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More than 60 species of rosehip grow worldwide. These are beautiful shrubs covered with thorns. The leaves are alternate, odd-pinnate, with elliptic or ovate sharply serrated leaflets; two leaf-like stipules are partially fused with the petiole. The flowers are large, fragrant, solitary, or in inflorescences at the branch ends, with lanceolate bracts. There are five sepals, longer than the corolla, with an appendage at the apex; five petals; numerous stamens; and many pistils arranged on the inner wall of a concave, pitcher-like receptacle (hypanthium). The ovaries are hairy, and the styles are long, extending stigmas beyond the hypanthium’s throat. The fruit is false, juicy, berry-like, spherical, or oval, formed from an enlarged fleshy receptacle that encloses multiple nut-like or achenial fruits (incorrectly called seeds). The nuts are angular, hard, yellow, with slightly pointed tips bearing hairs; the inner wall of the hypanthium is densely covered with long bristly hairs.
Rosehips bloom from May to July, and the fruits ripen from August to September, remaining on the shrubs until winter. They grow in forests and shrub thickets, especially along river floodplains.

The genus Rosa is divided into several sections, among which rosehips of the Cinnamonea section are the richest in vitamin C. These species have pink flowers, bright red fruits, and a characteristic calyx with entire sepals pointing upwards and remaining on the fruits in most species. When the calyx is removed, an opening remains at the hypanthium’s throat. The Canina section contains less ascorbic acid; these species have pale pink flowers, bright red fruits, and three pinnately divided sepals. After flowering, the sepals usually bend downward and fall off as the fruits ripen, leaving a pentagonal platform over the hypanthium’s throat.

Other sections contain even less vitamin C. They include fewer species and are rarer. In some species, the sepals fall off, while in others, they remain more or less horizontal.

Rosehip fruits (Fructus Rosae), mainly from Cinnamonea species, are harvested as a source of vitamin C.

Rosa cinnamomea L.: Branches are shiny, reddish-brown. Flowering branches have downward-curved thorns in pairs at the base of the petioles, while leafy shoots have thin, straight thorns of uneven length. Leaves are densely pubescent on the underside; sepals have lanceolate appendages. Fruits are spherical. It grows throughout most of European Russia, especially in the north, and in Siberia up to Lake Baikal.

Rosa dahurica Pall.: Has dark-purple branches. Thorns are curved, spreading, in pairs at the branch bases, or at petiole bases on young shoots. Leaflets are slightly pubescent with small yellow glands underneath. Sepals have widened appendages; fruits are spherical, 1–1.5 cm in diameter. Found in southern East Siberia and the Far East.

Rosa acicularis Lindl.: Branches are brownish, densely covered with thin, straight, evenly spaced bristles; often with two thin thorns at the leaf bases. Leaflets are nearly glabrous. Sepals have widened appendages; fruits are oval, 1.5–2.5 cm long. Found in the forest zone and even in tundra, with a vast range from the Pacific Ocean to St. Petersburg.

Other Cinnamonea species containing sufficient vitamin C, such as the Central Asian species Rosa Beggeriana Schrenk (with very small, spherical fruits ~1 cm) and Rosa Fedtchenkoana Rgl. (with ovate, large ~5 cm fruits covered in glandular bristles), are also allowed. The latter has white flowers and falls off its sepals. Rosa rugosa Thunb. with red flowers and very large fruits is cultivated in gardens and grows in the Far East.

On the Ukrainian and Caucasian territories, Rosa canina L. is harvested despite its lower vitamin content.

Fruits are harvested in autumn, from late August to October, when they turn from orange to red and soften, reaching their maximum vitamin C content. Fully ripe fruits are hand-picked carefully to avoid mold development. Harvesters wear thick gloves and use aprons with large pockets to protect against thorns, transferring fruits to cloth-lined baskets to prevent damage. The harvest continues until frost, as frost-damaged fruits quickly lose vitamins when thawed. Collected fruits are immediately dried in the sun (in southern regions) or in ovens at 80–90°C (in northern regions).

Dried fruits are supplied whole or pre-processed to remove hairs and nuts. Fresh fruits are processed by the industry within three days of harvest.

Rosehip fruits are rich in vitamins. On a dry matter basis, they contain an average of 2–3% (up to 5.5%) ascorbic acid (~5500 mg%), 12–18 mg% carotene, 0.03 mg% vitamin B2, vitamin K (40 biological units per gram), and vitamin P. Additionally, they contain ~18% sugars, 4.5% tannins, ~2% citric acid, pectin substances, flavonoid glycosides like quercitrin, and more. Seeds are rich in carotene and vitamin E.

Rosehip fruits are used as a source of vitamin C and a multivitamin remedy. Whole fruits are brewed like tea: 10–15 fruits per glass of water, boiled for 10 minutes, then steeped with 1–2 teaspoons of sugar for several hours. The decoction is strained and consumed 1–2 times daily before meals. Rosehip syrup is also taken by the teaspoon.

Rosehip seed oil, rich in carotene (up to 40%), is used for treating abrasions, pressure sores, trophic ulcers, and dermatitis, applied with gauze pads.

BLACK CURRANT — RIBES NIGRUM L.

A shrub with fragrant leaves; flowers are greenish, in catkins. It is widely distributed in forests and river floodplains, especially in Siberia, and is cultivated in the European part of Russia. It bears fruit in July–August. Ripe black currant berries (Fructus Ribis nigri) are harvested from wild and cultivated bushes. They are processed fresh into vitamin syrups or dried (in ovens). Leaves are also harvested for vitamin mixtures. Buds collected in early spring are preserved with alcohol for the food industry due to their pleasant aroma.

The berries contain vitamin C (100–400 mg% in fresh berries) and vitamin P, as well as organic acids, traces of essential oil, sugar, pectin, and more. Leaves contain 349 mg% of vitamin C and essential oil.

Black currant is used to treat vitamin deficiency. Dried berries are brewed like tea. They are also included in vitamin mixtures along with rosehip fruits. Syrup from fresh berries and other preparations are also used.

A perennial dioecious herbaceous plant with a thick rhizome and a taproot. Its outer surface is golden, white in fracture, and turns pinkish after drying. The plant develops several unbranched stems; its leaves are succulent, alternate, sessile, elliptical, entire-edged, with a few small teeth near the apex. The inflorescence is a dense terminal corymb. The flowers are small, with four greenish sepals and four reddish petals. The fruit is a follicle.

It grows in high-altitude and northern regions of the Primorsky Krai, Kuril Islands, Amur region, northern Sakhalin, the tundra, northern Urals, Siberia, Chukotka Peninsula, Altai Mountains, and Eastern Siberia. Industrial harvesting is conducted in the Altai region, where thickets exist. It is also found in the mountainous areas of Eastern Kazakhstan.

The root contains essential oil (15%), tannins (15%), vitamins C and PP, flavones, lactones, and organic acids (oxalic, malic, citric, gallic, etc.). The active compound is the glycoside salidroside, with phenol alcohol p-tyrosol as its aglycone.

The underground parts of the plant, known as «golden root,» have been used since ancient times as a remedy to enhance physical and mental performance. Studies confirm that golden root preparations significantly boost productivity and shorten recovery time after intense exertion. Regular use of golden root preparations for neuroses improves sleep and appetite, reduces irritability, and alleviates unpleasant sensations in the heart region.

Pharmacological research at the Tomsk Medical Institute revealed stimulating effects on the central nervous system. The preparation also has adaptogenic properties. A liquid extract of golden root is recommended at a dosage of 15–20 drops 2–3 times a day. Beneficial effects have also been observed in cases of hypotension and hearing loss. Recent studies equate the effects of golden root preparations to those of traditional stimulants and tonics like ginseng and eleutherococcus.

Golden root attracts attention with its lush, tender green stems and greenish-yellow inflorescences. The young rhizome is smooth, golden-green, with a metallic sheen, giving the plant its name. Mature rhizomes, several decades old, can weigh up to seven kilograms. The rhizome is highly sensitive to mechanical damage, often resulting in the plant’s death.

The extract of golden root has been shown to alleviate drowsiness, headaches, irritability, and unpleasant heart sensations. It has a positive effect on liver function, the thyroid gland, and adrenal glands. Treatment of hypertension typically leads to normalization of blood pressure.

In rhubarb, as in sorrel, the perianth is six-lobed. Rhubarb differs from sorrel by having nine stamens and a fruit that is a three-sided winged nut; the pericarp dries out. These are tall perennials (1–2 m) with a lush rosette of large basal leaves on long petioles and a tall, almost unbranched stem. Wild species of rhubarb are found in Central Asia, Siberia, and the Caucasus.

The roots are powerful and contain glycosides, anthraquinone derivatives, and tannins. Some Central Asian species are used as rich sources of tannin raw materials. Wavy rhubarb (Rheum undulatum L.), which grows in the steppes of Eastern Siberia, could be used as a laxative. However, the Pharmacopoeia allows only cultivated Tangut rhubarb.

In addition, various rhubarb species can serve as sources of chrysophanol, a valuable antimicrobial agent for treating certain skin diseases. The petioles of garden rhubarb leaves (Rheum rhaponticum) contain vitamin C as well as malic and oxalic acids and are used as food. For this purpose, currant rhubarb (Rheum ribes L.) from Transcaucasia is the most valuable due to its vitamin content and taste qualities.

FAMILY FAGACEAE — FAGACEAE

Monoecious trees with simple, alternate leaves; flowers are unisexual with an inconspicuous, simple perianth. Male flowers are grouped in catkins, while female flowers are clustered in groups, with an inferior ovary. The fruit is a nut (acorn) sitting in a hard cupule formed from fused bracts.

The family includes three genera: oak (Quercus), whose bark is used in scientific medicine; chestnut (Castanea), whose nuts are used as food; and beech (Fagus), from which beech tar and creosote (5%) were historically derived. Creosote is a mixture of polyphenols, the most important being guaiacol, which has bactericidal properties (formerly used in tuberculosis treatment); tar and creosote were also applied in skin disease treatments.

Tannins of the pyrogallol group are common, especially in the bark of trees. The highest concentration is found in pathological growths (galls) that frequently develop on the leaves and shoots of Quercus. Wood, leaves, and fruits contain smaller amounts of tannins. Among flavonoids, the glycoside quercitrin and its aglycone quercetin are the most frequently found. Seeds are rich in starch (Quercus, Castanea), while beech nuts contain about 40% fatty oil and a small amount of starch.

The tree grows to large sizes. The trunk is covered with dark gray bark marked by numerous longitudinal cracks; the trunks of young trees (up to 20 years) and thin branches of older ones are covered with smooth, shiny bark known as «mirror bark.» Leaves are dark green, leathery, oblong-obovate, with deeply lobed edges, and they fall in winter. The fruit is an acorn surrounded by a cupule; acorns sit on long peduncles.

Widely distributed in the middle zone of the European part of Russia in the forested area; it reaches as far north as Leningrad. It is one of the main tree species in the deciduous forest zone and the forest-steppe region, extending further south into the steppe, where it grows along rivers, ravines, and gullies. Its easternmost range reaches the Ural Mountains. It does not grow in Siberia. Oaks are significant for creating shelterbelts in the steppe zone.

In medicine, oak bark (Cortex Quercus) is used. Collection is allowed only in areas designated for logging by forestry authorities. In early spring, before the leaves appear, mirror bark is collected from young trees with trunk diameters of 10–20 cm (saplings). When mature trees are felled, bark is removed from young branches. The bark is collected in tubular or trough-shaped pieces up to 30 cm long and 2–3 mm thick. The outer surface is smooth, with transversely elongated lenticels, light brown, matte, or silvery shiny (mirror-like); the inner surface is yellowish-brown, with numerous longitudinal protruding ridges.

The bark contains 10–20% tannins of the pyrogallol group (only 2–4% in old bark), free ellagic and gallic acids, the flavonoid quercetin, and its glycoside quercitrin.

The Pharmacopoeia of the 10th edition requires that the bark contain at least 8% tannins.

It is used as a decoction in an astringent and anti-inflammatory capacity for rinsing the mouth and throat (10–20 g per 200 ml). Boil for 15–20 minutes. It is included in mouthwash collections in combination with linden flowers.

Winter oak (Quercus petraea Liebl., Q. sessiliflora Salisb.) is listed in the 10th edition of the Pharmacopoeia. It grows in the Black Sea region, the western Caucasus, and is cultivated in the European part of Russia.

In the wild, there are 19 species, with two species found in the Far East and several species occurring in Crimea. The Caucasus has a great diversity of oak species, some forming extensive forests in the North Caucasus and especially in Transcaucasia, though few have been studied.

A shrub 70–130 cm high, with numerous branched stems and a powerful root system 2–4 meters long. Leaves are alternate, simple, sometimes trifoliate, hairy on the underside, with glandular dots on both sides, sticky, rounded or oval, and coarsely toothed. Flowers are collected in sparse racemes, whitish-lilac in color. The pod is small (about 5 mm), almost round, one-seeded, non-dehiscent, nut-like, with a persistent calyx, and covered in grayish hairs. It blooms from April to August, and fruits are harvested from July to September.

A Central Asian plant forming extensive thickets on loess foothills and low mountains of the Tien Shan, Pamir-Alay, and mountainous Turkmenistan, in so-called ak-kuray semi-deserts.

Furocoumarins such as psoralen, isopsoralen, and others have been found in the fruits and roots. The fruits contain a small amount of essential oil, while its traces are present in the stems. Seeds and grass contain a steroid glycoside, drupacin; alkaloids have not been detected.

The drug psoralen, obtained from the fruits and roots, is used to treat white patches on the skin and alopecia areata. The preparation is a mixture of two isomeric furocoumarins: psoralen and isopsoralen. It is available in tablet form at 0.005 g, 0.01 g, and 0.02 g, as well as a 1% myrtle (70°) solution for external use.

After taking tablets 2–3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, white patches of skin or bald areas are smeared with the alcohol solution, and then, a few hours later, exposed to sunlight or a mercury-quartz lamp. The treatment course lasts about 3 months. The therapy is based on the photosensitizing properties of these furocoumarins.

A small perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is multi-headed, horizontal, shapeless, lumpy, often with short branches, cylindrical or tuberous, with numerous thin roots, hard and heavy. The outer color is dark brown; freshly dug rhizomes are light pink inside, but after drying, they become dark red or reddish-brown. Stems are erect or ascending, thin, and branching at the top. Stem leaves are sessile, trifoliate, with two large stipules, giving them the appearance of being five-lobed; the leaflets are lanceolate or oblong-wedge-shaped and coarsely serrated. Root leaves usually fall off by the time of flowering, are long-petioled, and divided into 3–5 lobes.

Flowers are solitary, borne on long, thin peduncles. Like other members of the genus, the calyx is double, but unlike other species in this genus, which have 5-merous flowers, here the flowers are 4-merous: there are 4 outer sepals alternating with 4 inner ones. The corolla is also 4-petaled, with golden-yellow petals that have red spots at the base. There are numerous stamens. The fruit is aggregate, consisting of numerous dry achenes seated on a slightly elevated receptacle.

Cinquefoil grows in sparse coniferous and mixed forests, on forest glades and edges, damp meadows along rivers, alder and willow shrubs, and damp meadows. In moist areas, larger rhizomes develop, but it also grows on dry meadows. It is widely distributed in the northwestern European part of Russia. In Western Siberia, its range is narrow, reaching as far as Tomsk, but it is not found further east.

The rhizomes of cinquefoil (Rhizoma Tormentillae) are used. Rhizomes are harvested in autumn, cleaned of thin adventitious roots, washed, and dried.

The rhizomes contain tannins (15–30%) of a mixed nature, with a predominance of condensed tannins and free polyphenols. Flavonoids have also been identified.

It is used as an astringent and bactericidal agent for gargles and compresses, and internally for intestinal catarrh and dysentery. A tincture is prepared with vodka (10:200) or a decoction: one tablespoon of coarsely crushed rhizome per glass of water, boiled for 20 minutes. Take one tablespoon 3–5 times a day.

Poplar species differ from willow species by having notched or fringed bracts. Buds are covered by several scales, and the number of stamens ranges from 3 to 30. The black poplar is a tall tree with thick bark, triangular-ovate to rhombic-ovate leaves. The buds are elongated-ovate, large, sticky, and fragrant. It grows in the southern regions of the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and is often cultivated in gardens.

In early spring, swelling but unopened poplar buds (Gemmae Populi) are collected. They contain resin, essential oil, glycosides such as salicin and populin (a benzoyl-salicin derivative), and tannins. They were used as a tincture for their anti-inflammatory properties and are included in the composition of Black Riga Balsam.

An extract in the form of an ointment was used for rubbing into joints to relieve pain. Experiments have demonstrated the bactericidal properties of the poplar bud tincture.

A perennial herbaceous plant with a thick, curved, obliquely growing rhizome, dark brown on the outside and brownish-pink on the inside. The stem, notable for its knotty structure and lack of branching, bears several large basal or lower leaves, 1–4 small stem leaves, and a large, dense, cylindrical spike-like inflorescence with pink flowers. It blooms in June and July.

It typically grows in clusters on floodplain wet meadows along rivers, waterlogged lake shores, wet shrubby meadows, and sparse spruce forests. It is found in the tundra, forest-tundra, and forest zones of the European part of Russia (thinning toward the northwest) and in Western Siberia. In Eastern Siberia and Central Asia, it is replaced by closely related species.

The rhizomes of Zmeyevik — Rhizoma Bistortae — are used. They are harvested in the fall or after flowering, when the plant is easier to locate; roots, stem remnants, leaves, and dying rhizome tips are removed, the rhizomes are cleaned of soil, quickly rinsed, and dried in ovens or drying chambers.

The rhizomes contain 15–25% mixed tannins, primarily of the pyrogallol group, with a smaller amount from the pyrocatechin group, as well as free gallic and ellagic acids. Starch is present as a ballast substance in significant amounts.

The pharmacopoeia also recognizes Polygonum carneum S. Koch, commonly known as red-meat snakeweed, which grows in the subalpine meadows of the Caucasus.

The rhizomes are used as an astringent. They are prescribed in the form of a decoction, tincture, or liquid extract for treating the mucous membranes of the mouth, gargling, and as an internal remedy for gastrointestinal disorders. They are included in stomach astringent herbal mixtures, in combination with alder cones, cinquefoil, burnet, or horse sorrel.

Decoction recipe: 20 g of rhizomes per 200 ml of water, boil for 20 minutes. Take 1 tablespoon 2–3 times a day, half an hour before meals.

ISTOD UZKOLISTNY, OR TONKOLISTNY — POLYGALA TENUIFOLIA WILLD.

Both species are low-growing perennials with short taproots (15–20 cm in length) and numerous low, slender stems. The stems of Polygala tenuifolia are glabrous, while those of Polygala sibirica are shortly appressed-pubescent. The leaves are sessile; in Polygala tenuifolia, they are linear, while in Polygala sibirica, they are broader and lanceolate. The flowers are blue and irregular.

They grow in steppes, on sandy meadows, in sparse pine forests on mountains, favoring southern rocky slopes. Polygala tenuifolia is found in the Altai region, in Eastern Siberia around Lake Baikal, and is particularly common in Transbaikalia. Polygala sibirica has a wider range, growing in Siberia and extending westward into the European part of Russia; it is also found in Ukraine, the Volga region, and the Caucasus.

The roots of Polygala — Radix Polygalae — are dug up in the fall, shaken free of soil, which easily falls off (there is no need to wash them with water), trimmed to remove the stems, and dried outdoors in the shade or sunlight. After drying, any remaining soil is removed by shaking the roots over sieves.

The roots of both species contain saponins. Polygala sibirica is richer in saponins, which are also present in its aerial herbaceous parts, unlike the aerial parts of Polygala tenuifolia, which do not contain saponins. Two sapogenins have been isolated from the roots of Polygala tenuifolia. Additionally, the roots contain a glycoside that releases methyl salicylate, fatty oil, and no starch.

The root of Polygala is used as a decoction for bronchitis as an expectorant. It serves as a substitute for imported American senega (Polygala senega L.). A decoction of 10:200 is prescribed with the addition of ammonium-anise drops, 1 tablespoon 4 times a day.

In the Caucasus mountains, the Anatolian istod — Polygala anatolica Boiss. et Heldr. — is found.