Researchers examine medical components of elderberry

Not as popular as strawberries, blackberries or blueberries, the elderberry is a native Missouri shrub that produces an edible purple fruit.

“The berries and juice are loaded with vitamins, anti-oxidants, flavonoids, and other substances that promote good health,” said Andrew Thomas, assistant professor at the Southwest Research Center, in a news release. “But in Europe, it’s the flowers that are mostly consumed as a tea to fight colds and viral infections as an immune stimulant. ”

The fruit, which is rich in vitamins, iron, potassium and protein, makes excellent jellies, syrups, desserts and food colorings. The flowers are also edible, often prepared as fritters or used to flavor jellies and wines.

The bark, leaves, flowers, and fruit all have medicinal properties and have been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. In fact, the fastest growing market for the elderberry now appears to be as a health tonic or “nutraceutical.”

According to Thomas, very little is known about the medicinal properties of the stem, bark or leaves. That is why, during the past summer, some of the new research was focused on learning, in a scientific manner, which medicinal compounds are contained in which tissues.

“We are also sampling tissues at various times of year to determine if some substances may fluctuate in the plant throughout the season. We are hopeful that our results will help define additional important uses for this easy-to-grow plant which may lead to increased opportunities for farmers,” he added.

The study includes more than 40 elderberry plants, gathered from different locations in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Some of the cultivars being used in the research in southwest Missouri were obtained from New York and Canada and those plants are showing signs of not doing well in the Missouri climate according to Thomas.

“The ultimate goal of the study is to release a named variety or two of elderberries that will grow very well in Missouri. I’m pretty confident we can do that,” Thomas said.

Thomas is gathering information on the growth, vigor, cane production and disease and insect susceptibility of the berries in the research project, which also is being replicated by Pat Byers at the Missouri State Fruit Experiment Station in Mountain Grove.

“The focus of our study is to learn how to grow elderberries to get the optimum yield,” Thomas said. “We are also looking to see if pruning is a better option or if brush hogging it to the ground every year and then letting it grow up in stages produces a higher yield.”

Thomas expects the experiment to continue over the next four or five years.

“We believe the elderberry has good potential as a commercial fruit crop in Missouri, but many basic questions related to its culture remain unanswered,” Thomas added.

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