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Dwarf Elder
Sambucus ebulus
Strong laxative and emetic in European folk medicine
Dwarf Elder contains cyanogenic glycosides, specifically sambunigrin, alongside saponins. These compounds act as potent gastrointestinal irritants, stimulating the lining of the stomach and intestines to induce vomiting and evacuation. This mechanism explains its historical use as a drastic purgative and emetic. The hydrolysis of glycosides releases hydrocyanic acid, which inhibits cellular respiration, contributing to its toxic profile and therapeutic limitations (Evidence Level: C).
Is Dwarf Elder safe to take during pregnancy?
No, Dwarf Elder is strictly contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The plant contains toxic alkaloids and cyanogenic glycosides that can harm fetal development. Additionally, its strong emetic and purgative actions can stimulate uterine contractions, potentially leading to miscarriage or premature labor. Safety data is lacking, and historical use suggests it is far more toxic than common elder, making it unsafe for pregnant women (Evidence Level: C).
What is the safe dosage for Dwarf Elder?
There is no established safe therapeutic dose for the internal use of Dwarf Elder without professional supervision. Unlike the common elder, this species possesses significantly higher toxicity. Historical folk medicine utilized minute quantities to induce purgation, but self-medication is strongly discouraged. The risk of cyanogenic glycoside poisoning and severe gastrointestinal trauma outweighs any potential benefits for general use (Evidence Level: C).
Does Dwarf Elder interact with medications?
There is limited clinical data regarding specific drug interactions for Dwarf Elder. However, due to its strong purgative and emetic properties, it may reduce the absorption of oral medications by accelerating gastrointestinal transit. Concurrent use with diuretics or other laxatives could increase the risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The presence of cyanogenic compounds also suggests potential theoretical interactions with hepatic metabolism pathways (Evidence Level: D).
What is the difference between Dwarf Elder and common elder?
Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus) differs from Common Elder (Sambucus nigra) primarily in toxicity and growth habit. Dwarf Elder is a herbaceous perennial with distinct, more toxic properties, whereas Common Elder is a woody shrub with edible berries and flowers. All parts of Dwarf Elder contain higher concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides and toxic alkaloids, making it unsafe for casual consumption compared to the culinary Common Elder (Evidence Level: C).
What are the side effects of Dwarf Elder?
Ingesting Dwarf Elder typically causes severe gastrointestinal distress, including violent vomiting and diarrhea. These effects are due to mucosal irritation from saponins and alkaloids. In more severe cases, cyanogenic glycoside toxicity may occur, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, headache, hypotension, and respiratory distress. Due to these significant risks, internal use is generally avoided in modern herbal practice (Evidence Level: C).
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 30 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) is a medicinal plant used in folk medicine for various ailments, though its use is restricted by the presence of toxic proteins [PMID:25723322, PMID:28397551].
Background
Sambucus ebulus L., known as dwarf elder, is a perennial plant characterized by long, creeping, and branched rhizomes, primarily distributed in northern, northwestern, and northeastern regions of Iran [PMID:40999650].
Traditional uses
It has been used since ancient times in folk medicine for joint pains, colds, wounds, infections, and is specifically applied in Traditional Persian Medicine for bone and joint disorders [PMID:28397551, PMID:27125590].
Active compounds
The plant contains flavonoids, lectins (such as ebulin f and SELfd), and ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) [PMID:28397551, PMID:24793353, PMID:25723322]. Fruit extracts are rich in polyphenols, anthocyanins (notably cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and cyaniding-3-sambubioside), hydroxycinnamic acids, and proanthocyanidins [PMID:24793353, PMID:34834808, PMID:37240060]. Other identified compounds include neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, idaein, epicatechin, resveratrol, chrysanthemin, and the iridoid diglycoside sambuloside [PMID:4094191B, PMID:30810365].
Mechanism of action
Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) in the plant act as enzymes (E.C. 3.2.2.22) with N-glycosidase activity on the 28S rRNA subunit, which inhibits protein synthesis by arresting polypeptide chain elongation [PMID:25723322]. Fruit extracts may exert anti-inflammatory effects by reducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress [PMID:40941911, PMID:34834808].
Clinical evidence
Evidence BPaederus dermatitis
A 5% S. ebulus fruit extract solution (Palemolin) was statistically more effective than a placebo in controlling burning, pain, inflammation, and accelerating healing [PMID:25276209]
Evidence BHand eczema
Topical preparation of S. ebulus leaves decreased severity and itching scores over 4 weeks, with no significant difference compared to hydrocortisone [PMID:33571040]
Evidence BKnee osteoarthritis
A pilot randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of topical S. ebulus gel versus 1% diclofenac gel for pain and function [PMID:27125590]
Evidence DImmune response (Healthy humans)
Intake of S. ebulus fruit infusion for 4 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in total protein [PMID:37240060]
Evidence DDepression (Animal model)
Methanolic extracts of S. ebulus fruit showed significant dose-dependent antidepressant activity in mice, with 1200 mg/kg performing better than imipramine in forced swimming and tail suspension tests [PMID:25491608]
Evidence D
Safety & adverse effects
The plant is toxic, and its use as food is restricted due to this toxicity [PMID:25723322]. Specifically, the lectin ebulin f displays toxicity upon oral ingestion [PMID:24793353]. However, heat treatment (boiling water bath for five minutes) can sensitize these lectins to pepsin digestion, potentially eliminating toxicity [PMID:24793353].
Evidence summary
Evidence is mixed, consisting primarily of in vitro and animal studies (Level D) and a few small-scale randomized controlled trials (Level B) for topical dermatological and joint applications. Safety is a significant concern due to inherent toxicity of certain proteins.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 25723322 (2015) — Ebulin from dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.): a mini-review. · Toxins
2.PMID: 28397551 (2017) — Biological Effects and Clinical Applications of Dwarf Elder ( Sambucus ebulus L): A Review. · Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine
3.PMID: 27125590 (2016) — Efficacy and short-term safety of topical Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) versus diclofenac for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
4.PMID: 25491608 (2014) — Antidepressant activities of Sambucus ebulus and Sambucus nigra. · European review for medical and pharmacological sciences
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Aquatic extract decreased L. major viability, lesion size, and parasite burden while increasing IFN-γ-to-IL-4 ratio and nitric oxide levels [PMID:30472741]
Evidence DTriple-negative breast cancer (In vitro/In vivo)
S. ebulus extract remarkably decreased cell proliferation and viability in TNBC models [PMID:33845752]
Evidence DHerpes simplex virus type 1 (In vitro)
Hydroalcoholic extract led to a 2.6 log10 TCID50 reduction in viral titer at 75 μg/mL [PMID:33996660]
Evidence DMRSA (In vitro)
Methanolic extracts showed antibacterial potency against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [PMID:25395702]
· Parasite immunology
6.PMID: 30810365 (2020) — A new iridoid diglycoside from Sambucus ebulus L. · Natural product research
7.PMID: 33845752 (2022) — Effects of Sambucus ebulus Extract on Cell Proliferation and Viability of Triple- Negative Breast Cancer: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study. · Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
8.PMID: 25647575 (2015) — Elderberries: a source of ribosome-inactivating proteins with lectin activity. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
9.PMID: 25276209 (2014) — Treatment of Paederus Dermatitis with Sambucus ebulus Lotion. · Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
10.PMID: 40941911 (2025) — Modulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Selected Polyphenols from Sambucus ebulus L. Fruit. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
11.PMID: 10516985 (1999) — Nutrition and dietary supplements. · Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America
12.PMID: 24793353 (2014) — Effects of short-term heating on total polyphenols, anthocyanins, antioxidant activity and lectins of different parts of dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.). · Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
13.PMID: 33996660 (2021) — Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection by Sambucus ebulus extract in vitro. · Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran
14.PMID: 23122129 (2013) — Differential sensitivity of D-galactose-binding lectins from fruits of dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) to a simulated gastric fluid. · Food chemistry
15.PMID: 37330943 (2023) — In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-parasitic Activity of Sambucus ebulus and Feijoa sellowiana Extracts Silver Nanoparticles on Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites. · Acta parasitologica
16.PMID: 23884825 (2013) — Anti-giardial activity of Sambucus ebulus. · European review for medical and pharmacological sciences
17.PMID: 40999650 (2026) — Genetic and Micromorphological Diversity in Sambucus ebulus (Adoxaceae) Populations and Their Taxonomic Significance. · Microscopy research and technique
18.PMID: 34834808 (2021) — Phytochemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory and ER Stress-Reducing Potential of Sambucus ebulus L. Fruit Extract. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
19.PMID: 39057215 (2024) — Leaf and Flower Extracts from the Dwarf Elder (Sambucus ebulus): Toxicity and Repellence against Cosmopolitan Mosquito-Borne Diseases Vectors. · Insects
20.PMID: 31881758 (2019) — Polyphenolic Extract from Sambucus ebulus L. Leaves Free and Loaded into Lipid Vesicles. · Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
21.PMID: 37240060 (2023) — Sambucus ebulus (Elderberry) Fruits Modulate Inflammation and Complement System Activity in Humans. · International journal of molecular sciences
22.PMID: 33571040 (2021) — A Comparison of the Effect of Topical Preparation of Sambucus ebulus L. and Hydrocortisone on Hand Eczema: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. · Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)
23.PMID: 23852900 (2013) — In vitro effect of Sambucus ebulus on scolices of Hydatid cysts. · European review for medical and pharmacological sciences
24.PMID: 36565417 (2023) — Transient receptor potential channel stimulation induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in the colon of mice with colitis-associated colon cancer: modulator role of Sambucus ebulus L. · Molecular biology reports
25.PMID: 33497693 (2021) — Recombinant pebulin protein, a type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L.) shows anticancer and antifungal activities in vitro. · International journal of biological macromolecules
26.PMID: 41977792 (2026) — Evaluation of Nutraceutical Properties of Fruits Derived from Some Wild-Growing Plant Species (Sambucus nigra L., Rubia tinctorum L., Phytolacca americana L. and Sambucus ebulus L.). · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
27.PMID: 25395702 (2014) — Antimicrobial activity of methanolic extracts of Sambucus ebulus and Urtica dioica against clinical isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. · African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM