Celandine grass is a perennial bushy plant. Growing, reaches a length of more than a meter. Many branches leave the stem of adult plants, inside the stem is hollow. Leaflets on top are light green, inside are bluish, soft, with small villi, alternate. They are pinnate, with rounded edges. The root is many-headed, small-branched. Medium or small bright yellow flowers, grow on long pedicels. Flowers have four petals. Flowers are collected on simple umbrellas in a few pieces. The fruit of the celandine is a single-shot box that opens from the bottom up. Seeds are glossy black.
At the break, the celandine grass releases yellow or orange juice and therefore it is easy to distinguish it from other plants.
The flowering time of celandine lasts from May to August. The plant prefers shady deciduous or coniferous forests, shrubs, riverbanks, rocky mountainous areas, and it can also be found in household plots and near housing. Distributed throughout Russia.
Celandine grass refers to medicinal plants. In herbal medicine, the terrestrial part of the plant is used. Harvesting of grass is carried out in the flowering phase, cutting it with a sharp knife or sickle under the root. Harvested raw materials are dried in the shade under an awning or in a room with good air access, not in the sun. The criterion for a good drying of the grass is the moisture content in the dry grass of not more than fourteen percent and a light green color. From one plant, eighty centimeters high, you can collect up to sixty grams of wet weight.
Harvested grass is celandine, packed in packaging or paper bags, used as an integral part of creams and ointments, solutions for topical use.
In its composition, celandine grass contains a group of chemicals (alkaloids): helidonin, sanguinarine, helerythrin, protopine, homochelidonin, spartein and others. The total amount of alkaloids at the end of the growing season reaches one and a half percent. Grass seeds contain about fifty percent of the essential oil, enzymes that break down fats. This herb contains carotene, ascorbic acid, flononoids, resinous substances and organic acids (succinic, malic, etc.).
Celandine grass , use in medicine.
The alkaloids of this herb are derivatives of naphthophenanthredine and have a narcotic effect. However, it is much weaker than the opium alkaloids. They also have a detrimental effect on bacteria and fungi. May inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi and malignant tumors.
Water-based herb extract has a local irritant effect. When it enters the bloodstream, it causes hypotension, a decrease in heart rate, and breathing becomes more superficial and deep.
The alkaloid chelidonin contained in the celandine is similar in action to morphine: it has a calming effect. Homochelidonin is a powerful local anesthetic, but is not used in medicine, as it leads to seizures. Chelerythrin has a strong local irritant effect. Sanguinarine initially depressing effect on the nervous system with the subsequent occurrence of excitement. This is due to the anticholinesterase property. It enhances intestinal motility, causes hypersalivation. Protopin suppresses the work of the autonomic nervous system, increases the tone of the myometrium.
Celandine grass, treatment in folk medicine.
An extract or decoction is used for skin diseases (wounds, trophic ulcers, abscesses and boils, warts and corns, eczema). Inside, the decoction is taken for malignant neoplasms, tuberculosis, diseases of the internal organs. Celandine ointment is used for psoriasis, cutaneous tuberculosis. Grass has a laxative and diuretic effect.