The fruit is antibacterial, antiseptic, antitumour, cardiotonic, diuretic and tonic. Extracts of the plant show antitumour activity. Good results have also been achieved when the fruit has been used in treating respiratory tract infections, hypertension, Parkinson's disease and hepatitis. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and is dried for later use. It is often decocted with other herbs in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and also as a general tonic.
Some caution is advised in their use, since the fruits are toxic when eaten in quantity.
The leaves are anodyne, diaphoretic, febrifuge, pectoral and vulnerary. The bark of the stems is diaphoretic. Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails. The shoots contain a glucoside and are probably toxic.