Рубрика: Wild Medicinal Plants

FAMILY FUMARIACEAE

The flowers are irregular with a spur and two stamens; they do not contain milky sap. The genera Corydalis and Fumaria are being studied for potential medical applications.

HOHLATKA — CORYDALIS

Perennial, low-growing herbaceous plants, often with tuberous roots. The leaves are doubly or triply divided. The structure of the flower is distinctive: the calyx is irregular with four petals; the upper petal extends into a long spur, the lower one expands into a lower lip, and there are only two stamens, each divided into three parts. The flowers are grouped into terminal racemes or heads, usually yellow or pink. The fruit is an elongated, pod-shaped capsule.

Corydalis species are numerous and distributed throughout the Union. All contain alkaloids.

Research has focused on species such as Corydalis ledebouriana Kar. et Kir., which grows in the Tian Shan mountains, and Corydalis severtzovii Rgi., found in Kazakhstan, among others. All have been found to contain protopine and other alkaloids typical of the poppy family, but the primary focus has been on the alkaloid sanguinarine. This compound was first isolated from the North American plant Sanguinaria canadensis L., also in the poppy family. Sanguinarine exhibits strong bactericidal properties and has shown activity in treating skin diseases, ulcers, purulent wounds, sinusitis, and purulent otitis media. Corydalis severtzovii tubers contain 1.8% total alkaloids and only 0.16% sanguinarine. However, the tubers are very small (1.5–4 cm in diameter), and the plant populations are limited. As such, these species cannot be considered a stable base for the industrial production of sanguinarine, leading to studies of other poppy family plants that might be cultivated.

It is also worth mentioning Corydalis sibirica (L.F.) Pers., an annual or biennial herbaceous plant found along roadsides, abandoned old roads, clearings, and burned areas in Eastern Siberia, mainly around Lake Baikal.

The flowers, like most Corydalis, are yellow or pale yellow. The fruit is an oblong capsule hanging horizontally. The seeds are black, shiny, and up to 1.5 mm in diameter. It blooms in May–June.

The aerial part of Corydalis sibirica contains up to 1.17% alkaloids, with maximum content during the budding, flowering, and fruiting stages. A total of 21 alkaloids have been identified. In addition to alkaloids, the plant contains tannins, carotenoids, coumarins, and phytoncides.

Lily of the valley is a perennial herbaceous plant with a thin, creeping, branched horizontal rhizome that facilitates vegetative reproduction. The plant develops two elliptical, entire, glabrous basal leaves, and a flower stalk emerges between them with a one-sided raceme of fragrant, white, nodding six-toothed flowers. The fruit is a red, fleshy berry. The plant is bitter and poisonous. It blooms in May–June. There are three species (or varieties), all with medicinal properties.

May Lily of the Valley — Convallaria majalis L.The perianth is shaped like a slightly cut bell, and berries rarely develop. It has the widest range, occurring in forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia up to the Southern Urals. It is almost absent in Siberia. The largest populations are found in spruce and mixed forests with grassy cover, in green moss areas, often alongside wintergreen, blueberry, and ferns. It thrives abundantly in areas of cleared spruce forests and among shrubs. Although it is present in damp pine forests, it is less abundant. In southern regions, especially in Bashkiria, it is common in deciduous forests. In the steppe zone, it occurs rarely and only in river valleys. May lily of the valley is harvested in the largest quantities compared to other species.

Caucasian Lily of the Valley — Convallaria transcaucasica Utk.This species has a perianth shaped like a widely open bell with slightly turned-back lobes. It grows in mountain forests, on the southern coast of Crimea, and in the western regions of the Caucasus. It is widely harvested.

Keiskei Lily of the Valley — Convallaria keiskei Miqu.This species has a bell-shaped perianth and is distinguished by very vigorous growth; berries develop abundantly. It grows in deciduous forests in the Far East, especially abundantly after logging and forest regeneration. In more northern areas, it is also found in spruce forests. It occupies all of Primorye and the Amur region, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands, extending westward into Dauria as far as Lake Baikal. It can be harvested industrially in the Far East.

Harvesting and Processing

Three types of raw materials are harvested:

1. Herba Convallariae: Leaves with inflorescences and separate leaves (inflorescences must make up at least 5%). Collection lasts for 25 days due to the extended flowering phase. After flowering, leaf activity decreases.
2. Folium Convallariae: Young leaves collected before flowering, when they are most active.
3. Flores Convallariae: Flowering stalks, cut short, or individual flowers. These are dried quickly in dryers at 50–60°C or in attics away from sunlight.

All parts of the plant contain cardiac glycosides — cardenolides.

Glycoside Composition

The accumulation of glycosides in lily of the valley varies by vegetative phase and plant parts. Leaf activity is highest before bud formation (333 LED), decreases during flowering (272 LED), and drops further after flowering (145 LED). Flowers yield 572–642 LED, mature fruits 362 LED, and rhizomes peak in activity in autumn (133 LED).

The total glycoside composition is complex. Paper chromatography has identified 8–11 glycosides in the leaves and flowers. The cardenolide profile of the three species is qualitatively similar but quantitatively different. The main cardiac glycoside is convallatoxin, a monoside that breaks down into the aglycone strophanthidin and the sugar rhamnose. Leaves contain about 50% convallatoxol, which splits into strophanthidol and rhamnose. Other glycosides include desglucocheirotoxin, convalloside (strophanthidin, rhamnose, and glucose), and trace amounts of additional compounds. A particularly interesting glycoside is locundjeside, whose aglycone has a hydroxyl group at position C11. Another glycoside, convallarin, belongs to the saponins and irritates the intestinal mucosa, causing a laxative effect, and stimulates the kidneys.

Medicinal Use:

A 1:10 tincture of Herba Convallariae in 70% alcohol is prescribed in doses of 15–20 drops. Young dried leaves are used to prepare a dry extract in powder or tablets (0.1 g each, taken 2–3 times daily). Korglikon, a solution of total glycosides from lily of the valley leaves, is produced in 1 ml ampoules containing 0.6 mg of korglikon. A 0.03% solution of convallatoxin glycoside is also available in 1 ml ampoules. Additional preparations, such as lily of the valley drops with valerian, are produced. The tincture is used as a cardiac remedy. Lily of the valley does not exhibit cumulative properties.

Colchicum speciosum is a perennial herbaceous plant with a peculiar development cycle. It blooms in late autumn (September–October). The following spring, leaves and fruits appear, and in summer (June–July), the fruits mature, dispersing seeds. The leaves wither, leaving no trace of the plant above ground.

In autumn, the development cycle repeats. This unique biology is explained by the structure of the underground part of the plant. Underground, the plant develops a biennial fleshy corm of stem origin, covered with dark-brown membranous sheaths. The corm is oval-ovoid, up to 5 cm in length, weighing about 40 g, white and solid in cross-section without layers (resembling a potato). On one side of the corm, there is a notch where a new shortened flower stalk develops by autumn; the lower internode of the underground stem swells and grows into a new corm, while the old one, having exhausted its nutrient reserves, dies. The new corm produces 1–3 large, beautiful purple-pink flowers above the ground. The perianth is simple, with fused tepals forming a long cylindrical tube, expanding at the top into a funnel-bell-shaped six-lobed limb. The corolla tube is 20–25 cm long, but only 8–10 cm protrudes above the ground; the rest remains underground, with the base containing a superior trilocular ovary with three long styles extending above ground to the level of the stamens’ anthers. After pollination, the flower wilts, and the ovary overwinters underground, gradually developing into a fruit. In spring, the upper internode elongates and produces a stem barely emerging above ground, bearing four long, broad-oblong green leaves. Subsequently, a fruit capsule emerges above ground, initially green and turning brown as it ripens. The capsule is elliptical, trilocular, with the upper edges of the carpels free and extending outward. Seeds are numerous. The entire plant is poisonous.

Colchicum speciosum forms dense thickets in the subalpine forest zone, occurring in forest glades and edges on mountain slopes in the Caucasus at altitudes of 1800–3000 m.

Another species, Colchicum liparochiadys Woron., with larger corms (7–10 cm long, weighing up to 100 g), grows in Transcaucasia.

Corms of Colchicum are collected as Tuber Colchici. They are harvested in autumn during flowering. Fresh corms are stored on racks in a layer 10–15 cm thick in a cool place, with a shelf life of 3 months. The raw material is processed to extract alkaloids.

The corms contain alkaloids. The composition of the alkaloid mixture has been studied. Its basis is a tropolone ring. In addition to the well-known alkaloid colchicine, found in the Western European species Colchicum autumnale L., a new alkaloid, colchamin, has been isolated. Structurally, it differs from colchicine by having a methyl group instead of an acetyl group at the nitrogen atom. Both alkaloids have structures featuring one six-membered and two seven-membered rings. Other accompanying alkaloids are not of practical significance. Both alkaloids exhibit antitumor activity, but colchamin is significantly less toxic and therefore more suitable for medical use.

A 0.5% colchamin-containing ointment is used for skin cancer treatment, with a treatment course lasting 18–25 days. The ointment is toxic, requiring caution to avoid contact with mucous membranes. Treatment is conducted under medical supervision. For esophageal cancer, colchamin tablets are prescribed alongside sarcolysin and other substances. Previously, tinctures from the corms and seeds of the Western European Colchicum autumnale L. were used as local irritants for gout treatment. Colchicine and colchamin are also used in agricultural experiments to produce polyploid plant forms.

Colchicine has been found in other species of Colchicum and related genera of the Liliaceae family, such as Merendera and Gloriosa.

A tall perennial herbaceous plant with a thick creeping rhizome; the upper side of the rhizome retains protruding remnants of stems with broken pith, and numerous long, thin roots extend downward. The lower leaves are large, on long petioles, and are many times pinnately divided; the upper stem leaves are small and sessile. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, white, and are grouped in a large terminal panicle. It flowers in July–August. It grows in Transbaikalia and the Primorye region, along forest edges and open areas. The rhizomes with roots of Cimicifuga are collected — Rhizoma cum radicibus Cimicifugae.

Chemical Composition:
The rhizomes are poorly studied chemically. Glycosides, coumarins, and resins have been found. The tincture of the rhizome and roots of Cimicifuga has hypotensive and sedative properties, and it also reduces pain sensitivity. It is used to lower blood pressure, as a sedative, and to normalize sleep.

Use:
The tincture (1:5 on 70% alcohol) is taken as a hypotensive and calming agent in the early stages of hypertension. The recommended dosage is 50–60 drops, 2–3 times a day.

FAMILY-CYPERACEAE

The embryo has one cotyledon; flowers are typically trimerous, unisexual, or lack an envelope; the leaves are simple with parallel or arcuate venation. These are usually herbaceous plants; perennials have rhizomes, bulbs, or tuberous bulbs, while annuals have fibrous roots. Woody stems are found in agaves and members of the lily family; true trees are palms. There is no cambium in monocotyledons. Chemical compounds are responsible for certain characteristic properties of monocotyledons.

Mineral substances: In grasses and sedges, cell walls are often incrusted with silicic acid. Calcium oxalate is common in other families; the characteristic form of oxalate is in the form of bundles of raphides, enclosed in mucilage-filled cells (raphides are rare in dicotyledons), and other forms may also be present.

Saponins, predominantly steroid saponins, are frequently found. Polysaccharides, apart from starch, often accumulate in the form of fructans, mannans, or mucilage. Essential oils are rare, and if present in vegetative organs, they are found in individual cells (there are no glands); fragrant flowers contain traces of essential oils (in the epidermis). Alkaloids are frequently encountered. Polyphenols are found as flavonoids, and sometimes tannins from the pyrocatechol group; tannin is absent. Industrial tannins are unknown among monocotyledons. Rubber and resins are almost nonexistent.

As in grasses, the epidermis of leaves and stems is impregnated with silicic acid to a greater or lesser degree. Most species in this family are fodder plants with no medicinal significance. Essential oil has only been found in the rhizomes of some species (used in Arabic medicine); alkaloids are generally absent and have only been found in Carex brevicollis, which has been incorporated into medical practice.

Description of the plant:
A perennial herbaceous plant reaching 30–45 cm in height, with densely branched rhizomes and flattened, three-angled stems, growing in tufts. At the base, the stems are covered with brown sheaths, split into fibers. The leaves are long, linear, with three prominent veins, curled downward at the edges, glabrous. The stem bears 2–3 separate unisexual spikes in the axils of bracteal leaves with a developed blade. The pistillate flowers, lacking an envelope, are surrounded by a modified bract (a «sac») of reverse-ovoid or broadly elliptical shape, 5 mm long, membranous, yellow-green, almost glabrous, quickly transitioning into a wide, short, spread, two-toothed, rusty-tipped apex. The ovary has a style with three stigmas. The fruit is an achene. It fruits in May.

Habitat:
It grows in the European part of the region between the Dniester and Dnieper rivers and in the Caucasus, in meadows and light forests up to the subalpine zone.

Chemical composition and properties:
In Carex brevicollis and a closely related species Carex michelii Host., alkaloids have been found. In the first species, there is 0.8% in the leaves and up to 0.5% in the roots. The main alkaloid is brevicollin, an indole derivative; in the leaves, it constitutes 95% of the total alkaloids, whereas in the roots, it is only 50%. The plant is toxic to livestock and can cause abortion.

Medicinal use:
From Carex brevicollis, brevicollin hydrochloride — Brevicollini hydrochloridum — is obtained. Pharmacologically, it is similar to ergot preparations, i.e., it increases the contractile activity of the uterus. It is administered orally as a 3% solution in 20% alcohol, 30 drops. It is also injected intramuscularly, 2–4 ml of a 1% solution.

FAMILY-BETULACEAE

Monoecious trees and shrubs with separate-sexed inflorescences, with simple alternate petiolate leaves. The flowers have a simple reduced perianth or are without one, the ovary is inferior and bi-chambered. The plants are wind-pollinated. They bloom in early spring before or at the start of leaf opening. The staminate flowers are gathered in long catkins in the axils of scales, which are easily swayed by the wind, dispersing pollen, and are located on pedicels at the tips of the branches. The pistillate flowers, covered with scales, are collected in short spikes.

Tannins are present in significant or lesser amounts in the bark, leaves, and sometimes in the fruits (Alnus); flavones are found in the leaves; almost all species contain derivatives of quercetin, and often of kaempferol and myricetin. Calcium oxalate is often present in the form of druses and solitary crystals. Sometimes there are a small amount of saponins; essential oils are found in the epidermal glands on the leaves and buds of some genera. In the seeds, there is fat oil; nuts, rich in fat oil and aleurone, are found in the genus Corylus.

The medicinal importance is primarily in the genera Betula and Alnus. The bracts of the hazelnut tree (Corylus avellana) are studied and used in medicine as an astringent.

The buds and leaves of birch species from the Alba section — trees with white bark, which owes its color to betulin (25%), a resin-like substance — are collected. Dark parts of the bark contain tannins. These plants grow throughout the forest zone. Most commonly used is Betula pendula Roth. (Betula verrucosa Ehrh.), whose branches are warty, and the leaves are rhombic or heart-shaped, with double-serrate edges, glabrous.

Birch leaf buds — Gemmae Betulae, which are set in autumn, are harvested early in spring during sap flow, as they begin to swell but before they open and the scales separate; earlier collection (starting from February) is also acceptable. Branches are cut in forest clearings to collect catkins, and simultaneously, buds are taken from them. The branches with buds are dried for a long period in cold conditions, as the buds will open in warmth. After drying, the buds are stripped or twisted off the branches and cleaned from the catkins. Birch leaves — Folium Betulae — are collected in May during flowering, when they are covered with essential oil glands, aromatic and sticky.

Birch buds yield 3.5-8% essential oil when distilled with steam. This is a thick yellow liquid with a pleasant balsamic smell. The oil contains the bicyclic sesquiterpene alcohol betulol (40-47% free and 30-45% bound as an ester with acetic acid) and other substances.

From the leaves of birch, 0.05% brown essential oil is obtained, containing sesquiterpenes. Additionally, both buds and leaves contain vitamin C, saponins, flavonoids, and resin. The buds and leaves also contain antibiotic substances with strong bactericidal properties.

The buds are used in the form of infusions as a diuretic and choleretic for treating cholecystitis.

The buds are brewed like tea. Take 1 teaspoon of buds per ½ cup of boiling water, and consume in 3 doses throughout the day.

For external use in cases of bedsores, a 90% alcohol tincture of buds is used at a ratio of 1:5. Additionally, birch sap, rich in vitamins, is consumed in the spring.

Birch tar — Pix liquida Betulae — is obtained by dry distillation of wood. The tar is a thick dark brown liquid, translucent in thin layers, with a characteristic odor, and contains phenols and resins. Birch tar has strong disinfectant properties and is used as an external remedy, especially in ointments for scabies (Wilkinson’s ointment), and for treating wounds (it is an ingredient in Vishnevsky’s ointment).

Charcoal — Carbo — has a porous structure, and it easily absorbs liquids, gases, and pigments. Its absorbent capacity is enhanced by treatment with steam at high temperatures. The resulting product is called activated charcoal — Carbo activatus. In medicine, charcoal is used in powder or tablet form, under the name Carbolen, to treat excessive gas formation in the gastrointestinal tract.

FAMILY SAXIFRAGACEAE BADAN CRASSIFOLIA — BERGENIA CRASSIFOLIA FRITSCH

A low-growing perennial herb with a strong horizontal branching cylindrical rhizome, which reaches a considerable length, yellow-brown on the outside and light-brown on the inside. The leaves are all basal, gathered in a dense rosette, large (up to 35 cm), broadly elliptical, with long, wide petioles, evergreen, leathery (slightly crenate edges), dark green, shiny, with dotted glands on the underside (visible under a magnifying glass). The floral scapes are thick and tall, carrying a large, spreading, complex inflorescence in the form of a short, dense panicle, with branches ending in coils. The flowers are lilac-pink, with a five-lobed calyx, fused at the base; five petals, ten stamens; the ovary is semi-inferior and bi-chambered; the fruit is a capsule.

The distribution area of Bergenia is very limited. It grows in Siberia, in the mountain coniferous taiga (forests dominated by fir and spruce), on rocks and rocky slopes (in the Altai, Sayan Mountains, around Lake Baikal, on the Yablonovy Ridge, and extends to the Olekma River).

The rhizomes of Bergenia (Rhizoma Bergeniae) are harvested in the autumn. The rhizomes are easily pulled from the soil by hand. They are cleaned from dirt and small roots, washed with water, cut into long pieces, and dried. A limited amount of leaves are also collected.

The rhizome contains 15-28% tannins, mainly belonging to the pyrogallol group, and free polyphenols. The glucoside bergenin, in the form of colorless crystals, has been isolated, which belongs to the isoquinoline derivative group. The ballast substances include a large amount of starch and sugars.

The leaves are also rich in tannins and additionally contain the glucoside arbutin (10-20%) and free hydroquinone (2-4%) (methyl arbutin is absent). It can be used similarly to bearberry.

The rhizome is used in the form of a decoction (6:200, boiled for 20 minutes, taken 1 tablespoon) or liquid extract (15 drops before meals) as an astringent for gastrointestinal diseases and in gynecology for douching: 1 tablespoon of extract in 1 liter of water.

Bergenia preparations have hemostatic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. They are used for gastrointestinal diseases and externally for gargling in cases of stomatitis and gingivitis.

Folk medicine recommends Bergenia infusion for treating throat conditions and headaches.

Shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants with alternate leaves; flowers are regular with double perianths. The ovary is superior. The fruit is a berry or capsule.Many representatives of this family contain alkaloids, particularly berberine in the vegetative parts; berberine is obtained in the form of yellow crystals. Other alkaloids, such as oxyacanthine and others of the isoquinoline type, are also present. The fruits do not contain alkaloids but are rich in organic acids and sugars. The leaves often contain caffeic and ferulic acids; they have almost no tannins, glycosides, saponins, or essential oils.

Berberine and related alkaloids (e.g., palmatine) are also found in some other families, such as in the bark of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. (family Rutaceae), native to the Primorsky Krai, and in Thalictrum flavum (family Ranunculaceae).

BARBARY — BERBERIS

Barberry consists of branched shrubs with a robust root system. The wood is yellow. The branches are armed with three-part spines up to 2 cm long, in the axils of which sit short shoots with clusters of leaves. The leaves are obovate, with a serrated edge, narrowing into a short petiole. The inflorescences are drooping racemes. Flowers comprise 6–9 yellow sepals, 6 yellow petals, and 6 stamens. The berries are oval, very sour, with 2–3 elongated seeds. Berberine or related alkaloids are found in all species of this genus.

The leaves, bark, and roots of two species are used: Berberis amurensis Rupr. and Berberis vulgaris L..

These species differ in their leaves and petals. The leaves of Berberis vulgaris are up to 4 cm long, with entire petals. In contrast, the leaves of Berberis amurensis are significantly larger, up to 6.5 cm long, with thorny serrated edges and notched petal tips. The berries of both species are bright red, while some Central Asian species have black berries.

Berberis vulgaris grows in the European part of Russia and is widely cultivated, while Berberis amurensis is found along forest edges, cliffs, and mountain stream banks in Primorsky Krai.

Leaves are harvested from both species after flowering, trimming the short branches with scissors to avoid injury from the thorns. After fruiting in autumn, the entire shrub is cut, the roots are dug up, washed, chopped into pieces, and dried in sheds. The roots are brown on the outside and lemon-yellow inside.

All parts of both barberry species (except the berries) contain yellow berberine and several accompanying alkaloids. The roots and root bark are especially rich in berberine. Berberine exhibits cholagogue (bile-stimulating) properties, enhances uterine contractions, and lowers blood pressure. Other barberry species with higher berberine content are being studied.

The medicinal raw material includes barberry leaves collected after flowering. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids. The presence of essential oils and tannins has also been confirmed. Of the alkaloids, only berberine is currently used in medicine. It helps lower blood pressure and has hemostatic properties.

Barberry preparations are used as cholagogues.

Barberry tincture is prescribed as a uterotonic at 30 drops, 3 times a day. As a cholagogue, berberine sulfate is prescribed in tablet form at 0.005–0.01 g, 3 times a day before meals. Barberry bark is also part of “Cholelitin.” In Central Asia and India, barberry is used to treat leishmaniasis.

A perennial plant with a taproot and a short stem; the entire plant is densely covered with white, woolly hairs. Leaves are 12–20 cm long, pinnately compound, on short petioles, with large triangular-lanceolate, needle-pointed, white, membranous stipules. Each leaf has 12–14 pairs of small, oblong-elliptical leaflets that are gray-green and densely covered with whitish hairs on both sides.

The flowers, 10–20 per dense capitate raceme, have peduncles shorter than the leaves. The flowers are yellow with a bell-shaped calyx that has five needle-like teeth and is woolly. The entire corolla is hairy, including the keel (a distinguishing feature from similar species). There are 9 fused stamens and one free stamen. The pod is hard, leathery, oval with a beak, grooved on the back, woolly, indehiscent, and not fully two-chambered. The seeds are flat, triangular, and yellow-green.

This is a steppe plant found in southern Ukraine, Moldova, and the North Caucasus region. The flowering herb, Herba Astragali dasyanthi, is harvested. The raw material has a slightly sweet taste in the flowers and stems, while the leaves are distinctly sweet.

The herb contains glycyrrhizin, the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, and trace elements. A water infusion is used for hypertension with symptoms of angina pectoris, as well as for acute and chronic nephritis. The infusion (10 g in 100 ml of water) is brewed like tea and taken 1–2 tablespoons 3–4 times a day.

The closely related species Astragalus glycyphyllus L. (sweet-leaved milk vetch), found in the European part of the region, has also been studied. It contains glycyrrhizin and exhibits hypotensive and diuretic effects.

The herbaceous plants of the large Astragalus genus remain poorly studied, suggesting potential for discovering promising species. Research has mainly focused on the shrub subgroup Tragacantha, which produces gum. This subgroup includes species like the densely branched Astragalus.