elderberries help block flu virus -- i didn't know this

[ismnotwasm]

19. Reminds me of an early Elton John song

Also, is this effective against all flu virus’s?

Study is interesting. A sample;

2.2. Sample preparation
Fresh, commercially farmed Tasmanian elderberries (Sambucus nigra) were harvested and the fruits was separated from their stalks. Approximately 200 g of fruit was homogenized using Nutribullet blender for 2 min. A double layer cheesecloth sieve was used to separate the juice from the paste. The pH of the elderberry juice was 4.4 ± 0.1, and its soluble solids content (°Brix) was 17.7%. The juice was pasteurized using high-pressure carbon dioxide treatment at 18 MPa and 45 °C for 90 min (Torabian et al., 2018) and diluted to the desired concentrations. Cyn 3-glu was serially diluted with the DMEM media to the concentrations of 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625, 0.315, 0.16, 0.08, and 0.04 mg/ml. Before analysis, all samples were filtered through a 0.22 µm Whatman filter.

2.3. Hemagglutination inhibition assay
Immediately after receiving, turkey blood was centrifuged for 10 min at 200 g. The RBCs pellet was washed using 0.05% v/v BSA in PBS. The mixture was centrifuged twice for 5 min at 200 g, and the cells were diluted with PBS to the appropriate concentration (1% v/v).

Elderberry juice was treated with Receptor Destroying Enzyme (RDE) in a ratio of 1:4 to remove any nonspecific inhibitors that may exist in the elderberry. The mixture was incubated in a water bath at 37 °C overnight. The solution was further diluted by 1.6% w/v sodium citrate to a ratio of 1:5, which resulted in 30-fold final dilution of the juice. Subsequently, 25 ?l of PBS was distributed into each well of the first row of 96-well plate, followed by dispensing 25 ?l of elderberry RDE treated extract (1:30) in the first well and making two-fold serial dilution along the microplate. 25 ?l of 4 HAU influenza viruses were then added to the wells. After 2 h incubation at 4 °C, 50 µl RBC were added to the wells to the final volume 100 µl in each well.

As a negative control, 25 ?l of PBS, 25 ?l of 4 HAU influenza virus A/PR 8/34 (H1N1), and 50 µl RBC were dispensed to each well. As a positive control, 25 ?l of PBS was distributed into each well, followed by dispensing 25 ?l of influenza virus A/PR 8/34 (H1N1) antiserum, in the first well and making two-fold dilution across the microplate. Another 25 ?l of 4 HAU influenza virus was added to the wells. After 2 h incubation at 4 °C, 50 µl RBC were added to the wells. The settling pattern of the RBCs suspension was observed by mixing 50 µl of PBS with 50 µl of RBCs and allowing the cells to settle. Results were read when the RBC control has settled. Hemagglutination appeared as a uniform salmon-pink film covering the entire bottom of the wells, while Hemagglutination inhibition occurred as a sharp red button on the bottom of the wells.