Elderberries 'may combat bird flu'

Last updated at 13:17 19 January 2006


An extract from black elderberries could be used to combat the bird flu virus, new research has suggested.

A study looked at whether the food supplement Sambucol could combat the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu when added to canine cells in laboratory tests.

It found that the elderberry-based product was at least 99 per cent effective at reducing the virus in the cells.

But experts warned that many more studies were needed to find out whether the formula was effective in combating H5N1 in humans.

The virulent H5N1 strain of avian flu has already killed more than 80 people, mainly in Asia, after they contracted it from close contact with birds.

But there are fears that the virus could mutate into a form that is easily passed from human to human, leading to a flu pandemic which could potentially kill millions worldwide.

The main medical solutions in case of a pandemic include a vaccine, but this could take up to six months to develop once the strain emerges.

Stockpiling antivirals

Countries around the world are stockpiling antiviral drugs which can reduce the length and severity of flu symptoms.

The latest study by Retroscreen, which is affiliated to the University of London, looked at how effective the elderberry extract was in combating H5N1 infections in dog kidney cells.

The formula was added to the infected cells and compared with samples which were just allowed to incubate the virus.

The researchers found that Sambucol was effective in significantly neutralising the virus infections in the cell cultures.

Dr Madeleine Mumcuoglu, who developed the formula using the secret ingredient from elderberries, said that studies also showed that Sambucol could combat the ordinary winter flu.

"The flu virus cannot replicate by itself. It must do so inside a living cell.

"It binds to cells via hemagglutin on the virus surface. Sambucol blocks the hemagglutin and prevents the entry of the virus into cells," she said.

Dr Mumcuoglu said the results did not mean that the formula would be able to cure flu in humans, but it gave some hope that it may be a possible further solution if more studies supported the findings.

Sambucol, made by Razei Bar Industries Israel, is available in the UK as a liquid food supplement at chemists and health food stores.

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