Coltsfoot leaves. Coltsfoot - about medicinal properties and contraindications

The achievements of modern medicine in this direction cannot be denied. But we should not forget about the means that nature itself suggested to our ancestors. In many cases, they are no less effective, without causing any negative effects on the body, or having some completely minor precautions.

One of these unique natural remedies is coltsfoot - a plant known to almost everyone, even today used not only in folk medicinal recipes, but also in medical prescriptions.

Coltsfoot is most often used for coughs, for all sorts of respiratory diseases, as it has a powerful expectorant effect. But its properties are much broader.

Medicinal properties and uses of coltsfoot

It perfectly disinfects, helps fight inflammatory processes, and even helps with asthma. But, nevertheless, it is used in 99% of cases for coughs of various etiologies, since it has an enveloping and liquefying effect, and has a positive effect on hoarseness, inflammatory processes in the pharynx, bronchitis and even pneumonia.

It contains a high concentration of natural biologically active substances - saponins and various organic acids.

They reduce the density of sputum, which is in the upper respiratory tract, and quickly restore the normal processes of the natural active movement of the special ciliated epithelium located in the trachea and bronchi.

The mucus contained in the plant is released from it when brewed. It has a very positive effect on the respiratory system, as it has an enveloping effect on the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, larynx, and eliminates inflammation and irritation in them.

Tannins, in combination with the above listed properties of the plant, quickly soften cough, thin and remove phlegm, reduce inflammation and hyperemia.

Thanks to all this, coltsfoot is almost the first remedy for coughs of any etiology in both children and adults. It is available, easy to prepare, easy to use, has a unique effect, and can quickly alleviate the condition even in severe cases.

Another advantage is that even children enjoy drinking coltsfoot, since a decoction or infusion of its leaves and flowers, especially with bee honey, is not only healthy, but also tasty.

The plant contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, tannins, valuable acids, and essential oils. Thanks to this, it also has a general strengthening effect, as it nourishes the body with all this, stimulating the immune system, helping to restore the optimal ratio of intestinal microflora, and beneficially affecting the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Less frequently, but no less effectively, this plant is also used for tuberculosis, varicose veins, dermatological problems, nasal congestion, as a cosmetic for hair loss and fragility.

Infusion of coltsfoot leaves for cough

There are two popular recipes that definitely need to be talked about. One of them is based on vodka, the other on water. Both are designed to alleviate the patient’s cough or completely get rid of it.

Water-based infusion

Take 3-3.5 teaspoons of dry plant for a glass of boiling water, fill it with water in a porcelain teapot, cover with a lid. After this, wrap it with natural fabric and leave to infuse for 20-25 minutes. Next, unwrap and strain. Drink: half a glass, regardless of meals, 2-4 times a day.

The infusion that works best is one that is consumed immediately after preparation, warm.

It is ideal if you add a teaspoon of bee honey to it, which will complement the healing effects of coltsfoot and speed up recovery, plus add new unique flavor and aromatic notes to the infusion. For colds and viral illnesses accompanied by cough, this remedy is one of the best remedies for children and adults!

If your baby refuses to drink herbal decoction, then try offering it to him, this is a simple and effective recipe from my grandmother.

Vodka infusion

Place the crushed dry (you can also use fresh) leaves of the plant in a glass container (a jar or bottle, for example), pour in vodka so that they are completely covered with it, and seal tightly with a lid or cork or rubber stopper.

Place in a dark, cool (but not cold) place for 10-14 days. You should take the vodka infusion twenty to thirty drops three times a day before eating. The effect is similar to the effect of taking an infusion of water.

A decoction of coltsfoot leaves to treat cough

It is no more difficult to prepare than an infusion. To do this, you need to take 1-1.5 teaspoons of dry leaves per glass of water. Pour in, heat for 10 minutes in a water bath, turn off, leave for 6 minutes, and then add pre-boiled water so that the total total volume is exactly 1 glass, or 250 milliliters.

The decoction is taken every few hours, one tablespoon at a time. This is in the first few days, during the onset of the disease. Then - three to four times a day, take the same spoon before meals (half an hour before it). The course of taking a decoction, as well as an infusion of water or vodka, for coughs - no more than 1 week!

Coltsfoot for cough - how to take and how to drink

There are pharmaceutical preparations, syrups and even tablets prepared from this plant. All of them are very good for coughs and are prescribed by doctors for children and adults. But remedies prepared according to alternative medicine recipes remain no less popular.

Infusions and decoctions continue to be in greatest demand. Their effects are very similar to each other, as well as the method of preparation, as well as application. But, nevertheless, there are differences in the latter, and they should be remembered.

So, for adults for cough:

✔ Infusion of water: drink half a glass, regardless of meals, 2-4 times a day.

✔ Vodka infusion: take 20-30 drops 3 times a day before meals 30-35 minutes.

✔ Decoction: the first 1-2 days of illness - drink 1 tablespoon every 2-3 hours. Then, for another 4-5 days - 3 to 4 times a day, 1 tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.

The course of taking any of these drugs should not last more than 7 days.

Coltsfoot for children

For little “patients” this plant will also bring a lot of benefits. It can help completely get rid of a cough, and this will prevent the use of chemical pharmaceutical drugs, which is also important for a child’s still fragile body.

When using products prepared for children from this plant, you should be extremely careful, taking into account all its effects: disinfectant, tonic, diaphoretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing. How a child’s body will behave, how it will react to this or that component of the plant is 100% unknown.

Therefore, children should be given coltsfoot only if there is evidence for it, and also under close adult supervision. It is best to consult a pediatrician before starting treatment.

It is best to use a decoction or infusion, not with vodka, but with clean drinking water. It can be given starting from 5 years of age, but, again, only in the absence of contraindications (they will be discussed separately below). They help, first of all, with coughs.

But they can also be used for chronic inflammation of the tonsils, nasal congestion, fever, as a general strengthening and tonic, for diathesis and even for scrofula.

Children should take about 50 grams of the infusion, and a teaspoon of the decoction. The frequency of administration is 2-3 times a day. If you are not allergic to honey, it is recommended to add it to your products!

In the vast majority of cases, this dosage is not observed. That is, parents simply brew coltsfoot leaves along with flowers, like tea, and give them to their children with honey several times a day, about half a glass. This method, on the one hand, is justified, since it allows you to enhance the effect of taking it. But, on the other hand, it is more risky, since, after all, the minimum dosage recommended above, although it reduces the effectiveness of the drugs, at the same time reduces the possible risks of taking them.

Collection of herbs for cough treatment with coltsfoot

This plant is far from the only one, although it is one of the most famous, among those that can be used in the treatment of coughs and colds and viral diseases.

Rose hips, anise, elderberry, oregano, plantain, currants, raspberries, licorice root. All these natural ingredients themselves have unique healing properties. And they are able to perfectly complement the action of coltsfoot!

Recipe with rose hips

Dried rose hips - two and a half tablespoons. Coltsfoot - a tablespoon. Bee honey - two and a half tablespoons. Clean drinking water - five glasses. Mix dry and crushed herbs with fruits, pour boiling water, cover and leave for about 25-30 minutes. Strain.

Pour the cake again with 2 cups of boiling water, leave again and strain. Combine both infusions and add honey. You need to consume half a faceted glass three times a day. It helps very well with colds, coughs and strengthens the immune system.

With anise, rosehip and elderberry blossoms

Ingredient proportions: 3:2:1. They should be mixed and poured with 1 glass of cold drinking water. Infusion time - 3 hours. Next, boil and simmer over low heat for no more than 5 minutes. Take for cough, for general weakness and malaise, for gastritis - 3 times a day, 1/3 cup.

Raspberries, oregano, currants

Raspberry leaves, oregano and currant leaves. Mix all this in equal proportions. The ratio of water to the mixture: a spoonful of the mixture, a glass of water. Pour boiled water over and leave for about 10 minutes.

Take half a glass just before bed, always hot. The product will add strength, help establish normal nasal breathing, normalize sleep, thin out phlegm and eliminate coughing.

With licorice root

These are two powerful ingredients. Even a dry cough cannot resist their combined onslaught. He will be defeated in 5-7 days. Crushed licorice root should be mixed with dry leaves of coltsfoot, in proportions of one to one. Place them in a porcelain teapot (1-1.5 teaspoons) and pour 1.5 cups of boiling water, leaving covered for 5 minutes. Drink half a glass 3 times a day before meals.

Also, in addition, you can try another folk recipe for cough - this. This is a simple and effective cough remedy for children and adults.

Contraindications of the herb:

1. Age up to 5 years.

2. Pregnancy and lactation.

3. Severe damage to the kidneys and liver.

4. Individual intolerance.

5. Period of use - no more than 10-14 days.

When and how to prepare coltsfoot leaves

It is the leaves that have special healing powers, because more than 85% of the active substances are concentrated in them.

But you can also prepare flowers, then mixing them with leaves when preparing products. They will give the decoction or infusion a pleasant color, taste and aroma.

In different regions, the coltsfoot “ripes” at different times. Flowers are harvested during the flowering period, 2-3 days from its beginning. This is approximately April.

Leaves - during their greatest freshness and wildness: in late May - early June. The raw materials are cut or picked and placed in a convenient container.

At home, lay it out in one layer on sheets of paper and dry naturally for 3-5 days. Next, the dry raw materials are placed in jars or bags for storage. The ideal place for this is the attic or storage room.

Prepare the leaves; coltsfoot has a really positive effect on coughs. But before use, read the contraindications. Be healthy!

It is unlikely that there is at least one person in the world who has never in his life heard of such a medicinal plant as coltsfoot. Moreover, many of you have probably already resorted to the help of this herb. Coltsfoot is a truly miraculous plant that was known to mankind many centuries ago. Even such world-famous people as Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Pliny and many others turned to him for help. Coltsfoot belongs to the category of those plants that have found their wide application not only in folk, but also in traditional medicine. What is coltsfoot, and what beneficial properties does this plant have, medical college website (www.. If you really trust traditional medicine, then this article is especially for you.

Description of the plant

First, a few words about the plant itself. Coltsfoot is a perennial medicinal plant of the Asteraceae family. This plant has very beautiful golden-yellow flowers that attract the eyes of almost all passersby. Coltsfoot is growing everywhere. Most often, this plant can be seen on hills, slopes, ravines, wastelands, and along river cliffs. It is also worth noting that almost all parts of this plant are used in both folk and traditional medicine. Coltsfoot leaves are especially popular.

Beneficial features

In the fight against what diseases can one resort to the help of coltsfoot?

Heart diseases , kidney and bladder diseases, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastrointestinal diseases- all of these are also indications for the use of coltsfoot. This plant is often used in cosmetology. The fact is that coltsfoot tends to strengthen the hair structure and also get rid of dandruff. If you are concerned about various disorders of the nervous system, coltsfoot will come to the rescue in this case too.

Recipes

If you have a runny nose, use the fresh juice of this plant. You just need to squeeze out the juice and drop it into your nose, two to three drops in each nostril.

To prepare a tincture from this plant, you need to take equal quantities of coltsfoot flowers and alcohol. Fill the flowers with alcohol and leave them in a dark place for a week. This type of tincture is taken thirty to forty drops three times a day. It is very important that the coltsfoot tincture is taken shortly before meals.

When using coltsfoot recipes for medicinal purposes, do not forget to follow

The medicinal properties and contraindications of coltsfoot were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. This plant was mentioned by Hippocrates, Pliny and Dioscorides. The herb was famous for its expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic effects. Most often it was used in two cases - for coughing internally and purulent abscesses externally. Today it is one of the first medicinal plants for coughs. The herb is often included in pharmaceutical expectorant preparations.

Features of the medicinal plant coltsfoot

What does coltsfoot look like and where can it be collected? What beneficial substances does it contain? How is the herb used in traditional and folk medicine? Are there any side effects and contraindications?

Area

Coltsfoot is a widespread medicinal plant on the Eurasian continent. It can be found in Europe, the Urals, Siberia, Central and Asia Minor, the Caucasus and even in the Arctic zone. In addition to Eurasia, the grass grows in North America and North Africa, but is much less common here and is considered an introduced species. Loves clay soils, but also takes root well on sandy soils and river shallows. The grass can be found near rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, along cliffs, railway and construction embankments, quarries, damp ravines and slopes.

Botanical characteristics

What is the biological description of the coltsfoot plant? This is a perennial herb. It blooms in early spring, hence the popular name - “early flower”. The flowers are bright yellow, with the smell of honey. The creeping rhizome first throws out flowering shoots with reddish scales. Later, heart-shaped petiolate leaves appear. On top they are smooth, cool due to evaporation, dark green (“stepmother”), and below they are whitish, pubescent, soft, warm (“mother”).

Collection and preparation

Healing properties are found in the leaves, flowers, and roots of coltsfoot. They are prepared at different times.

The leaves of the plant are most often harvested.

The healing effect of the herb

Medicinal properties of coltsfoot:

• emollient;
• secretory;
• wound healing;
• anti-inflammatory;
• diuretic;
• diaphoretic;
• antispasmodic;
• expectorant;
• antiseptic;
• calming.

What's in the chemical composition?

• Coltsfoot leaves: polysaccharides (inulin, dextrin), a lot of mucus, vitamin C and A, astringent tannin, essential oil, tannins, saponins, glycosides, plant sterols, organic acids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
• Coltsfoot flowers: flavonoids, phytosterols, organic compounds (faradiol, arnidiol), glycosides, tannins, plant mucilages and bitterness, yellow pigment.

List of indications

For what symptoms and diagnoses will coltsfoot treatment be useful?

• Respiratory system . Coltsfoot for coughs is one of the most popular and effective folk medicines. Helps with bronchitis, obsessive whooping cough, tracheitis, laryngitis, inflammation, abscess, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma. The herb has the property of thinning phlegm and removing excess mucus from the bronchi, softens dry cough well, and makes it productive. It is recommended to take decoctions and infusions of herbs for ARVI and influenza to lower the temperature.
• Digestive system. The beneficial properties of coltsfoot for digestion are choleretic, astringent, appetite stimulant, anti-inflammatory. The herb is used for diarrhea, gastritis and colitis. The decoctions are used to make therapeutic enemas for intestinal inflammation.
• urinary system. The herb is taken for swelling, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder.
• Nervous system . Relieves tension and nervous excitement, helps with insomnia. Some herbalists indicate that the herb can stop epileptic attacks.
• The cardiovascular system. Glycosides have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. It is useful to drink coltsfoot for atherosclerosis; it prevents the formation of atheromatous plaques and stimulates lipid metabolism. This medicinal plant normalizes blood pressure and helps relieve headaches.
• External use. Externally, you can use decoctions, dry herb powder, fresh leaves and juice. They are used to gargle and rinse the mouth. The herb heals stomatitis ulcers well and relieves gum inflammation. It is used to treat purulent wounds, abscesses, skin ulcers, burns, inflamed veins with varicose veins, tumors, frostbite.
• Cosmetology. Decoctions, infusions, and fresh juice are used as tonics, lotions, and masks for the face and hair. The herb has a tonic, refreshing, antiseptic effect. Used for all skin types, it disinfects pimples and acne well. Useful for strengthening hair, restoring its structure, eliminating dandruff. For hair care, it is used together with burdock root and nettle.
• For weight loss. Normalizes metabolism thanks to the glycosides and phytosterols it contains. These substances are involved in the biosynthesis of hormones, enzymes, cholesterol, bile acids, and vitamins.

The herb has few contraindications. It should not be taken orally during pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, during breastfeeding, or for children under 6 years of age. You should not drink coltsfoot if you have liver disease or individual intolerance. A high content of alkaloids can cause poisoning of the body, negatively affect liver function, and lead to carcinogenic effects. Therefore, medicines from this plant can be taken for no more than 6 weeks throughout the year.

Use at home

What are the uses of coltsfoot herb at home? Teas, decoctions, infusions, fresh juice, and powder are prepared from it. You can prepare the raw materials yourself or purchase them at the pharmacy. The instructions for use indicate the main pharmacological effect of the raw material - expectorant, anti-inflammatory, enveloping. Recommended for coughs with difficult sputum.

Decoction

How to brew coltsfoot to preserve its beneficial properties as much as possible?

Preparation

1. Pour a glass of boiling water.
2. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Leave for 30 minutes.
4. Strain.

Most often, leaves are taken for decoction, but you can also mix them with flower baskets. Take 3 times a day, ½ glass before meals. When coughing, it is recommended to add honey or raspberry jam to this decoction. For digestive problems, it is recommended to drink an unsweetened decoction.

Infusion

The method of preparing an infusion differs from a decoction - it is not boiled, but only steamed. Stronger infusions (take 2 tbsp of raw material per glass of water) are used externally or internally in a smaller dosage - 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.

Preparation

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. raw materials.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Leave for 1-2 hours.
4. Strain.

Taken orally in the same dosage as decoctions. Infusions are often used for rinsing in otolaryngology and dentistry. These medicines are also used to make lotions, compresses, baths and trays for skin diseases. There are positive reviews that decoctions and infusions relieve erysipelas, itching, and suppuration in thrombophlebitis.

Milk infusion recipe

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. dry grass.
2. Pour a glass of boiled milk.
3. Leave for 1 hour.
4. Strain.

A popular cough remedy. Take ¼ cup warm, you can add honey.

Fresh juice and leaves

How can you use the juice and leaves of the plant?

It is important to know:

• Juice can be treated for no more than 7 days;
• Do not violate the dosage - adults do not take more than 3 tbsp. l. in a day;
• Before use in children, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is required;
• if side effects appear in the form of indigestion and allergies, stop taking it immediately;
• the juice contains many alkaloids, which can cause poisoning and have a negative effect on the liver;
• Before drinking juice, you should consult your doctor if you have any chronic diseases.

Powder

The use of dry herb powder in folk medicine is effective in the following cases:

• the powder is mixed with honey and washed down with water for tuberculosis;
• for sinusitis and severe runny nose, it can be sniffed to induce sneezing;
• when coughing during ARVI, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, take ½ teaspoon of powder with water or warm milk;
• useful for diarrhea as an astringent;
• sprinkle on wounds, ulcers, burns, skin inflammations.

Features of use in women

How can grass be useful for women?

• Most often it is used in home cosmetology - for hair and facial skin care.
• In gynecology, the herb is used externally - for douching for inflammation of the genitourinary area.
• Pregnancy is a strict contraindication for internal use due to the abortifacient properties of the herb.
• Pregnant women can use decoctions and infusions externally - for gargling, mouth, and skin treatment.
• During lactation, you should also not drink grass, however, compresses from its juice and decoctions are good for mastopathy.

Features of use in children

Some sources indicate that grass should not be given to children under 2 years of age, others - up to 6 years of age. The issue of age restrictions and safe use should be resolved with a pediatrician. Coltsfoot cough medicine for children is a frequent prescription for doctors. Often the herb is included in chest preparations. It is important to follow the dosage, not to exceed the course of treatment, and to remember that allergies to medicinal herbs are much more common in children than in adults.

How safe is grass for babies? In rare cases, pediatricians prescribe weak decoctions of it to children under one year of age when coughing. Some mothers refuse to give medicine even as prescribed by a doctor because of the age limit specified in the official instructions. How can coltsfoot be dangerous for a baby?

• Bitterness and mucus can affect the digestive system and cause either constipation or diarrhea.
• Alkaloids can have a negative effect on the liver.
• Biologically active substances can cause an allergic reaction in the form of urticaria and itching.

The coltsfoot plant is a valuable medicinal raw material. Its main use is cough for colds, ARVI, flu, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, tuberculosis, whooping cough. The herb also has pronounced anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is used externally in dentistry, otolaryngology, dermatology, and cosmetology.

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Rice. 4.23. Flowering shoots

Coltsfoot leaves-folia farfarae

Coltsfoot- tussilago farfara l.

Sem. Compositae– asteraceae (compositae)

Other names: water burdock, red burdock grass, icy burdock grass, mother grass, one-sided burdock, forest burdock grass, double grass, early grass, flowering grass.

perennial herbaceous plant height 10-25 cm.

Rhizome creeping, juicy, branched, with thin roots. In early spring, numerous flowering shoots grow with underdeveloped scale-like leaves, which bear one apical basket (Fig. 4.23.).

Flowers in baskets they are golden-yellow: the marginal ones are false-ligulate, the middle ones are tubular.

Fetus- tetrahedral achene with a long white tuft.

Basal leaves, used as raw materials, develop later, after the fruits ripen (Fig. 4.24.).

They are long-petiolate, broadly ovate with a deep heart-shaped notch at the base, 10-15 cm in diameter, angular, unevenly toothed, rather dense, bare above, with white soft felt pubescence below. The venation is palmate with noticeable three bundles of veins (Fig. 4.25.).

It blooms in April - May, the fruits ripen in May - June.

Coltsfoot composition

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Chemical composition of coltsfoot

• polysaccharides – mucus (5-10%),
• inulin,
• dextrin,
• as well as bitter glycosides (2.6%),
• sitosterol,
• saponins,
• organic acids,
• ascorbic acid,
• carotenoids,
• traces of essential oil,
• flavonoids,
• tannins,
• pyrrolizidine alkaloids in trace amounts.

Properties and uses of coltsfoot

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Pharmacotherapeutic group. Expectorant.

Pharmacological properties of coltsfoot

Coltsfoot drugs provide:

• expectorant
• anti-inflammatory,
• emollient and
• disinfectant effect.

Anti-inflammatory and emollient effect caused by mucus. Spreading over the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, mucus forms a protective film that protects the epithelium from the irritating effects of cold, bacterial toxins, viruses, and irritating food ingredients. Under the protective film of mucus, the activity of the inflammatory process is reduced, damaged epithelium is regenerated, its functions and cilia movements are normalized.

Saponins and organic acids dilute pathological secretions of the respiratory tract, formed as a result of inflammation, the activity of microorganisms and viruses, promote their faster evacuation, cleanse the respiratory tract and restore gas exchange.

Anti-inflammatory effect is enhanced carotenoids and tannins. The sum of coltsfoot polysaccharides in experimental models of inflammation gives a clear anti-inflammatory effect, the most pronounced anti-exudative effect.

In terms of anti-inflammatory activity, coltsfoot polysaccharides are not inferior to indomethacin, although their pharmacodynamics are different.

Application of coltsfoot

An infusion of coltsfoot leaves is used in the complex treatment of patients

• bronchitis,
• laryngitis,
• pneumonia,
• bronchial asthma,
• emphysema,
• to prevent exacerbations,
• prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications.

Infusion of coltsfoot is also used for

• diseases of the upper respiratory tract,
• chronic runny nose,
• for occupational lung diseases and for their prevention.

Usually coltsfoot leaves are included in the collections.

In addition, coltsfoot is used orally in the form of aqueous extracts for gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, colitis.

For furunculosis, pustular rashes make lotions, compresses, wash the affected areas of the skin.

Spreading

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Spreading. The Eurasian species, widespread in all regions of the European part of the country, is common in Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Habitat. It grows on the banks of rivers and streams, coastal cliffs, screes, in damp ravines, along railway embankments, along highways. The plant forms dense thickets in places.

Procurement and storage of raw materials

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Preparation. The leaves are collected in the first half of summer (June - July), when they are still relatively small, tearing off a part of the petiole no more than 5 cm long. You should not collect leaves that are too young, have pubescence on the upper side, or leaves that are affected by rust fungi and are beginning to turn yellow. Affected leaves are selected from freshly harvested raw materials, laid loosely and transported.

Along with coltsfoot, there are often other plants from the Asteraceae family, whose leaves are similar in appearance, but are not used in medicine (Fig. 4.25.). Butterbur, or false hen (Petasites spurius (Retz.) Reinchb.), has triangular-heart-shaped leaves, with woolly patchy pubescence above, snow-white, white or whitish-yellow felt below.

Butterbur, or hybrid hen (Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn.) has large rounded-triangular basal leaves, deeply cut at the base, almost bare above, grayish-white, soft-felt below.

Felt burdock (Arctium tomentosum Mill.) has entire, oblong-ovate leaves (basal), with a clearly defined main vein.

Security measures. Not required. The plant actively reproduces by seed and vegetatively, using rhizomes. When harvesting, it is necessary to leave some of the leaves.

Drying. The leaves are dried in attics under an iron roof or in the open air under a canopy, spread out in a layer of 1 sheet with the pubescent side down. In the first days, it is recommended to turn them 1-2 times a day to ensure even drying. Artificial drying is allowed at a temperature of 50-60 ºС. The raw material easily absorbs moisture and turns brown, so it must be protected from dampness. The end of drying is determined by the fragility of the leaf petioles.

Standardization. GF XI, issue. 2, art. 16 and Change No. 1.

Storage. In a dry place on racks, packed in bags or bales. Shelf life up to 3 years.

External signs of raw materials

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Whole raw materials

A mixture of whole or partially crushed leaves.
Leaves round-heart-shaped, notched along the edge and unevenly sparsely and finely toothed, glabrous above, white-tomentose below with an abundance of tangled long hairs.
The length of the leaf blade is usually 8-15 cm, the width is about 10 cm, the length of the petiole is about 5 cm. The leaves should not be too young, i.e. should not have dense pubescence on the upper side.
Petioles thin, grooved on top, often with preserved felt pubescence.
Color The leaves are green on the upper side and whitish-gray on the lower side.
Smell absent.
Taste

Crushed raw materials

Pieces of leaves of various shapes, passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm.
Color greyish green.
Smell absent.
Taste slightly bitter with a mucous sensation.

Microscopy

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Looking at the top side of the sheet from the surface it is clear that the epidermis consists of large polygonal cells with straight, often clearly thickened side walls. Above the veins, the epidermal cells are elongated, the rest are isodiametric. Cuticle thick, wrinkled-folded, longitudinally folded above the veins.
Cells of the lower epidermis small, with strongly sinuous walls. Cuticle thin, wrinkled-folded, longitudinally folded above the veins. The epidermis is raised above the air cavities, with 1-2 stomata located here.
Stomata large, oval, anomocytic type. On the upper side of the leaf, stomata are rare and have 4-5 peristomatal cells; on the lower side - numerous, with 7-9 parastomatal cells arranged radially. On both sides of the leaf, the cuticle forms a radial fold around the stomata.
Top side of the sheet almost naked, the lower one is covered with numerous simple hairs. The hairs consist of a short base formed by 3-6 small cells and a long terminal, cord-like, highly convoluted cell.

The hairs are intertwined with each other. The spongy mesophyll tissue has the character of an aerenchyma - its cells are arranged in single-row chains, forming large air-bearing cavities (Fig. 4.26).

Rice. 4.26. Microscopy of a coltsfoot leaf:

A – epidermis of the upper side of the leaf;
B – epidermis of the underside of the leaf;
B – cross section of a leaf: 1 – upper epidermis; 2 – palisade fabric; 3 – spongy tissue; 4 – lower epidermis; 5 – hair; 6 – stomata; 7 – air cavity.

Numerical indicators of raw materials

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Whole raw materials

• Humidity no more than 13%;
• total ash no more than 20%;
• browned leaves no more than 5%;
• leaves affected by brown rust spots, no more than 8%;
• mineral impurity no more than 2%.

Crushed raw materials

• Humidity no more than 13%;
• total ash no more than 20%;
• ash, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, no more than 10%;
• pieces of browned leaves no more than 5%;
• pieces of leaves with brown rust spots no more than 8%;
• particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm, no more than 20%;
• particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.5 mm, no more than 5%;
• organic impurity no more than 2%;
• mineral impurity no more than 1%.

Medicines

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1. Coltsfoot leaves, crushed raw materials. Expectorant.
2. As part of the collection (chest collection No. 1 and No. 2; expectorant collection; diaphoretic collection No. 2).
3. Cough syrup with coltsfoot and plantain, syrup (component – ​​extract).
4. Elixir "Vivaton" (component - extract).