak, M. and Podsedek, A (2020) 'Viburnum opulus L. Juice Phenolics Inhibit Mouse 3T3-L1 Cells Adipogenesis and Pancreatic Lipase Activity', Nutrients, 12(7), pp. 2003. doi:10.3390/nu12072003 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12072003 - Zaklos-Szyda, M., Nowak, A., Pietrzyk, N. and Podsedek, A (2020) 'Viburnum opulus L. Juice Phenolic Compounds Influence Osteogenic Differentiation in Human Osteosarcoma Saos-2 Cells', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(14), pp. 4909. doi:10.3390/ijms21144909 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21144909 - Tuglu, D., Yilmaz, E., Yuvanc, E., Erguder, I. and others (2014) 'Viburnum opulus: could it be a new alternative, such as lemon juice, to pharmacological therapy in hypocitraturic stone patients?', Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia, 86(4), pp. 297-299. doi:10.4081/aiua.2014.4.297 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2014.4.297 - Zaklos-Szyda, M., Pawlik, N., Polka, D., Nowak, A. and others (2019) 'Viburnum opulus Fruit Phenolic Compounds as Cytoprotective Agents Able to Decrease Free Fatty Acids and Glucose Uptake by Caco-2 Cells', Antioxidants, 8(8), pp. 262. doi:10.3390/antiox8080262 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8080262 - Zaklos-Szyda, M., Kowalska-Baron, A., Pietrzyk, N., Drzazga, A. and others (2020) 'Evaluation of Viburnum opulus L. Fruit Phenolics Cytoprotective Potential on Insulinoma MIN6 Cells Relevant for Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity', Antioxidants, 9(5), pp. 433. doi:10.3390/antiox9050433 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9050433 - Gok, B., Tarik Atik, Y., Uysal, B., Koc, E. and others (2021) 'Gilaburu extract (Viburnum opulus Linnaeus) is as effective as Tamsulosin in medical expulsive therapy of distal ureteral calculi', International Journal of Clinical Practice, 75(12), pp. e14950. doi:10.1111/ijcp.14950 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.14950 - Saltan, G., Suntar, I., Ozbilgin, S., Ilhan, M. and others (2016) 'Viburnum opulus L.: A remedy for the treatment of endometriosis demonstrated by rat model of surgically-induced endometriosis', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 193, pp. 450-455. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.09.029 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.09.029 - Altun, M.L., Citoglu, G.S., Yilmaz, B.S. and Coban, T (2008) 'Antioxidant properties of Viburnum opulus and Viburnum lantana growing in Turkey', International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 59(3), pp. 175-180. doi:10.1080/09637480701381648 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480701381648 - Karakurt, S., Abusoglu, G. and Arituluk, Z.C (2020) 'Comparison of anticarcinogenic properties of Viburnum opulus and its active compound p-coumaric acid on human colorectal carcinoma', Turkish Journal of Biology, 44(5), pp. 252-263. doi:10.3906/biy-2002-30 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3906/biy-2002-30 - Herbal Reality (n.d.) 'Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus): Benefits, Uses, Safety'. Available at: https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/cramp-bark/ Traditional / reference
https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/cramp-bark/ - Kajszczak, D., Zaklos-Szyda, M. and Podsedek, A (2020) 'Viburnum opulus L. - A Review of Phytochemistry and Biological Effects', Nutrients, 12(11). doi:10.3390/nu12113398 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113398 - ScienceDirect Topics (n.d.) 'Viburnum opulus - an overview'. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/viburnum-opulus Traditional / reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/viburnum-opulus - Totally Wild UK 'Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) Identification Guide'. Available at: https://totallywilduk.co.uk/2022/02/10/guelder-rose-identification-guide/ Traditional / reference
https://totallywilduk.co.uk/2022/02/10/guelder-rose-identification-guide/ - Ceha, L.J. and Presperin, C. and Young, E. and Allswede, M. and Erickson, T (1997) 'Anticholinergic toxicity from nightshade berry poisoning responsive to physostigmine', The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 15(1), pp. 65-9. doi:10.1016/s0736-4679(96)00244-2 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0736-4679(96)00244-2
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.