Black gourd plant. Blackcap grass

Potentilla argentea
Taxon: Family Pink ( Rosaceae)
Folk names: throat grass, cold grass, white gourd, worm grass, silver grass, starling grass, worm grass, toad grass
English: Silver Cinquefoil

Description:
Silver cinquefoil - perennial herbaceous plant, 15-35 cm height. The stem is often single, covered with thin white felt. The basal and lower stem leaves 5-6 are palmately compound, located on long petioles; the upper leaves are sessile, short-petiolate, trifoliate, covered below with silver-grayish hairs. Potentilla flowers are medium-sized, yellow, five-membered, collected in multi-flowered thyroid-paniculate inflorescences.
Blooms all summer.

Spreading:
Silver cinquefoil is common in the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, and the Caucasus. It grows in pine and mixed forests, throughout dry meadows, forest clearings and in bush thickets.

Collection and preparation:
Silver cinquefoil grass is harvested as a medicinal raw material in the first half of summer, cutting it at a height of 5-20 cm from ground level. They are cleaned of impurities and yellowed leaves, dried in the open air for several days and dried in the attic or in a dryer at a temperature of 30 ° C. Store in cardboard boxes in a dry place for 2 years.

Chemical composition:
Cinquefoil contains triterpenoids (tor-menthol), flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids (ferulic, coumaric), essential oil, tannins, vitamin C and other compounds.

Pharmacological properties:
Silver cinquefoil grass has astringent, hemostatic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive and anthelmintic properties.

Application in medicine:
Silver cinquefoil is used for diarrhea, bloody urine, anacid gastritis, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, small and large intestines, cirrhosis of the liver with severe swelling, acute respiratory diseases And hypertension, as well as for gastritis, enteritis, colitis, uterine and pulmonary hemorrhages. Externally used in the form of compresses for wounds, furunculosis, weeping eczema, hemorrhoids, for gargling with sore throat, inflammation of the oral cavity, bleeding gums, included in anti-cancer collection Zdrenko.
A decoction of the herb is drunk for stomach pain, hypertension, rheumatism, female diseases, and myositis. An ointment made from herbal powder pork fat, used for furunculosis.

Medications:
Infusion of cinquefoil herb: Brew 200 ml boiling water 1 tbsp. l. herbs, leave for 40 minutes, drink 0.2-0.3 glasses 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Potentilla herb decoction: Brew 0.5 liters of boiling water, 10 g of crushed raw materials, boil in a closed enamel container in a water bath for 0.5 hours, strain through 2-3 layers of gauze and bring the volume to the original volume. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day 0.5 hours before meals.
Potentilla herb tincture: pour 0.5 l of 70% alcohol or strong vodka 1 tbsp. l. raw materials, leave for 14 days in a warm place, squeeze and strain. Take 20 drops per 1/3 cup warm water 3 times a day after meals as an expectorant for acute and chronic bronchitis and pneumonia.

Contraindications:
Individual intolerance.

Photos and illustrations:

Botanical characteristics

Thistle's variegated or variegated tartar, translated as Cirsium heterophyllum. It also has a name - gourd. This herbaceous plant is considered a perennial. The stem is erect, furrowed, one might say, cobwebby - hairy, its height varies from fifty centimeters to one meter.

The leaves are bare or slightly cobwebby on top and white-tomentose underneath. Their shape is from elliptical to lanceolate, they are jagged, long-pointed, entire or entire, with short spiny-ciliated formations along the edge.

The lower leaves are slightly narrowed into a winged petiole, which has an auricular shape at the base. The rest have a wide heart-shaped base that tightly covers the stem.

The flowers are purple-red in color, less often whitish in color, they are located in single baskets on long whitish thin felt stalks. The fruit is represented by an ordinary achene. The gourd blooms from June until the end of August.

Spreading

The natural habitat is considered to be the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, as well as Ukraine. Variegated thistle grows in swampy forests, among bushes, on forest edges, and in wet meadows.

Part used

This representative of the flora uses the above-ground part, that is, its grass, namely leaves and stems. It contains: coumarins, rubber, essential oil, alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanins.

Collection and preparation

It is usually customary to harvest the grass during the flowering of the multi-leaved thistle. For this purpose, it is carefully cut off and laid out thin layer, no more than three centimeters, on spacious pallets, or simply laid out on a paper sheet.

In this form, the raw material is prepared until completely dry. But if it is not turned over in time, it can become damp, which will lead to its rotting. Therefore, it is necessary to stir it, as they say, in order to prevent the appearance of moldy fungus.

To make the process of preparing raw materials faster, it is recommended to place the herbs in automated dryers. They maintain constant temperature regime, approximately within 40, 50 degrees.

When the harvested grass is completely dry, it is stored in a ventilated, dry room. The raw materials are first packed into cloth bags and tied tightly.

The shelf life of finished raw materials is no more than twenty-four months. After this period of time, the harvested herb simply loses its medicinal properties, the essential oils evaporate, and all the necessary components gradually disappear.

Application

It must be said that variegated thistle is not used by official medicine. And here traditional healers it is being used. The plant has an anti-inflammatory effect due to the flavonoids present in it.

Its tonic and hemostatic effects on the body have also been revealed. Usually an infusion is prepared from it, which is taken orally for pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, nervous diseases, epilepsy, liver and stomach diseases, and anuria.

Externally, the infusion is used as a wound healing agent, which stops blood well, promotes blood clotting, and also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

It is used externally in the form of lotions and powder. It is usually used for conjunctivitis, acne, furunculosis, and itchy rashes. In this case, the drug is simply treated with the skin several times a day.

Recipes

To prepare medicinal infusion, you will need a tablespoon of crushed dry herbs, which is recommended to be brewed with 200 milliliters of boiling water. After which you need to let the drug brew for at least two to three hours.

After it has infused, it is recommended to filter it; for this purpose, you can use a double layer of gauze or a fine strainer through which you must strain the drug. You need to take it fifteen milliliters four times a day.

To prepare a decoction that is used in the treatment of epilepsy, you will need a tablespoon of crushed dry thistle herb, which should be poured into 200 milliliters hot water.

Then it is recommended to place the container with the drug on water bath, and boil for five minutes, after which the broth must be infused for one hour. Next, you should filter it through a fine strainer in order to rid the liquid of unnecessary cake. It is recommended to take thirty milliliters three times a day, half an hour before meals.

For external use, it is recommended to take forty-five grams of dry crushed herb and pour 400 milliliters of boiling water over it, then infuse the drug for two hours. After which the infusion must be filtered through a fine strainer, and it can be used for its intended purpose.

It is recommended to use it externally in the form of lotions, and the drug can be used for quite a long time in the treatment of wounds, furunculosis and skin rash. The infusion is also used as a lotion for inflammation of the organ of vision, in particular for conjunctivitis.

Conclusion

Before using an infusion or decoction of this plant, you should consult a doctor. Of course, if symptoms of any disease appear, the first thing you should do is not treat with herbs; it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Description.

Black gourd (gorlyanka, blackhead, bluehead, brunette) is a perennial plant up to 60 cm in height, sparsely pubescent or glabrous, with a creeping rhizome. The plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The stem of the black gourd is tetrahedral, ascending, weakly branched, brown. The leaves are petiolate, opposite, obtuse, ovate, finely crenate, entire, the upper pair of leaves is located directly under the inflorescence. The flowers of the black gourd are symmetrical, located in the axils of ovoid, pointed bracts and form an apical false spike. The corolla is less often yellow-white, mostly blue-violet with pubescence. upper lip. Black gourd blooms in June - September. The fruit is a shiny nut, triangular or oblong-ovoid, ripens in July - October.

Spreading.

Black gourd is found in the southern and middle zones European part of Russia, on Far East, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia, in Siberia. The plant grows on the edges of forests, in gardens, and in meadows.

Preparation.

IN medicinal purposes They collect black gourd grass (flowers, leaves, stems), which they store during flowering. It is dried under canopies on the street, or in ventilated rooms or in dryers at 30-40°C. When collecting, it is important not to confuse the black gourd with the large-flowered blackhead, which differs in that the upper pair of its leaves is not located at the base of the inflorescence, but is shifted downwards, and also has larger flowers.

Chemical composition.

Tannins were found in the aerial part of the black gourd, phenolic acids, coumarins, iridoids, triterpenoids, tannins, steroid saponins, flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, rutin, luteolin, isoquercetin, hyperoside), resin, essential oil, which includes alfafenchone, levorotatory camphor, oxalic, malic, citric acid, traces of fenchyl alcohol and large amounts of copper, boron, zinc, manganese, ascorbic acid, silver, vitamin K, carotene.

Pharmacological properties.

The black gourd plant has diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, hypotensive, antiseptic, analgesic, hemostatic, antimicrobial, antidiaphoretic, antispasmodic, tonic properties, and improves metabolism.

Application.

Black gourd increases urine output, lowers temperature during febrile illnesses, lowers blood pressure, stops bleeding, and stops diarrhea.

An aqueous infusion of the herb is taken for diarrhea, colds, women's diseases And various bleedings. IN Chinese medicine An infusion of the plant's flowers is drunk as tea as an antipyretic and diuretic.
The herbal infusion is used in the form of washes and baths for various inflammations skin and for rinsing for diseases of the mouth and throat.

A decoction of the herb is used for goiter (with thyrotoxicosis), skin tuberculosis, rheumatic arthritis, exudative diathesis, and as a diuretic and blood pressure-lowering agent.
Use a decoction of the herb of the black gourd plant to wash your hair for dandruff.

Poultices from the herb of the plant are made for skin inflammation.

Medications.

Infusion for the treatment of malignant neoplasms various localizations, rheumatic arthritis, exudative diathesis, tuberculosis of the female genital organs, skin, sore throat and stomatitis.

1 tsp. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over the crushed plant, then leave the raw material for 2 hours, and then strain. Use 3 - 4 r. per day 1 tbsp. l. before meals.

For poultices for skin inflammations.

Boil 2 - 3 tbsp. l. herbs from the black gourd plant and wrap it in gauze.

Decoction.

Put 1 tbsp. l. black gourd herbs into an enamel container, pour boiling water, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, filter, use 1 tbsp. l. 3 r. in a day. For external use, take 2 r. more grass.

A decoction for washing and bathing for skin inflammation, for washing hair for dandruff.

3 tbsp. l. pour 1.5 liters of water over the herbs, boil for 10 minutes, let steep for 4 hours.

Ointment for lubricating the skin.

Loosely fill a small glass container with black gourd grass. Fill in vegetable oil, leave for 3 weeks, shaking from time to time. Filter. Apply 1 - 2 times a day.

Contraindications.

Use plant preparations with caution and under the supervision of your doctor. The plant is poisonous! Drugs containing it can worsen the condition of the patient suffering from long-term constipation or with low blood pressure. Black gourd is contraindicated in cases of thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, and increased blood clotting. Do not use it during pregnancy.

Plant name. Common blackhead, black gourd.

Latin name. Prunella vulgaris L.

Synonym. Brunella vulgaris L., brunette.

Family. Labiatae – Lamiaceae.

Habitat. The common blackhead grows in forests and forest edges, along river banks, along roads and bushes, in meadows and ditches, and in gardens.

Spreading. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus it grows almost everywhere. Found in Europe, Asia Minor, China, Korea, Japan, Western Tibet, Northern India, United Arab Republic, Northern Iran, the Himalayas, North America, V North Africa, Australia.

Description of the plant. A perennial herbaceous plant, reaches a height of 35-50 cm. The rhizome of the blackhead is creeping, the stem is almost bare, slightly pubescent in the upper part. Oblong, entire (or vaguely crenate-toothed) ovoid leaves grow on long petioles. The upper pair of blackhead leaves is located at the very base of the inflorescence. The flowers are purple, merging into a short spike. The calyxes of the flowers are dark purple. Blackhead blooms in early and mid-summer.

What part of the plant is used?. Leaves, stems and flowers. Valued as a honey and medicinal plant.

Chemical composition. The composition of blackhead has not been sufficiently studied; in particular, an as yet unknown alkaloid has been found in it. The plant contains tannins and bitter substances, hyperoside, triterpene glycoside, ursolic acid, potassium chloride, and inorganic salts.

The plant contains vitamins - rutin, carotene, vitamin K, ascorbic acid - and essential oil. Blackhead essential oil contains alpha-fenchone, alpha-camphor and traces of fenchyl alcohol.

Pharmacological properties. In laboratories at intravenous administration When given a decoction of the plant, rabbits experienced a decrease in blood pressure. At the same time, their respiratory activity increased and there was a significant diuretic effect. It is assumed that pharmachologic effect blackhead is caused mainly by the presence of hyperoside, rutin and great content potassium

A decoction of the plant enhances the peristalsis of the isolated rabbit intestines and tones the isolated uterus. In a large dose, the decoction of blackhead reduces the amplitude of the heart contractions of rabbits and frogs, and in a small dose it increases.

In in vitro experiments, this plant inhibits the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, typhus bacterium, achorion and spore bacterium. And an aqueous extract of blackhead (1:50) inhibits the development of human-type tuberculosis bacillus.

Application in medicine. In the Chinese province of Jiangsu, dried blackcap flowers are brewed as tea and used as a diuretic and antipyretic. And the leaves and stems are used as a diuretic and antihypertensive agent.

Blackhead is also prescribed for thyrotoxicosis and goiter, exudative diathesis, rheumatic arthritis, skin tuberculosis and gynecological diseases.

This medicinal plant is effective for lymphoma, hypertension, chronic arthritis and as a means of increasing metabolism.

For skin diseases, various ointments are prepared from the leaves and stems.

The perennial gourd grass has several names: it is called blackhead, dry top, bluehead, dog cornflowers and even brunelle (from the Latin species name prunella). And here English name This herb selfheal is translated as “self-healing”. Indeed, the list of diseases from which it helps is not limited to throat diseases, but includes problems with almost all body functions.

The fragrant, unpretentious grass grows in abundance in wastelands, meadows, along the banks of reservoirs, in natural conditions grows in Europe, Asia, North America - and on all continents it is widely used in folk medicine. At the same time, this plant is not included in the domestic pharmacopoeia, and its properties are still awaiting research.

Characteristics of the gourd

The gourd, better known to botanists under the name blackhead, has thirteen species and belongs to the Lamiaceae family.

IN middle lane common blackhead (gorlyanka) is found, which has medicinal properties, and blackhead grandiflora, which is often used as an ornamental plant.

It is a low, erect herb with a developed rhizome and opposite oblong leaves. Flowering occurs from June to October. Purple, sometimes yellow-white, two-lipped flowers are collected in a panicle located at the top of the stem, and fall off as pollination occurs, making the inflorescence look like a spikelet or spadix. The gourd is a good honey plant; in cultivation it can be propagated by seeds, but more often this is done by dividing the rhizomes.

Chemical composition

The composition of gourd contains a large amount of biologically active substances. Flowers, leaves, stems of this herb contain:

• coumarins;
• alkaloids;
• tannins;
• organic acids (citric, oxalic, malic);
• a number of flavonoids, including quercetin, rutin, luteolin, etc.;
• steroid saponins;
• essential oils with a high content of camphor, fenchone, fenchyl alcohol;
• compounds of copper, silver, manganese and other elements;
• a large amount of vitamins, especially carotene, ascorbic acid, rutin, vitamin K.

Medicinal properties of gourd

Thanks to the ingredients contained in gourd, this herb :

This plant is believed to have antitumor activity.

Although due to high concentration alkaloids, blackhead is classified as a toxic plant, and the official pharmacopoeia of European countries treats it with caution, in folk medicine various countries it finds the widest application:

• North American Indians used it to treat wounds and skin inflammations.
• Residents of Europe used it for throat diseases, as anthelmintic, for stomach disorders and problems with the urinary system.
• In Chinese medicine, gourd is used to treat the liver, gall bladder, kidneys, and intestinal infections.
• Indian doctors use it as an antispasmodic and expectorant drug.

In folk cosmetology, blackhead is used to eliminate dandruff and strengthen hair; it prevents the appearance of gray hair and gives a special shine to dark hair.

How to prepare and store?

The collection of gourds is carried out during flowering, that is, it can be collected until autumn. When collecting, it is important to distinguish between the medicinal and large-flowered varieties of this plant. Common gourd It is distinguished by smaller flowers and a pair of leaves located at the very base of the flower panicle.

The collected raw materials can be used fresh (in the form of juice) or dried. The stems along with the flowers are dried out of the sun in a well-ventilated place. Juice can be preserved with alcohol in a 3:1 ratio.

Folk recipes

Juice or mashed gourd leaves are used to treat:

They rub it on the temples for headaches.

Decoctions and infusions

The simplest recipe for a decoction of blackhead is based on a standard dosage - a teaspoon of dry raw material per glass of boiling water. This decoction should be infused for two hours and taken half an hour before meals, a tablespoon three times a day for:

• liver and gallbladder diseases;
• urinary retention;
• any neoplasms, including malignant ones.

The course of treatment is two weeks, after which a ten-day break is needed. For dysentery and infectious colitis, take this decoction three times a day, half a glass, until the symptoms disappear.

D For the treatment of rheumatism, polyarthritis, and exudative diathesis, a decoction of two tablespoons of gourd and one and a half glasses of water is used. It is taken three times a day, half a glass.

For external use, boil three tablespoons of the herb in a liter of water for half an hour. These decoctions:

• gargle;
• wash wounds, bedsores, skin rashes;
• make poultices for arthritis, rheumatism, dislocation;
• wash your hair.

Ointment

To obtain an ointment that is used to treat hard-to-heal wounds, burns, bruises, and sore joints, the container is filled with gourd grass and filled to the top with vegetable oil. Infusion time is three weeks.

Contraindications

This plant is classified as toxic, so it should be used with caution and with appropriate medical supervision.

Gorlanka is contraindicated for children and pregnant women.

It should not be used internally for:

• hypotension;
• tendency to constipation;
• increased blood clotting;
• thrombosis.

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Lagenaria is a little-known visitor from the tropics. She came to us from South America. Known as bottle gourd, Indian cucumber or gourd. It received this name because of its appearance. Now the plant, due to its many beneficial properties, is widely used in cooking and medicine. We learned how to grow it in our latitudes ourselves. From a pair of seeds you can get up to 80 kg of harvest.

Lagenaria is a liana with large leaves and large sprouts. All parts of the plant have their own specific, but nice smell. This plant has at least seven species. Each fruit has a different shape. Some have an elongated shape, others have a pot-bellied bottom and top, some look like a snake, others like a swan. The most common type of lagenaria is bottle gourd. Fresh young fruit tastes like a cucumber, and very ripe fruits are similar to pumpkin or zucchini. The fruit is soft, the seeds are large, like a pumpkin.

Chemical composition

Lagenaria has a rich mineral and vitamin composition and very low calorie content. 100 g of product contains 15 kcal.

The composition of lagenaria fruits is given in the table

Both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are present.

Useful properties of lagenaria

Thanks to the rich composition of lagenaria, it is quite valuable resource. The fruits, seeds and leaves of the plant have beneficial properties. Different industries use different parts of the plant. Useful properties of lagenaria:

• Increases immunity. The fruits of the gourd contain many minerals and vitamins that are necessary for normal life And strong immunity. Vitamins help strengthen protective forces body and prevent diseases.
• Normalizes metabolism. Fiber, which is part of the fruit, has a beneficial effect on intestinal function, promotes the gentle elimination of waste and toxins, without harm to the body. Unsaturated acids accelerate metabolism, which promotes easy and natural weight loss.
• Normalizes pressure. Lagenaria leaves are used for high blood pressure. Substances that are present in the leaves can lower blood pressure.
• Normalizes the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Sodium, magnesium and potassium, which are contained in the fruits of the plant, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart muscle. Minerals strengthen the heart and blood vessels, thereby improving blood circulation. Healthy vessels and normal blood circulation prevent the occurrence of blood clots and varicose veins.
• Helps in the fight against obesity. It has been noticed that people with overweight with regular use, lagenaria lose overweight much faster. Weight is lost naturally by getting rid of toxins, fat and other harmful substances.
• Cleanses the kidneys and liver. Unique composition The plant helps cleanse the kidneys, get rid of stones and salts, and also cleanses the liver. Lagenaria is safely included in the diet of people with diabetes, obesity and other diseases of the intestines and stomach.
• Helps fight constipation. Gorlanka does not have a laxative effect. A large number of nutrients(minerals, vitamins, fatty acids and fiber) promotes normal metabolism substances. Thanks to this, the stomach and intestines are adjusted to normal functioning and the problem with constipation disappears on its own.
• Reduces cholesterol levels. Medical scientists have proven that regular consumption of lagenaria can reduce cholesterol levels in the body.
• Promotes fast healing wounds and skin regeneration. To do this, it is taken orally and also used externally. When used externally, not only the fruits are taken, but also the leaves of the plant. The leaves are ground into a paste and applied to the affected areas.
• Eliminates inflammation Bladder. The unique composition of the plant helps fight inflammatory processes in the bladder, soft and painless.
• Has antioxidant properties. Natural antioxidants help fight diseases and prolong youth.

At correct use this product can be not only tasty, but also healthy.

Harm of bottle gourd and contraindications for use

Lagenaria healthy fruit, so it has virtually no harm or contraindications. Not recommended for use only for those who have personal intolerance to the fetus and allergies.

People with low blood pressure and pregnant women. Changes during pregnancy hormonal background and the habits of the body, so even such a useful plant as gourd can give allergic reactions.

Application of lagenaria in various fields

The most wide application I found lagenaria in cooking. For food purposes, only the fruit of the plant is used. Young fruit appearance And taste qualities very similar to a cucumber. It is consumed raw. The young gourd fruit is used to make salads, sandwiches and many other snacks. Ripe fruits look like zucchini or pumpkin. They are almost never eaten raw. The pulp can be baked, fried, added to porridge, made into vegetable casseroles, etc.

Lagenaria pulp is stored for the winter. You can pickle it, add it to salad, make caviar from it, and whatever your imagination allows. Bottle gourd fruits go well with spices and other vegetables, so they are often added to stews.

I make jam from the pulp. In combination with berries and sugar, you get a tasty and aromatic jam. This fruit does not have a sharp and specific smell, so many housewives are not afraid to experiment and make not only familiar dishes from it, but also such unusual ones as jam.

Widely used in cosmetology as different masks. Masks for the face, hands and hair are made from the pulp of the fruit. Honey, oils and other natural ingredients are added to lagenaria.

Lagenaria masks nourish the skin well, relieve it from dryness and flaking, heal wounds, nourish it, and enrich it with vitamins.

In folk medicine, both the leaves and the fruit of the plant are used. The fruits are used to treat the stomach, intestines, and cleanse the body. They are taken raw and pureed. Pulp infusions help strengthen the immune system and increase the body's defenses.

Tinctures are prepared from the leaves and the juice is squeezed out. They are used to treat skin diseases, dermatitis, and rashes.

The Lagenaria fruit is very similar to a bottle with a long neck. They learned how to make decorative bottles from this fruit. To do this, the top of the long leg is trimmed sharp knife and carefully remove the pulp. Then pour small and not very sharp stones, cover the top with your hand and beat for several minutes. This polishes the inside of the bottle. The finished bottle is dried naturally (about 10 days). After this it is ready for use. It can be painted or varnished. It is suitable for both drinks and flowers (vase).

Lagenaria is a most valuable product. The fruits and leaves have a rich mineral and vitamin composition. The range of uses of the plant is very wide, which makes the gourd in demand. The product is universal, because it is used in many areas: cooking, medicine, cosmetology and for decorative purposes. There are practically no contraindications for use.

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In medicine

Chernogolovka vulgaris is a non-pharmacopoeial plant and in the official medical practice our country does not apply. However, the plant is valued for beneficial features and is used in medicine in a number of countries. For example, in Vietnamese medicine, the common blackcap is used for furunculosis; in Korean – for diseases of the bladder and urinary tract, lymphoma, chronic arthritis; V Indian medicine The plant is used as an antispasmodic and expectorant. Common blackhead is also used in Chinese traditional medicine as a diuretic for liver and gallbladder diseases, skin diseases and treatment of wounds (externally), as well as as an antibiotic against wide range pathogenic microorganisms, such as Shigella and Escherichia coli.

Contraindications and side effects

Common blackhead - poisonous plant. Therefore, when used internally, it requires special caution and strict medical supervision. Possible in case of overdose side effects(poisoning accompanied by nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, cutting pains in the abdomen, heavy urination). It is not recommended to use the plant in medicinal purposes during pregnancy and lactation, as well as for children.

In other areas

The common blackhead has good decorative properties, it is undemanding to the soil and easily tolerates air pollution in large cities. The decorative qualities of the plant are used in floriculture when decorating flower beds in parks and squares. It is also grown for medicinal purposes in private gardens and vegetable gardens.

Classification

Common blackhead (lat. Prunella vulgaris) is the type species of the genus Chernogolovka (lat. Prunella), family Lamiaceae or Labiatae. The genus contains 15 species of perennial herbs growing in all zones of the globe, especially in the Mediterranean. In the flora of Russia there are 3 species (common blackhead - Prunella vulgaris, split blackhead - Prunella laciniata, large-flowered blackhead - Prunella grandiflora).

Botanical description

Common blackhead is a perennial, 10-40 cm high with a creeping rhizome. The stem is tetrahedral, ascending, sometimes reddish, bare in the lower part, scatteredly pubescent in the middle along the ribs, and whitish-woolly at the apex. Leaves without stipules, opposite, simple, petiolate, oblong-ovate or lanceolate, with a wedge-shaped base and a blunt apex. The upper leaves are sessile and toothed. The flowers are small, bisexual, zygomorphic, violet-blue or blue, in dense capitate inflorescences (3-4 cm long). The perianth is double, 5-membered. The calyx is fused-leaved. Corolla (8-10 mm), usually two-lipped, with three-lobed lower lip and a more or less long tube. There are 4 stamens, 2 of which are longer. The formula of the blackcap flower is Ch(5)L(2.3)T4…2P(2). Ovary superior. When ripe, the fruit splits into 4 erems. Seeds without endosperm. Blooms from June to September.

Spreading

Chernogolovka is a common representative of European Russia, grows in Karelia, the Caucasus, Western and Northern Siberia. It grows everywhere (in meadows, forest glades and forest edges, as well as in fields, roadsides, gardens, etc.).

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

For medicinal purposes, the herb (stems, leaves), as well as the flowers of the common blackcap, are used. Raw materials are harvested during the flowering period from June to September. Seeds are collected in the fall, as they ripen. Dry the raw materials in the air under canopies, or in well-ventilated warm rooms or dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40°C. Store for a year in paper containers.

Chemical composition

The common blackhead is characterized by a rich chemical composition. It contains aromatic substances (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, etc.), tannins and bitter resins, essential oil, carotene, vitamins (C and K), triterpenoids (ursolic acid), saponins, carbohydrates (galactose, glucose, fructose, raffinose ), coumarins, anthocyanins, flavonoids (rutin, hyperoside, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, kaempferol), hydroxycinnamic acids (ferulic and p-hydroxycinnamic). Sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids (phytol), iridoids, steroids (sitosterol), phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives (caffeic acid, 4-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, rosemary acid) are also found in the aerial part; the seeds contain from 3 to 16% fatty oil.

Pharmacological properties

Despite the fact that the common blackhead is not a pharmacopoeial plant and is not used in official medicine, thanks to healing chemicals, which is part of it, it has some medicinal properties.

Availability tannins explains the astringent properties of the plant, as well as its ability to provide wound healing, antiseptic effect. Vitamin C, contained in the above-ground part of the plant, gives the common blackhead its antioxidant and antipyretic properties. Bitter substances are “responsible” for the plant’s ability to stimulate appetite and have a beneficial effect on activity gastrointestinal tract. It is known that the common blackhead has a diuretic and diaphoretic effect, has a positive effect on metabolism and promotes the removal of phlegm from the upper respiratory tract.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, the range of uses of blackhead is quite wide. The plant is used as a biological stimulant that activates the body's antimicrobial response, as a hemostatic for nosebleeds, leucorrhoea in women, eye diseases (conjunctivitis) and upper respiratory tract (sore throat, bronchitis, laryngitis, diphtheria), colds, kidney diseases, even malignant neoplasms and as an appetite stimulant. The herb of the plant is also used for hypertension, thyrotoxic goiter, edema of various etiologies, diarrhea, rheumatic arthritis, stomatitis and how anthelmintic. Blackhead extract is popularly used successfully for inflammation of the gums, for the treatment herpetic infection. Doctors recommend a decoction of the blackcap herb for gargling in the treatment of sore throat. According to traditional healers, the plant has good potential against the HIV virus, as well as prospects for treatment diabetes mellitus and lung cancer, but this has not been proven by science. A decoction of the leaves and an infusion of the blackhead herb is used in traditional medicine for epilepsy. In addition, the herb infusion is used as an antihypertensive and diuretic in the treatment of hypertension; it is used to treat tuberculosis of the skin and female genital organs, hyperthyroidism, exudative diathesis, and rheumatic arthritis. In folk medicine, a decoction of the fruits of the common blackhead is used for hypertension and nephritis. Fresh leaves and young shoots of the plant are used as a first aid remedy to stop bleeding; they are applied fresh to cuts.

In Chinese folk medicine water infusion Blackhead flowers in the form of tea are used as an antipyretic and diuretic.

It is also known that a decoction of the blackcap herb is used to wash the hair against dandruff with seborrhea, as well as for lotions, washes and baths for various inflammatory diseases skin (dermatomycosis) and boils. The herbal decoction is also used to wash bedsores and wounds. Folk healers include the herb of the common blackhead in ointments for the treatment of skin diseases.

Historical reference

The healing properties of blackhead have been known since the time of Pliny. To heal representatives of the royal dynasty, ancient healers in Ethiopia, Egypt and Rome prepared a special drink based on wine and honey, which included, along with other herbs, blackhead. In Germany, the common blackhead became known in 1547 - 1566. Military doctors used the herb to treat a fever that was quickly spreading among the Imperial German troops.

There are different versions regarding the origin of the name of the plant. According to one, the Latin name of the blackhead “Prunella” comes from German word“Braune” – “angina” – for the treatment of which it was used; on the other hand, from the ancient Dutch word “brunellen” or the German “braun”, indicating the brown color of the calyx.

WITH in English blackhead "selfheal" is translated as a plant that heals all diseases.

The scientific name "Prunella" means "plum", "plum", "prune" - plum.

Literature

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8. Tsurkan, A.A. Study of flavonoids of the blackcap (Prunella vulgaris L.) / A.A. Tsurkan, E.I. Golembiovskaya / Development, research and marketing of Nofoi pharmaceutical products. scientific tr. / ed. M.V. Gavrilina. – Pyatigorsk: Pyatigorsk GFA, 2011. Vol. 66.945s.