Elderberries are almost always found on a shrub or small tree, from three to six meters high. The trunk has a grayish brownish, brittle, knotty bark of unpleasant odor. The branches are round and are full of a thick white flesh. The fruits are black, violet, round berries.
The spikes are cut into the scissors and placed in baskets, and then spread in a single dark layer to dry. Once dried, the flowers are ivory and give off a strong aroma. Flowers should be stored in separate containers from the air as they easily absorb moisture and rot. Elderberries, once dried, are stored in airtight sachets or in closed cans. Harvest the leaves of the stalks, avoiding all the pressure. Spread on a single layer to dry in a well-ventilated place and store in sachets.
Prehistoric peoples already knew the use of the elderberry for medicinal, culinary and cosmetic purposes.
Elderberry is a tree with medicinal properties in which the fresh flowers, dried berries, and even leaves can be used.
The elderberry leaves contain samburigin-amygdalin (and emulsin) glycoside, which gives rise to glucose, bitter almond oil (benzaldehyde) and hydrocyanic acid (HCN). The flowers also have small amounts of amygdalin, saponins, essential oil and ether. Among the different colored berries, in the black elderberries, tyrosines with plenty of vitamins A, D and C can be found. They are richer in B vitamins than any other variety. The berries also contain malic-tartaric, valerian, tannic, essential oil, simburigrin-amygdalin, soline, resins, carbohydrates, glucose and a little albumin.
The flowers are anti-inflammatory and diaphoretic, very useful in infusions to reduce fever, promoting sweating, relieving cough and various chest infections. By stimulating the excretion of urine, they help eliminate toxins from the body and are therefore useful in cases of arteritis, rheumatism and gout. They are also very effective in cases of acute sinusitis and are widely used in conjunction with other plants to combat colds and flu.
Elderberry flowers are rich in essential oils that contain lanoleic acid, steroids, flavonoids, rutin, sugar and pectin. They help protect the mucous membranes of the throat, thus increasing resistance to infections, even aiding in cases of cold-related earaches.
The dark purple, almost black elderberries contain sugar, fruit acids, vitamins A and C and bioflavonoids. Their properties are slightly laxative, but also
antidiarrheal and with them are made into syrup, which helps to fight coughs and cold.
Elderberry has healing properties, which aid in the production of urine, sweat and milk. Elderberry is also recommended for colds, hoarseness, coughing, sneezing, molar pain, neuralgia, ear and headache and inflammation of the larynx and throat.
Elderberries are valuable for its high vitamin B content. Dried berries are an excellent remedy against diarrhea (chew ten berries three times a day). Elderberries can promote sweating, which can aid with influenza, incipient pneumonia, bronchitis, joint or febrile rheumatism.
An infusion of elderberry flowers in vinegar can be gargled to treat sore throats and tonsillitis?
http://www.ppmac.org/?q=content/sabugueiro
http://www.portalsaofrancisco.com.br/alimentos/sabugueiro
https://www.portaldojardim.com/pdj/2007/07/03/o-sabugueiro/
