Laminaria saccharina
.Laminaria saccharifolia (seaweed) is a large seaweed in the family Laminariaceae, has a long ribbon-shaped smooth layer in the form of a soft mucilaginous greenish-brown lamina, reaches 1 - 13 m long. Layer in the lower part is narrowed in the form of a rounded petiole and is attached to the ground or underwater objects by strongly developed root-like formations - resoids. The lifespan of kelps is 2-4 years (Fig. 40).
:fig1:
Sugar kelp is distributed in the coastal zone of northern and far eastern seas, where it forms extensive thickets at depths of 2-20 m.
The lamellar parts of the puffer are used.
Chemical composition
.Laminaria saccharifolia is a treasure trove of useful elements. It contains iodine (up to 3%) in the form of iodo-organic compounds and iodides; vitamins A, B, B2, B12, C, D, folic acid, carbohydrates (polysaccharide aminarin, mannitol, alginic acid), brown pigment, bromine salts, traces of arsenic, potassium salts, sodium, calcium, magnesium, copper, cobalt.
Action and application
.Due to its significant iodine and vitamin content, it is used for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis and goiter in powder form.
According to Jolles et al, kelp sulfate has a weak inhibitory effect on sarcoma growth in 180 mice.
In the oncology clinic it was revealed that seaweed powder helps to improve the general condition of patients, their psyche (A. Д. Turova, A. С. Gladkikh, 1965).
Sugar kelp is recommended for chronic constipation as a mild laxative (2-3 g of powder per 150 ml of water, overnight), as well as to improve metabolism and gout.
In China and Japan, sugar kelp is used to treat and prevent thyroid disorders. In addition, use it to prepare various dishes - soups, vegetable purees, candied sweets.
Sugar kelp is recommended by us for atherosclerosis, atonic constipation and thyrotoxicosis.
May lily of the valley
.Lily of May (from Greek. konvalaris - valley, larion - lily, mayalis - blooming in May, t. е. "lily of the valleys, blooming in May") is a well-known perennial herbaceous plant in the lily family with white bell-shaped flowers gathered in a lopsided cluster with a strong pleasant fragrance. Lily of May is a poisonous plant. Poisoning is observed mainly from the heart and gastrointestinal tract - the same phenomena as in foxglove poisoning. (Fig.41)
:fig2:
Flowering time is late May, June. May lily of the valley is distributed in the European part of the USSR, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Eastern Siberia, and the Far East. Grows in deciduous, pine and mixed forests, among shrubs, on forest edges, glades, along the banks of streams and rivers, less often in flood meadows.
Long cultivated as a garden plant, the culture of lily of the valley is being mastered to obtain medicinal raw materials.
Used flowers, leaves, grass, collected at the beginning of flowering, cut at a level of 4-5 cm from the ground.
Care should be taken when harvesting, drying, and storing lily of the valley, as it is poisonous, to avoid getting it into other plants.
Chemical composition
.May lily of the valley contains cardiac glycosides (convallatoxin, convallatoxol, convalloside, glucoconvallazide, etc.).), saponins (convallarin), essential oil, asparagine, mylene alkaloid, starch, malic and citric acids and other substances.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) from 105.2 to 121 mg% was found in the leaves.
Farnesol and lycopene have been isolated from lily of the valley flowers.
The effects and uses of lily of the valley
Convallatoxin is active on the heart, convallarin has a laxative effect. The use of lily of the valley has cumulative properties that are weakly manifested.
The pharmacological properties of May lily of the valley flowers were studied by the Russian scientist N. П. Bogoyavlensky under the direction of I. П. Pavlova. Based on clinical and experimental studies, it was found that infusion of lily of the valley flowers helps to eliminate the symptoms of cardiac decompensation, with increased heartbeat, slower pulse, increased urine output and decreased edema (L. Yarin, 1965).
Various preparations of lily of the valley (tinctures, extracts, tablets, ampoule preparations, etc.).) are widely used in medicine and indications for their use are available in the relevant literature.
In Bulgaria, the use of lily of the valley (its ground part) is recommended for cardiac neuroses in menopause, endocarditis, arrhythmias, extrasystoles, pregnancy, increased physical exertion, as well as diseases with heart damage. Lily of the valley preparations, not purified from saponins, are contraindicated in gastritis and acute liver and kidney diseases. Infusion is prepared from 4 g of raw materials and 200 ml of boiling water, take a tablespoon every 2 hours.
Lily of the valley flowers are official in Finland and Switzerland, the rhizomes are official in the United States, and the herb is official in 13 countries around the world. In the former USSR, the flowers, leaves and grass were official.
In domestic folk medicine, the use of lily of the valley healers recommend for heart disease, edema, dropsy, epilepsy, fever. Externally in the form of lotions for eye diseases.
In England, a water infusion of lily of the valley flowers is used to strengthen the nervous system, against headaches and as a remedy to protect against infectious diseases.
In the GDR, a wine infusion of the flowers was considered a good remedy for paralysis.
The plant is poisonous to some animals, but is a favorite food of spotted deer.
The use of lily of the valley, its ground flowering part, is recommended as a reducing excitability of the central nervous system and diuretic in heart disease, in order to eliminate tachycardia and reduce congestion.
According to our observations, the action is most effective in the combination of lily of the valerian flowers with valerian root..
