2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The burdock / Petasites hybridus /, also called shepherd and medicinal shepherd, is a perennial herbaceous plant with a fleshy creeping rhizome. In spring, the burdock develops flowering stems that reach a height of 80 cm. The basal leaves are large, kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, unevenly toothed, green and smooth above, and light gray and fluffy below.
The handles of burdock are hollow. The leaves appear after the flowering of the plant, and the later leaves are bare and green on both sides. The flowers are reddish, rarely white.
They are placed in baskets, collected in racemes, which contain few male flowers, peripheral female tubular and a large number of bisexual barren flowers. The fruit is a kite. Burdock blooms in April-May.
Burdock grows on the banks and ditches of streams and rivers. It is found mostly in Southern and Central Europe, up to about 1000 meters above sea level. It is found throughout Bulgaria. Burdock should not be confused with dock and burdock, because although they are slightly similar, they are completely different plants.
Composition of burdock
IN burdock contains saponins, resins, organic acids, pectin, choline, inulin. Burdock is rich in the sesquiterpene lactones petazalide A and B.
Collection and storage of burdock
The leaves of burdock are harvested at their full development - in July-August. They are dried in the shade, and the dried leaves should be green in color, odorless and with a slightly bitter taste.
The allowable humidity is about 13%. Burdock rhizomes are harvested in autumn - September-October. They are dried in the shade. Properly dried rhizomes are brownish in color, odorless and slightly bitter in taste. The allowable humidity is about 14%.
From 7 kg of collected leaves 1 kg of dried are obtained. From 4 kg of rhizomes 1 kg of dried material is obtained. Shelf life of whole and cut leaves is 2 years, whole rhizomes - 3 years.
Benefits of burdock
The burdock is a very popular herb in Bulgarian folk medicine. It is recommended for the treatment of various types of cough and respiratory diseases such as whooping cough, bronchitis and bronchial asthma. Burdock also has an antitussive effect, and on the other - soothes irritated mucous membranes.
The herb has diuretic, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, emollient and diaphoretic action. Burdock is known for its good action in headaches, and frequent use of the herb can greatly reduce the severity and duration of migraines.
The roots of burdock are used to relieve symptoms of anemia, loss of appetite, heaviness in the stomach, epilepsy, flatulence. Externally, the leaves can be used for wounds, boils, burns, sprains and sprains.
It promotes faster recovery and healing of wounds. Tea made from burdock causes sweating and is therefore recommended for fever and shortness of breath. The antispasmodic action of burdock is very well studied. According to experts, it is due to the petazolid contained in burdock and its derivatives.
Experts recommend drinking burdock twice a day. Make a decoction of 1 tsp. burdock and 250 ml of boiling water. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. It is drunk in one day in small sips.
In folk medicine, burdock is also used to treat gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, as well as anthelmintic, anti-asthmatic and diuretic.
Harm from burdock
The herb has a very strong effect, so its use should be done only on prescription and under medical supervision. Due to the strong toxicity of burdock, it should be applied in very small amounts to avoid possible adverse effects. Burdock is forbidden for consumption by pregnant women.
