{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,5]],"date-time":"2026-05-05T22:21:14Z","timestamp":1778019674994,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770249600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Union","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["101131346"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101131346"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000780","name":"European Union","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["HORIZON-MSCA-2022-SE-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["HORIZON-MSCA-2022-SE-01"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000780","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study provides a phytochemical characterization of Sambucus nigra L. (elderflower) and correlates its chemical profile with anti-inflammatory bioactivity, establishing an optimized extraction methodology. A comparative analysis of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and shaking maceration was conducted using solvents of varying polarity (ethanol, ethanol\u2013water mixture (1:1, v\/v), and water). High-resolution fingerprinting via HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS\/MS confirmed a rich polyphenolic profile, dominated by flavonoids such as rutin, naringenin, and phenolic acids, notably chlorogenic acid. Quantitative analysis revealed that UAE with ethanol\u2013water mixture (1:1, v\/v) for 20 min yielded the highest recovery of rutin (4.87%) and chlorogenic acid (8.22%). The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in TNF\u03b1-stimulated HaCaT NF-\u03baB Luc reporter keratinocytes. Anhydrous ethanolic extracts demonstrated superior efficacy, significantly inhibiting NF-\u03baB pathway activation at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Chemometric analysis, specifically PLS-DA, identified naringenin as a principal contributor to this observed anti-inflammatory effect. These findings underscore the critical role of solvent selection in modulating the phytochemical composition and resultant bioefficacy of elderflower extracts. The potent, naringenin-driven inhibition of NF-\u03baB in keratinocytes highlights the significant therapeutic potential of optimized S. nigra extracts for applications in dermatological and cosmetic formulations aimed at managing inflammatory skin disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules31030561","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T16:30:47Z","timestamp":1770309047000},"page":"561","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["From Elderflower to Bioactive Extracts: Phytochemical Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Activity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7086-0722","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maryna","family":"Koval","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacognosy with Medical Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Food and Nutrition, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chod\u017aki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4413-3748","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u0142awomir","family":"Dresler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chod\u017aki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sk\u0142odowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"Kowalik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food and Nutrition, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chod\u017aki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-2589-5828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benedikt","family":"Schwarz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Austrian Drug Screening Institute GmbH, Mitterweg 24, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2388-4577","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Wawruszak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki Str. 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Filipek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Austrian Drug Screening Institute GmbH, Mitterweg 24, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3456-1730","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Komar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Anatomy and Histology, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka Str. 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3699-3780","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Jakschitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Austrian Drug Screening Institute GmbH, Mitterweg 24, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4937-0822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stavros","family":"Beteinakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2131-4151","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"G\u00fcnther","family":"Bonn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Austrian Drug Screening Institute GmbH, Mitterweg 24, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8749-9657","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech","family":"Koch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food and Nutrition, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chod\u017aki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7076-600X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wirginia","family":"Kukula-Koch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacognosy with Medical Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"St\u0119pie\u0144, A.E., Trojniak, J., and Tabarkiewicz, J. 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