2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The American wine fight / Phytolacca americana / is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Phytolaccaceae - Lakonosni. The herb is also known as American laconus, ashik paint, wine, merekep and others. The rhizome of the plant is thick, repovidnogo, many-headed, with many fibrous roots. The stems are several on one rhizome. They are straight, branched, up to 3 m tall, naked, green, sometimes reddish. The branches at the top of the stem are usually branched. The leaves are consecutive, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, large, up to 25 cm long, pointed at the top, wedge-shaped at the base.
The upper leaves are smaller than the lower ones, with a strongly convex midrib, green, and often later acquire a reddish tinge, with short ridged stalks. The flowers are collected in clusters up to 15 cm long, usually located opposite the leaves and attached to the stem by a stalk up to 10 cm long. The flower stalks are spread out, usually with 3 bracts. The flowers are small. The perianth is 5-lobed, and the lobes are round-ovate, obtuse, whitish at first, and then reddish. Stamens are 10, shorter than the perianth.
Before ripening the fruit is green, ten-ribbed, and when ripe it becomes round, dark purple. The seeds are shiny, lenticular, flattened, black-violet. American wine blooms in June - August. It originates from North America, the Azores and the Canary Islands. It is transmitted and distributed in Europe as a cultural herb, but it is also found as a wild plant, especially in the Mediterranean region. In Bulgaria it grows as a decorative, and often as wild in the weedy places in the northeastern regions of our country.
Composition of American wine
The roots of American wine contain bitter amorphous resin and the poisonous alkaloid phytolaxin 0.16% (phytolaccotoxin). A lipogenic glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 32,000 was also isolated. The glucoprotein was found to contain 3.2% monosaccharides and 14% hexosamine. The amino acid composition of the glucoprotein was determined and found to contain a large amount of cysteine. Glucoprotein has also been shown to have a pronounced mitogenic and haemoglutinating effect on lymphocyte culture in vitro. The roots contain a little essential oil, phytolactic and formic acids, starch, the enzyme oxidase, sugars, gums, fatty oil.
There is some evidence of tannin content in the herb. The fruits contain one poisonous substance with a glucoside character and one saponin substance with a drastic effect, as well as the red dye substance caryophyllene. A fatty oil (ether extract) was extracted from the seeds, from which one saponifiable and one non-saponifiable fraction were separated from the extract, the latter of which contained etherol and spinosterol. Pharmacological studies of the herb have shown that the roots and fresh shoots of the herb should be considered highly poisonous, as severe vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions occur with increasing dose. Death occurs from paralysis of the respiratory center.
Growing American wine
The American wine fight it is not a picky plant. Prefers well-lit places, but grows well in partial shade. The soil should be rich in nutrients and moisturized regularly. American wine is propagated by seeds, which are sown in March and April. When they sprout densely, they dive. They are planted in a permanent place at distances of 1 x 1 m. During the vegetation around the plants are regularly dug, and if necessary weed or watered. Plants of this species do not tolerate pruning.
Collection and storage of American wine
The roots of the wine beetle (Radix Phytolaccae decandrae, Radix Soiani racemosi) are used as a medicine. They gather in August - October. The roots are dug up after the fruits have ripened in the autumn, the above-ground parts are removed, the soil is cleaned and washed with cold water, leaving them to drain. Then cut into pieces and lengthwise for faster drying.
The material thus prepared is dried in ventilated rooms in strong air currents, and preferably in an oven at a temperature of up to 50 degrees. The material must be completely dry. From 6 kg of fresh roots 1 kg of dry is obtained. The processed material is packed in standard weight bags and stored in dry and ventilated rooms, away from non-toxic herbs. It is necessary to check from time to time for wetting of the drug.
Benefits of American wine
In our folk medicine the American wine fight is used externally against rheumatism, hemorrhoids, etc. Tincture of fresh roots of the herb (1:10) is part of the preparation merifit, which is used to treat laryngitis, tonsillitis and other diseases of the vocal apparatus. The leaves and roots of the herb are part of the preparation akofit, which is applied internally for radiculitis.
The American wine fight has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. The herb helps with headaches, hypertension, kidney disease and sciatica. American wine has anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative, expectorant and anthelmintic effects. Various homeopathic medicines are also made from the plant. The leaves are used not only in the preparation of decoctions for internal use, but also applied topically to hemorrhoids, boils and skin eczema.
The dye substance caryophyllene is widely used in the technique for obtaining dark red dyes, for dyeing red silk fabrics and others. When used for coloring products for consumption are not dangerous, because for 10 liters of cabbage juice or wine is enough only one fruit.
Folk medicine with American wine
Russian folk medicine recommends an extract of the leaves of American wine in the treatment of joint pain. A few wine leaves are placed in a jar and the container is filled to the brim with warm water. The jar is tightly closed and left in a dark and cool place for two weeks. The resulting extract is rubbed into the joints and back within a month. Compresses can also be made with the liquid.
From American wine tincture can also be prepared, which is used in the treatment of otitis, laryngitis and tonsillitis. To do this, pour 10 g of the roots of the herb with 100 ml of alcohol and leave the dish in a dark place for two weeks. Take 15 drops daily. The prepared tincture perfectly strengthens the immune system.
Russian folk medicine recommends for sore throat and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract to take 1-2 dried fruits of the plant in the morning and evening.
Harm from American wine
Before you apply American wine as a medicine, be sure to consult your doctor, as the plant is poisonous and can cause serious damage. An overdose of the herb causes vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, dizziness, paralysis, headache, respiratory failure and more.
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