Big celandine blooms from May to August (Fig. 88).
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Widespread throughout the USSR, except in the Far North.
Grows in pine forests, shrubs, along shady places, in vegetable gardens, gardens, parks.
Used above-ground part of the plant, collected at the beginning of flowering, cut it off at 5-10 cm from the ground. The odor is sharp, unpleasant, the taste is bitter, burning.
Chemical composition
.Celandine herb contains alkaloids: chelidonine, homochelidonine, chelerythrin, sanguinarine, protopine, etc.over 20 alkaloids. Chelidonine is an alkaloid close in structure to papaverine and morphine. In addition, traces of essential oil, a lot of ascorbic acid (up to 1000 mg%), carotene, flavonoids, saponins, bitters, organic acids: chelidonic, malic, citric and succinic, resinous substances are found in the herb.
Greater celandine has bactericidal properties.
Action and application
.In experiments, celandine preparations cause growth retardation of malignant tumors, have fungistatic and bacteriostatic action against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Helidonin acts similarly to morphine, causing first depression and then paralysis of the central nervous system in animals. Homochelidonin is a convulsive poison, a strong local anesthetic. Cheleritrin has local irritant effect; sanguinarine has short-term narcotic effect with subsequent development of strychnine-podone convulsions, excites intestinal peristalsis and saliva secretion, locally causes irritation with subsequent anesthesia. Protopin reduces the reactivity of the autonomic nervous system, tonifies the smooth muscle of the uterus.
When used internally, celandine causes some slowing of the pulse and lowers blood pressure; it has a choleretic property. It is used in angina pectoris, hypertension, various diseases accompanied by spasm of the muscles, in stomach cancer acts somewhat anesthetizing, successfully used in diseases of the liver and gallbladder (S. А. Tomilin, 1945).
In the hospital surgery clinic of Kuibyshev Medical Institute 700 patients with various forms of polyposis of the colon were successfully treated. According to doctors, the effect is based on the cauterizing, keratolytic effect of celandine on tissues. For 1 part of celandine 10 parts of water, for the procedure - 15-60 g of green mass of the plant (depending on the weight of the patient). The resulting liquid is administered as a therapeutic enema for an hour. 3 hours before, a cleansing enema is given. After 6-10 treatments (per vegetation period of celandine - 2 cycles) patients were clinically completely free of polyps. Treatment - 2-3 years during the flowering period of celandine (A. Aminev, 1966).
Tincture of fresh celandine roots is part of a complex drug cholelitin, used for cholelithiasis. Celandine preparations are bactericidal against a number of microbes, including tubercle bacillus; juice or ointment of crushed leaves of the plant is used to treat skin tuberculosis. The efficacy of topical application of celandine juice obtained from the herb and roots in the conservative treatment of rectal and bladder polyps has been clinically proven (JI. Я. Sklyarevsky, I. А. Gubanov). Externally, celandine juice from fresh herb is used to cauterize warts, condylomas, with papillomatosis of the larynx and initial forms of lupus erythematosus. Due to the somewhat poisonous nature of the plant, treatment with it should be started in small doses or mixed with other plants.
In Bulgaria celandine milk juice is used, which, according to Bulgarian researchers, acts well as an analgesic in diseases of the liver and gallbladder, gallstones, sand, jaundice, in gastritis, colitis and has analgesic and antispasmodic effect in these diseases. In addition, it is recommended to use an aqueous infusion or alcohol tincture of the fresh plant - the latter is considered the best. Treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor.
In the GDR and FRG used not only celandine herb, but also its root, used in the form of tea, tincture, extract, as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent for liver disease, as a choleretic (due to the presence of chelidonin and homochelidonin), as a stimulant of intestinal peristalsis (presence in the herb sanguinarine). Treatment is recommended only under the supervision of a physician (Dorfler, Roselt, 1964).
In Poland, celandine is used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anthelmintic, for gastrointestinal diseases, hepatic colic, hemorrhoids, painful menstruation.
In Austria, the young herb celandine is used as a sedative and anticonvulsant. According to Austrian researchers, one of the alkaloids in the plant enhances the function of the gallbladder and bile ducts. Celandine herb and root are anticonvulsant. The pharmaceutical industry in Austria manufactures various preparations containing celandine alkaloids. They are sold as extracts of the fresh plant and other preparations. The milky juice of celandine can cause inflammation if ingested through damaged skin.
In France, the herb celandine finds use as a stimulant, diuretic, and laxative. Fresh plant has an energizing effect. And celandine juice is used against warts. Treatment with this plant is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor, as in large doses can cause poisoning, the main symptoms of which are severe thirst, heaviness in the head and stomach, dizziness, fainting, hallucinations.
Celandine herb is an official raw material in the USSR, USA, Venezuela, GDR and FRG.
In domestic folk medicine celandine large is used in the treatment of skin tuberculosis, gout and rheumatism. Externally also for tuberculosis of the skin, from warts, blisters, lichens, eczema, skin cancer in the form of smearing fresh juice or ointment prepared with it, by three times daily smearing of sick places. In the decoction of the herb is recommended to bathe children with scrofula and various skin diseases.
In Bulgarian folk medicine celandine large is used for dropsy, as a diuretic, regulating the menstrual cycle, against scrofulosis, syphilis, malaria, liver disease, jaundice, in the form of decoction. The juice is also used externally against warts.
The above-ground part of celandine, according to our observations, has analgesic, promoting bile flow, hypotensive and antispasmodic properties and is used by us in diseases of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts in small doses..
