Ephedra bicolor (ephedra distachya). Properties of ephedra and its medicinal composition. The use of ephedra in the recipes of modern phytotherapists

Ephedra bicolor (Kuzmicheva grass) is a perennial, branching, evergreen shrub 20-50 cm tall, from the ephedra family. The stems are woody, erect, branched from the base, with articulate, smooth green branches. Leaves are suprotic, reduced, compound at the base. Flowers are small, unisexual, collected in small spikelets. Ephedra bicolor blooms in May through June. The entire plant is poisonous (Fig. 93).


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Widespread in the southern regions of the European part of the USSR, Western Siberia, and the Caucasus. Grows Ephedra bicolor in steppe and desert zones, on plains, on rocks, chalk outcrops, woofers, calcareous, sandy and rubbly soils.

The above-ground part is used - ephedra herb, collected during the flowering period.

Chemical composition

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Ephedra herb contains the alkaloid ephedrine, its isomers (0.65-1.70%), tannins, pyrocatechin, phlobaphene, ascorbic acid (240-371 mg%) and others.

Action and application

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Ephedra alkaloid has an excitatory effect on the central nervous system. Ephedrine, an antiaminoxidase drug that increases sympathetic nervous system tone, blood pressure, increases bronchial lumen, and slightly increases blood sugar. Unlike adrenaline, ephedrine has a more persistent effect and excites the central nervous system.

Ephedra leaves are included in anti-asthmatic collections and infusions. Ephedrine is prescribed in bronchial asthma, hay fever, urethargy, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, etc.In hypotension, spinal anesthesia, intravenous infusion of novarsenol; in poisoning with narcotic substances, opium group preparations, scopolamine, locally - as a styptic in nasal bleeding and as a vasoconstrictor in rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc. п.

In Bulgaria, ephedra herb is used for low blood pressure, allergies - bronchial asthma, hay fever, urticaria, etc.

Green twigs, an ephedra herb, are the official raw material in China and France.

In Chinese medicine, Ephedra bicolor is used as a cough suppressant, for whooping cough, bronchial asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis, as well as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antipyretic, reducing the separation of phlegm means. Preparations of the woody branches and trunks of the plant have the ability to inhibit sweating.

In domestic folk medicine, ephedra herb is used for rheumatism, diseases of the digestive organs, respiratory tract and other diseases. In folk medicine in Central Asia decoction of the herb is prescribed for acute rheumatism, gout. Ephedra bicolor is used to prepare bitter infusions..