Section 2

Carbohydrates in plants account for 70-80%. They combine mono-oligo- and polysaccharides. For example, glucose is a monosaccharide. Starch, cellulose and glycogen are built from glucose. The green parts of plants contain a lot of fructose, which is part of polysaccharides. Sucrose is already an oligosaccharide. They are found in leaves, seeds, fruits, berries, tubers. Fiber (cellulose), of which all plant membranes consist, is also a polysaccharide. Thus, in wood it is up to 50%. The intercellular spaces of plants contain pectins, which belong to polysaccharides. They are abundant in berries and fruits. Thanks to pectins gelled marmalade, jams. Once in the body, pectins are not digested, but adsorb poisonous and harmful substances and remove them. Mucilages and gum are close to pectins.

The aira plant as a medicinal herb has been known since ancient times, especially in China and India. Physicians of ancient Rome, such as Dioscorides and Galen, also knew about the medicinal properties of the herb. And in the XVI century. German apothecaries sold already several centners of the root of the plant of the aira plant. In many countries, herbs of aira are included in the official pharmacopoeia. It is believed that the bitter essential oil and akorin increase appetite; this increases the secretion of gastric juice, improves digestion, reduces stomach pain. Used herbs and aira and in peptic ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum, aira plant is effective in gastric diseases, especially with low acidity of gastric juice. There are reports that the plant helps with kidney colic; it is used as a choleretic and diuretic. With a bitter taste, plant aira reflexively stimulates gastric secretion and increases appetite. The rhizome of the aira plant is included in many stomach and appetite teas.

Ledum marshii has evergreen narrow-lanceolate leaves that resemble broad needles. In a damp forest or on the edge of a bog, the bog fennel grows more than 1 m in height, while on the sphagnum ridges of a high bog the trunks of the bog fennel rise only 20-30 cm above the surface. When you get into the thickets of marsh fen, especially during the flowering period, in the first moments the smell of the plant seems pleasant. But stay there for a while and the reaction is not slow to take effect: lethargy, drowsiness and heart palpitations appear.

Medicinal raw material of the useful plant are roots and rhizomes of Valeriana medicinalis. Valerian roots are harvested in early spring, when the above-ground part of the valerian plant has not yet developed, or in the fall, after insemination. Excavated rhizomes of valerian plant are thoroughly cleaned from the ground, washed in cold water and dried. The rhizome of the valerian plant contains up to 2 % of useful essential oil of complex composition. In the rhizome of the valerian plant found alkaloids, saponins, organic acids (including valerian), glycoside, sugars, tannins and resinous substances. The most favorable effect on the human body is not the individual components of valerian herb, but its active substances as a whole. In addition, high treatment efficacy is achieved with systematic and prolonged use of valerian preparations.

The downy birch is a tree that reaches 25 m in favorable conditions, but in bogs the birch often forms multi-stemmed bushes only 3-5 m high. Light white-barked trunks of the downy birch make bogs as if openwork, transparent. The leaves of the downy birch are ovate, rhombic and differ well from the triangular leaves of another widespread birch, the drooping birch, which does not grow in bogs. There are also other distinctive features: the twigs of the downy birch stick upwards, while those of the drooping birch stick downwards; the former have fluffy twigs, while the latter have warts.

Thanks to its fast-growing rhizomes, the three-leaved watermilfoil is one of the leading groups in the overgrowth of water bodies and the formation of rafts. The rhizomes of the three-leaved plant grow towards open water and float close to its surface: air-bearing cavities prevent them from drowning. Intertwining with each other, rhizomes of three-leaved bush are bound by roots and plant remains. And here is already underfoot swaying, but strong living carpet, which can withstand the weight of a man. Under suitable conditions, the three-leaved plant can move into the depth of the lake by 0.5 m annually. The plant is accompanied by cinquefoil, whitefly, sedges and horsetails in its advance on the lake.

Decoction and infusion of the underground parts of the plant amphibian humpback is used in diseases of the stomach, urogenital, nervous and endocrine systems. The herb of amphibian humpback in the form of dry powder is used as a hemostatic agent, infusion of amphibian humpback is used in gastric diseases and as a diuretic. Infusion of the leaves of the highlander has diuretic properties, it helps with urolithiasis. In Transbaikalia, the herb is used to treat diabetes, in Altai - hemorrhoids, and in Austria - nasal polyps and cancerous tumors.

The main treasure of snakehead crawfish necks is the rhizome hidden in the ground. From above it is reddish-brown, and on the break - pink, darkening in the air. And all because it has a lot of tannins: up to 36%. There are also gallic and ellagic acids, catechin, coumarin, vitamin C, provitamin A, calcium oxalate, coloring substances. It's a complete cure! And in addition, and starch up to 30%. The most useful substances accumulate in the rhizomes of the herb rhizomes of snake throat in the fall, so collect rhizomes of snake throat at this time of year. In the above-ground part of the throat is also a lot of vitamin C (0.10-0.15%), there are tannins, flavonoids, coumarin, anthocyanin.

The medicinal raw material of the water pepper plant is the entire above-ground part of the plant, which is collected during flowering, i.e. almost all summer. When studying the raw materials of the plant water pepper (peppermint) found that it has flavonoid glycosides (7 species), some tannins (3-4%), organic acids, essential oils, saponins, vitamins K, PP and C, carotene. The therapeutic properties of this highlander are determined by the presence of glycoside polygopi-perin and a significant amount of vitamin K, as well as flavonoids, among which is rutinol, reducing the

In addition to ornamental value, the plant has a lot of useful properties. Studies have shown that the leaves and stems of Derbennik willow-leaved contain tannin, resins, carotene, traces of essential oil, glycoside salicarin; in the roots of Derbennik willow-leaved tannins, saponins; in the seeds - alkaloids, glycoside litrarine; in flowers - flavonoids. Derbennik willow-leaved is highly valued by folk healers. Herb and rhizomes are considered to be medicinal raw materials of Derbennik willow-leaved; the former is collected during flowering, the latter - in the fall.