What parts of medicinal plants are used in medicine. Medicinal plants: properties, uses and contraindications. Chemical composition of medicinal plants

The section describes medicinal plants - their places of growth and healing properties, rules for collection and storage. You will learn about how to take care of these plants, what role they play in human life. Below is a list by name in alphabetical order of the main medicinal plants from the point of view of medicinal use with detailed descriptions, pictures and recommendations for use for the treatment of various diseases.

Medicinal plants- a wide group of plants used in medicinal and veterinary practice at various kinds diseases for therapeutic or preventive purposes. The medicinal properties of medicinal plants are due to the presence of certain chemical compounds in them - the so-called active ingredients.

Medicinal plants are used in the form of collections, or teas, powders, etc., or after processing (see, Dosage forms). Special groups medicines prepared from medicinal plants at chemical-pharmaceutical plants consist of products of their primary processing (fatty and essential oils, resins, etc.), pure (without admixture of ballast substances) amounts of active substances, individual chemical compounds and their combinations. The active substances are distributed unevenly in medicinal plants. Usually only those parts of the plant where it accumulates are used. maximum amount active substances. The composition and amount of active substances in medicinal plants changes throughout the year, with the age of the plant and depending on the conditions of its habitat, temperature, light, air, soil conditions, etc. Many medicinal plants are of only historical interest, since they are currently used in medicine are not used.

List of the most important wild and cultivated medicinal plants

Nomenclature of medicinal plants approved for use in medical practice, contains about 160 titles. Preparations or raw materials of 103 of these plants are described in the tenth edition of the State USSR (GPC). Requests for raw materials of medicinal plants are approximately half in terms of tonnage and about 75% in terms of nomenclature are satisfied through the collection of wild plants, and the rest - through cultivated medicinal plants.

A morphological description of annual medicinal plants introduced into the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR is also given, the content of biologically active substances in them is given, the viability of plants in new conditions is described and some issues of agricultural cultivation technology are considered.

IN Lately interest in herbal medicine increased, which in turn increased the number of collectors. However, it is impossible to use medicinal plants without knowing their properties and chemical composition. Many medicinal plants, their distribution and use are described in popular publications. Chemical composition, methods for obtaining certain biologically active substances from plants are discussed in scientific works. Despite the seemingly abundance of well-known medicinal herbs, new ones are being discovered that are undergoing initial testing in botanical gardens and experimental stations. Botanical gardens located in different climatic zones globe, have collections of certain medicinal plants for study biological features, medicinal properties and methods of growing these herbs. Thanks to this, more and more new types of medicinal plants are being introduced into the industry. Seeds are the main material for exchange with other botanical gardens and other organizations. Similar work is being carried out in the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR.

The section provides some information about annual medicinal plants grown in the experimental plot, and provides data on some long-known plants, but for some reason forgotten. Most plants synthesize useful material in the above-ground mass - in the grass (chamomile, string, snakehead, fumes), in many species the seeds are valuable (coriander, anise, datura, flax, poppy, large plantain, etc.). In some plants medicinal properties flowers have (calendula officinalis, blue cornflower, etc.).

Our long-term research shows that many introduced plants do not change their chemical composition, and often the quantitative content of active substances is not inferior to that of wild plants. The study of the chemical composition of medicinal plants was carried out jointly with the laboratory of the Institute of Physiology and Experimental Pathology of the High Mountains and the laboratory of natural compounds of the Organic Institute.

All plants are divided into two groups: 1) introduced into scientific medicine and included in pharmacopoeias Soviet Union; 2) used in folk medicine.

Medicinal plants - types plant organisms, used for the manufacture of medicinal and prophylactic drugs, which are used in medical and veterinary practice. Vegetable medicines make up over 30% of all drugs circulating on the world market. In the USSR, about 40% of used medical supplies made from plants.

About 2,500 plant species from the flora of the USSR, including those used in folk medicine, have medicinal value.

The diversity of soil and climatic conditions of the USSR allows the introduction on its territory of numerous species of foreign medicinal plants of the cold, temperate and subtropical zones.

More than 600 plant species can be used as raw materials for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, in the pharmacy chain and for export. Of this amount, not counting minor medicinal plants, only about 200 species belonging to 70 families are practically used in medicine (mainly the families Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Legumes, Lamiaceae, Umbelliferae, Solanaceae, Buckwheat, Cruciferous, Ranunculaceae). About 70% of the medicinal plants used are used in herbal production, the remaining types are used in pharmacies, homeopathy and are exported.

When procuring wild and cultivated medicinal plants, they are usually collected individual organs or parts of a plant.

The collection of medicinal plant materials is carried out at certain times - during periods of maximum accumulation of active substances. The collected raw materials are usually dried.

In the USSR, a comprehensive study of medicinal plants already known in medicine is being carried out (identifying their reserves, introducing them into cultivation, increasing productivity and finding ways to reduce the cost of raw materials, establishing best timing collection, drying and storage conditions for raw materials, preparation of new drugs and dosage forms).

A search is underway for new and cheaper sources of plant raw materials to replace already known imported or scarce ones. medicinal drugs, as well as medicinal plants with new pharmacological and therapeutic effect(study of their chemical composition, pharmacological activity And therapeutic value, development of technology for the production of drugs and their manufacture).

New medicinal plants and physiologically active substances plant origin identified through a complete or selective chemical and pharmacological study of the flora of certain regions of the USSR. At the same time, information about the use of certain medicinal plants in folk medicine is taken into account.

In targeted searches for a specific compound, species and genera that are phylogenetically close to the plant from which this compound was previously isolated are studied first.

Thus, to date, over 6,000 plant species have been previously studied for the content of alkaloids; essential oils- over 4000, for the presence of glycosides cardiac action About 2000 have been studied, saponins - about 3000, flavonoids - about 1000, coumarins - about 1000 species.

As a result, a large number of individual chemical substances and many new therapeutic drugs have been created on their basis.

Medicinal plants include plants that are used to obtain drugs used in medicine for medicinal and for preventive purposes. Plants in this group contain substances that have medicinal properties. As a rule, they are concentrated in separate parts and tissues of a particular plant. Therefore, it is necessary to know which parts of medicinal plants should be used for treatment or prevention, as well as to know the medicinal properties of medicinal plants.

Classification of medicinal plants

These plants can be classified according to many characteristics, such as area of application, effectiveness, distribution areas. Let us first consider the classification of medicinal plants according to the parts used:

Solid - these include fruits, roots, seeds, shoots, and bark;
The soft parts of the plant are the inflorescences of herbs, flowers, leaves, buds and, strictly speaking, the herbs themselves.

Also great value have components that are included in the physical and chemical composition of the plant, because they determine the main medicinal properties and methods of preparing the medicine:

Plant slimes are used as coating agent. They create a protective film for gastrointestinal tract, bronchi and others respiratory tract. Products are prepared from slimy plants for 2-3 hours, soaking them in cold water.
Bitterness increases the secretion of the gastrointestinal tract, as a result, stimulates appetite and helps digest food. Bitters tend to dissolve in alcohol, ordinary water and other organic solvents.
Pectin substances are best preserved in the form of a decoction, which must be kept warm for a little less than an hour. This decoction will have an adsorbent and anti-inflammatory effect.
Against inflammation of mucous membranes oral cavity Tannins will help. Also used for alcohol poisoning or poisoning with heavy metal salts. The resulting decoction of plants with tannins Strain immediately while hot, which preserves all medicinal properties.
The infusion of plants with essential oils is filtered only after complete cooling and is used as a diuretic, choleretic, bactericidal, and anti-inflammatory agent.

Where to find miracle plants? The Internet offers many recipes for traditional medicine, but very often the preparation of dosage forms requires plants that are either very rare or do not grow near the place where you live. Therefore, we will consider the most popular and accessible medicinal plants for everyone, which can be easily found in the country, in the yard or in nature.

We offer you a list of the most common medicinal plants:

Silver acacia;
Aloe arborescens;
Birch warty;
White willow;
Walnut;
Ginseng;
Wild strawberry;
Blooming Sally;
Calendula;
Horse chestnut;
Norway maple;
Stinging nettle;
Burdock;
Coltsfoot;
Melissa officinalis;
Peppermint;
Nightshade black;
Male fern;
Curly parsley;
Annual sunflower;
Mountain ash;
Common lilac;
Scots pine;
Black poplar;
Dill;
Horsetail;
Garlic;
Mulberry black;
Horse sorrel.

Common rose hip

Parts used: fruits, roots, leaves.

Properties: concentration of numerous vitamins, choleretic, astringent, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, laxative.

Dosage forms: extracts, tablets, oils and decoctions.

At urolithiasis, in case of illness digestive tract and liver prepare an infusion: necessary for 3 tbsp. spoons of berries 1 liter of boiling water, after cooking, drink three times a day, preferably half a glass regularly. A miraculous decoction is prepared from 2 tablespoons of rose hip root in 350 ml of water, boiled for a quarter of an hour, and then infused. We recommend drinking one glass 3 times a day regularly during the week.

For stomach upset, 1 tbsp. A spoonful of rosehip leaves is poured into a glass of boiling water and left for 10 minutes. Use throughout the day as needed.

A choleretic agent is a decoction of berries: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of berries in two cups of boiling water, boil over medium heat for 10 minutes, and then leave for a whole day and strain. Drink half a glass before each meal.

Black mulberry

Parts used: roots (early spring), leaves and bark (during flowering), fruits.

Properties: stimulation of blood circulation, blood purifying, mild laxative, anti-inflammatory properties.

Dosage forms: infusion, decoction, ointment.

For hypertension, bronchial disease, for example, bronchial asthma prepare an infusion: pour 200 ml of boiling water 18 g of crushed ripe berries, leave for 4 hours and filter. Drink approximately 50 ml before meals.

For heart disease and diabetes, you need to eat a glass of fruits a day.

An infusion of leaves is an excellent antipyretic. You need 1 tbsp. Pour 300 ml of boiling water over a spoonful of mulberry leaves, leave and strain. After preparation, drink a glass a day.

For bruises, ointment is used. Bark powder in the amount of 2 tablespoons must be poured with vegetable oil (1.5 cups). Lubricate bruises, cuts, wounds.

Mountain ash

Parts used: fruits, young branches, flowers.

Properties: laxative, hemostatic, choleretic, diuretic.

Dosage forms: infusion, decoction, tea, gruel.

For hepatitis, kidney and bladder stones, hemorrhoids, an infusion is recommended: 15 g of rowan fruit per 200 ml of boiling water. Take one spoon 3 times a day. Or you can make an infusion of 2 tbsp. spoons of rowan flowers, brewing them in 400 ml of boiling water. After boiling for 5 minutes, strain and take regularly 200 ml per day 4 times.

To fight with hypertension and atherosclerosis, useful Fresh Juice and rowan fruits. For prevention, 50 ml of juice should be drunk three times a day.

For urolithiasis, take a little gruel throughout the day, which is prepared from 500 g of rowan, ground with 50 g of sugar.

Walnut

Parts used: leaves, as well as fruits of different ripeness.

Properties: normalizes gastric secretion, reduces arterial pressure, strengthens muscles; tonic, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, choleretic and anthelmintic.

Dosage forms: infusion, decoction.

For fast healing For wounds, lotions with a decoction of leaves are used. And for gargling, an infusion is made: infuse 1 tbsp for 30 minutes. spoon of crushed leaves, poured a glass of boiling water, then strain. Children can be given 1 teaspoon of the tincture three times a day. This remedy is also effective in the treatment of scrofula and rickets.

In the treatment of stomach ulcers (gastritis) and duodenum nut shells infused with alcohol are recommended.

For ulcers and diarrhea, an infusion of young nuts of milky ripeness is effective. For 15 days at a temperature of 20-25 degrees, 30 nuts per 1 liter of 70º alcohol are infused. Then, after straining, we advise you to take one teaspoon at a time.

Horse sorrel

Parts used: root, leaves, seeds.

Properties: anthelmintic, choleretic, laxative.

Dosage forms: decoction, powder, infusion, ointment.

When treating burns, ulcers, scabies, wounds, crushed leaves are applied carefully to small wounds, skin ulcers, and so on. The leaves contain a lot oxalic acid, which is contraindicated for people with diseases urinary tract and renal failure.

For stomach upsets, take 1/3 cup of the decoction three times before meals a day. The decoction is boiled for 1 hour from 1 tbsp. spoons of crushed root and herbs in 1500 ml of water.

Powder from the roots of sorrel acts as a fixative in small doses, and in large doses it has a laxative effect. The powder is made from dry root and taken 0.25 g three times a day as a fixative or 0.5 g twice a day as a laxative.

For skin diseases, use crushed sorrel root along with sour milk.

A tincture helps with hypertension: one part of the roots to 4 parts of alcohol (40%). Take the tincture three times a day, 10 ml.

Horsetail

Parts used: grass.

Properties: bactericidal, diuretic, restorative, expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Dosage forms: infusion, decoction.

For inflammation Bladder and hemorrhoidal bleeding, for atherosclerosis and diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and liver, its preparations are used.

The infusion is very easy to prepare: 1 tbsp. We recommend pouring a spoonful of chopped herbs into 1 cup of boiling water and steeping thoroughly for 30 minutes. We recommend drinking ¼ glass three times a day. It is used externally for compresses for skin diseases, as well as against baldness.

Rinse your mouth with a decoction: 1 tbsp. spoon of herb per glass ordinary water, boil the broth for about half an hour.

An infusion is prepared for rinsing and compresses. Horsetail herb is infused for 24 hours, usually 50 g of herb per 600 ml boiled water, but cold.

Great celandine

Parts used: grass, roots, fresh juice.

Properties: laxative, diuretic; antispasmodic property.

Dosage forms: infusion, decoction, juice.

Infusions of celandine have a choleretic effect; ½ teaspoon of crushed leaves and roots of celandine is poured into a glass of boiling water, infused and filtered. Take half a glass a day three times.

A special collection is used for liver disease and frequent constipation: ½ tbsp. tablespoons of celandine grass and roots, horsetail leaves, hawthorn flowers and chamomile grass, add one tablespoon each of mint, rue grass, buckthorn bark and butterbur leaves, 1 tbsp. A spoonful of the resulting mixture is immediately poured with 200 ml of boiling water and allowed to brew for 20 minutes. Drink half a glass early in the morning and after dinner in the evening.

For rinsing, use the infusion, pouring 2 tbsp. spoons of celandine 200 ml of boiling water.

Let's summarize:

Nature is a real healer, because it is in nature that you can find healing herbs that will help overcome the disease. Medicinal plants have wide range applications in folk practice, and sometimes dosage forms made from natural materials can compete even with some artificial medicines.

First of all, when making a product according to a recipe, you need to understand what properties it should have, and depending on this, add certain ingredients after studying the properties. We also recommend that you strictly follow the recipe instructions, because the goal of all remedies is to preserve the most important value in life - health.

A huge number of recipes for products that contain many plants unknown to you. It is enough to use proven simple recipes dosage forms that are prepared using one or two plants. For example, for the above recipes, you can easily find plants in your country garden, in your vegetable garden, in your yard or in nature.

Love and take care of nature! In return you will have strong body on long years!

Medicinal plants on your site - video

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A large group of plants, parts of which serve as raw materials for obtaining medicine. These include those in which at least one of the parts contains a medicinal agent.

Medicinal plants are used in folk and traditional medicine for preventive and therapeutic purposes.

There is a misconception that medicinal plants are used exclusively in folk medicine, but if you look at the composition of any of the drugs, most of them contain natural ingredients. Today, there are more than 350 thousand species of plants recognized as medicinal.

Use of medicinal herbs

A medicinal plant must contain one or more useful substances, but it is not always distributed evenly in the crop itself. You need to know which part of the plant is used for treatment and why it is useful. Also, a number of herbs have beneficial properties only during a certain period, for example during the flowering period, or even before flowering the leaves need to be collected and dried.

Herbs are used as raw materials for the manufacture of preparations for internal and external use.

For internal use prepare decoctions, infusions, tinctures based on essential oils and alcohol. The plant is used both fresh and dry.

For external treatment prepare ointments, tinctures, compresses, and various herbal baths.

Some herbs are used as seasonings in cooking, in salads, and eaten raw. All this brings beneficial effect for the body.

In medicine, juice from freshly squeezed leaves and stems is often used.

Depending on the variety, all parts of the plant or some (seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers) can be useful.

Classification of medicinal plants

Medicinal plants classified into 3 main groups.

Official medicinal plants are varieties that are allowed in the country for the preparation of medicines.

Pharmacopoeial - officially permitted, but subject to special requirements.

Traditional medicine plants - types of plants, therapeutic effects which are not officially confirmed at the country level, or the species are poorly studied by science. But this does not mean that the plant does not have medicinal properties, perhaps it has been officially confirmed in another country. IN this group includes the largest number of species and requires individual approach in each individual case.

Chemical composition of medicinal plants

The composition of various herbs includes a number of certain beneficial substances that are extremely necessary for human body. For positive effect, the plant must contain biologically active substances.

Important active nutrients:

A separate group occupied by vitamins: C ( ascorbic acid), group of vitamins B (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12), vitamin D, A, E.

Collection and procurement of raw materials

For a positive effect, you need to know when and how to collect herbs for further drying and harvesting. It is necessary to collect only healthy plants during the period of active ripening. Young undeveloped species are ineffective, like old ones due to large quantity fibers. Great importance there is a gathering place. Choose the most environmentally friendly areas, do not collect flowers along railways and highways, near megacities and large enterprises. Choose wild herbs along forests and river banks. Plants that grow in the wild and not those grown in botanical gardens are considered medicinal.

Basic rules for harvesting herbs:

Pick ripe, healthy grass without roots.
Pick only part of the leaves from one plant, otherwise this will lead to its death.
Cut roots only from chopped trees and bushes.
Each medicinal plant has its own collection period and specific parts.
The buds are collected during their ripening period in early spring, as soon as they begin to swell, before growth begins.
The bark is cut off in the spring during the period of sap movement.
Flowers and leaves are plucked during the period of active flowering.
Seeds and fruits are collected in the fall after the crop ripens.
The roots are cut off in late autumn, when the plant enters its dormant period.

When collecting, be sure to use gloves and be careful not to get sap or pollen in your eyes. open areas skin and mucous membrane.

Drying is carried out in a well-ventilated and dry room, protecting from direct contact sun rays. You will find details about harvesting and drying in the articles for a certain type plants.

Probably, medicinal plants began to enter into human use as soon as he satisfied his hunger at least a little. I immediately felt a desire to live longer and not suffer from illness. Having learned to recognize useful plants for themselves, gained knowledge by observing animals and neighboring tribes, as well as experience - by trial and error, part of the population, who know what winter is like first-hand, became concerned with the problem of how to preserve not only food, but also medicinal plants . This is how the first medicines arose - at first just powders from dry plants, then ointments based on animal fat and vegetable oils. Well, when alcohol appeared (the honor of this discovery is attributed to Arab doctors, in particular Avicenna), then medicines began to be stored even better and, as practice has shown, many active ones began to be extracted more efficiently.

The second problem that people became concerned with, by the way, much earlier than design (I don’t care if I were alive) is growing medicinal plants near the home. Discovering new countries and continents, travelers took with them familiar plants, and those who returned took with them many useful plants overseas flora and planted in their gardens. This is how a whole industry was born - medicinal plant growing, taking various shapes- monastery gardens, university botanical gardens, apothecary gardens, and, finally, state farms. Well, everything that did not grow in the garden continued and continues to be collected from nature.

So we can very briefly list the main stages of the neighborly relationship between medicinal plants and humans.

But in last years these relationships have intensified. It would seem that the pharmaceutical industry, especially in foreign countries, works perfectly, export-import does not fail and you can get acquainted with the products of almost all countries, the pharmacy network cannot be thicker, almost like grocery stores. And they also included teas with medicinal plants, proudly bearing the title of “functional products.” But no! Everyone enthusiastically studies books and articles in specialized magazines on how to grow medicinal plants on their own and what can be prepared from them and for what diseases all this can be taken.

What is the reason for this interest? There are probably several reasons. Firstly, not all plants can already be bought at the pharmacy. Many of them, as a result of active harvesting, simply became rare and endangered, for example, many Araliaceae, Rhodiola rosea, and red root. Industrial cultivation of these species is very problematic. It is, of course, possible, but in this case the medicines made from them will be very expensive. But growing several plants in a garden plot is not a problem at all.

Secondly, many simply do not trust what is being sold to them. Even if medicinal raw materials look great, they may contain radionuclides, mycotoxins and heavy metals(and this happens very often). Therefore, the modern consumer wants to be sure that everything he consumes himself, and what he enthusiastically feeds to his family, is absolutely safe and “environmentally friendly.”

Thirdly, it’s simply excitingly interesting to grow some kind of rare view, about which it is written everywhere that it doesn’t want to grow in culture, and you can independently prepare medicine from it according to all the rules. Same here sea buckthorn oil is on sale. But many people prefer to cook it themselves. True, when reading recipes in various publications, there are a lot of contradictions. Unfortunately, many publications are guilty of rewriting old mistakes from each other. But science does not stand still. Some recommendations are confirmed, some are debunked as myths, for many plants “new pages of biography” are opened, that is, directions for their use.

Taking care of your health is gradually turning into a way of life. That is, this is not only treatment with medications and preferably natural ones, but also proper nutrition healthy products. Nutritionists broadcast from all TV channels and newspaper pages. But most fruits and vegetables, without which a diet is simply unthinkable, are medicinal plants. For example, celery, dill, fennel, and anise are included in the pharmacopoeias of various countries, that is, they are official medicinal plants that are presented on pharmacy shelves. There are a lot of medicinal, not culinary recipes with garlic and potatoes, carrots and beets. And from some they cook medications- for example, artichoke is a delicacy and a raw material for many choleretic drugs.

On the other hand, some commonly used medicinal plants are promoted as food plants, for example calendula. Have you tried a salad or casserole with petals (scientifically, reed flowers)?

And finally, one more aspect - many medicinal plants are simply very beautiful, and some ornamental plants are medicinal. Therefore, they can be placed on the site so that they become not a necessity, but a decoration: echinacea, nasturtium, daisy, bergenia, evasive peony and many others can be stars in flower beds, and not Cinderellas in the backyard.

Therefore, the main task of our new section “Medicinal Plants” is to help grow the desired plant, prepare it correctly and warn against possible troubles. After all, many medicinal plants must be used in small doses and, like any medicine, have contraindications. And, of course, help purchase seeds and planting material, get expert advice and exchange experiences.

Doctor of Agricultural Sciences

Photo: Rita Brilliantova, Maxim Minin

Herbal treatment is the most ancient way to combat all kinds of diseases. Over the thousands of years of its existence, man has found and studied healing properties hundreds of medicinal plants that can help with this or that disease. Over the long history, many effective recipes, many of which have survived and are used in folk medicine today.

This section of the site presents many types of medicinal herbs, including field species, with high-quality photographs, the name of each plant and detailed description their beneficial properties and methods of application.

Despite the enormous pace of development traditional medicine and all the new products that the pharmaceutical industry offers, the use of medicinal plants to treat all kinds of diseases still remains relevant and does not lose its popularity. They can be used both for the prevention and treatment of various chronic and acute diseases in any field of medicine.

Medicinal herbs, used in folk medicine, can be fresh or dried, used both externally and internally. Medicinal herbs are much safer for human health than pharmaceuticals. They have fewer contraindications and side effects on the body.

For treatment use:

tinctures;
decoctions;
extracts;
infusions;
tea fees.

Despite its apparent simplicity and harmlessness, unconventional treatment requires knowledge and caution. After all, for positive result, medicinal raw materials, must be collected correctly. And the tinctures, decoctions or extracts made from them are prepared only according to exact recipes. We should not forget about dosages. This is especially true for those medications that need to be taken orally.

It is advisable, before preparing herbal medicine, to study our website, which contains healing herbs photos with names, learn about the indications and contraindications of a particular medicinal plant, methods of their preparation. You must not forget to carefully examine the raw materials for the medicine itself. It should be free of mold, dirt and other defects.