Cinquefoil erecta (galangal) - beneficial properties and use in medicine. Contraindications for use. What can white cinquefoil cure?

... But there are also lesser-known plants, the healing power of which is no less than their stellar green counterparts, and in some ways even surpasses them. Behind the modest name “white cinquefoil” lies powerful tool from the most serious ailments - thyroid diseases, hepatitis, heart disorders... What else is this rare herb famous for?

From the Ardennes Forest to the Volga

To those who are unfamiliar medicinal herb Potentilla, the photo will show a charming flower with a low stem, white petals with a heart and a yellow core. Carved cinquefoil leaves, divided into 5 parts, reminded our ancestors of a human palm - this is how the plant got its nicknames “five-fingered” and “five-fingered”.

White cinquefoil is a pampered European beauty that meticulously chooses its habitat. She does not like excessive heat and the harsh northern climate; she lives in Central and Eastern Europe, from the Ardennes to the Scandinavian forests. In the European part of our country you can also find white plantations of five-palm - strictly up to the middle reaches of the Volga. As sad as it is to admit, main enemy Potentilla - civilization. Endless European forests and fields are rapidly turning into agricultural land, and today the wild medicinal herb has become a real rarity.

Treasure of Belarusian Polesie

In Europe, white cinquefoil has been known since the 18th century - its use helped cope with ulcers and purulent wounds, and then with diseases of the thyroid gland. For medicinal decoctions, ointments and tinctures use cinquefoil roots (sometimes seeds and flowers), which are collected late autumn. It is at this time that the thrifty plant accumulates the most useful substances.

And you can’t count how many of these same substances there are in the pentacle! , all kinds of acids with intricate names, magnesium, copper, iron, iodine and the miraculous “iodic acid anion”... Today, many endocrinologists advise their patients to have white cinquefoil root - contraindications (which, we note, are practically non-existent) and unique properties it allows you to cure such serious thyroid diseases as thyrotoxicosis and various forms of goiter.

In environmentally problematic areas and huge cities, the endocrine system is the first to come under attack - in these conditions, sometimes it is the white cinquefoil that becomes a real salvation. So, in Belarusian Polesie, where they have long grown cinquefoil and drank decoctions from it instead of ordinary tea, after a terrible Chernobyl disaster There were practically no cases of endemic goiter - growth of the thyroid gland due to iodine deficiency...

What can white cinquefoil cure?

Finding the rare white cinquefoil in pharmacies is quite problematic - the herb is listed in the Red Books of Belarus and several regions of our country. Most often, pentadigitum is sold in specialized online medicinal stores and chain pharmacies. If you are lucky enough to find this plant on sale, do not miss the chance, because white cinquefoil is not only strong in iodine - it is important to know the use and contraindications of quinquefoil for a variety of ailments.

Why is white cinquefoil so necessary in your home medicine cabinet?

• Normalizes endocrine disorders, restores full metabolism.
• For women, cinquefoil is a real lifesaver: it improves hormonal balance and relieves pain during menstruation.
• Flavonoids and healing minerals in European grass work wonders for the heart and blood vessels: they increase the elasticity of blood vessels and dissolve small cholesterol plaques, improve blood composition and activate blood flow. As a result, the heart works faster and without interruption.
• White cinquefoil is a good diuretic, and the medicinal herb does not irritate the kidneys and has no side effects.
• Works well in complex therapy for liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.
• Improves digestion, stimulates the intestines for chronic constipation, helps heal ulcers and cope with colitis.
• An excellent antiseptic is also the white cinquefoil herb: medicinal properties It is especially noticeable when used externally. Potentilla decoction heals stomatitis, boils and abscesses, purulent wounds, dermatitis and even such an intimate problem as hemorrhoids.

Why is cinquefoil dangerous?

Since white cinquefoil is so good, its contraindications must be very serious - this logic is true for many medicinal plants, but not for pentacle. The only prohibition for using a European healer is hypotension.

Pentadigital significantly lowers blood pressure, so be sure to take this nuance into account before the course of treatment. And try not to drink cinquefoil before a trip (if you are driving!), an exam or important presentation– the herb slightly reduces concentration and can cause drowsiness.

And don’t forget about individual tolerance - although cinquefoil is practically harmless, any course of herbal medicine must be approached as strictly as possible. Listen carefully to yourself and stop herbal treatment at the slightest sign of alarm.

Use of white cinquefoil

The outer parts of the pentacle are used surprisingly rarely in medicine: the absolute leader of the medicinal charts is the root of the white cinquefoil! The use of roots can be very different - for example, in the form of decoctions.

Decoction

A decoction of white cinquefoil roots is a universal remedy for both treating internal sores and external problems. The recipe is as follows: pour a large spoonful of pentacled with a glass of boiling water and boil for 15 minutes (low heat is needed). When the medicine has cooled, strain. You need to drink one tablespoon an hour and a half before a full breakfast-lunch-dinner.

A decoction of European cinquefoil is an effective and safe home remedy for sore throat and stomatitis. This is also a full-fledged lip balm - if you lubricate your lips, cracked in the cold with liquid cinquefoil, they will heal much faster!

Cinquefoil erecta is a plant that was used to treat medieval Europe. In ancient times, it was used for jaundice, digestive disorders, and was used to treat wounds and burns. At that time it was the most effective potion against dysentery. It is no coincidence that the name of the herb translated from Latin means “strongly effective against dysentery.” Before the discovery of its medicinal properties, Potentilla erecta was used to extract black and red dyes. Today, the rhizome of this plant is used not only in medicine, but also in the canning and alcoholic beverage industries.

Features of Potentilla erecta

What does cinquefoil erect, or galangal, look like? How to harvest its rhizome? For what diseases is it recommended to be used? Does the herb have any contraindications?

Area

The grass galangal is a Eurasian plant species. Widely distributed throughout Europe, but can also be found in the Caucasus and Asia. In Russia it grows throughout the European part. There is especially a lot of grass in Polesie; it can also be collected in the Urals and Siberia up to Altai Territory. Kalgan takes root in both sandy and marshy soils. It needs a lot of light and warmth to grow, so you should look for grass at open spaces- on pastures, slopes, meadows, pastures, clearings, sparse forests, clearings.

Botanical characteristics

Kalgan plant - perennial grass height from 15 to 50 cm. What are its botanical features?

The grass blooms from May to September, depending on the climate zone.

Grass collection

How to properly collect and prepare raw materials in order to preserve their healing properties?

• Blank. The rhizome is harvested either in late autumn, or in early spring before the first leaves appear on the stems. The rhizome is dug up and washed running water, freed from thin roots.
• Drying. Can be dried in natural conditions (dry, ventilated, warm attics), laying out raw materials thin layer. It is recommended to dry the rhizome quickly. If there are no conditions, you can dry it in an electric dryer at a temperature not exceeding 60°C.
• Storage . Raw materials are packaged in paper or linen bags and protected from light and dampness. Shelf life - up to 6 years.

Healing effect

Chemical composition of the rhizome:

• tannins;
• glycosides (especially a lot of tormentillin);
• essential oil;
• organic acids;
• gum;
• bioflavonoids;
• resins;
• wax;
• minerals;
• Sahara.

Medicinal properties of galangal root:

• anti-inflammatory;
• choleretic;
• astringent;
• expectorant;
• soothing;
• wound healing;
• bactericidal;
• hemostatic.

For what diseases is it useful to take

What are the indications for the use of galangal in scientific medicine? For what diagnoses is it included in complex therapy?

• Endocrinology. The herb improves metabolism, reduces cholesterol levels, stimulates the thyroid gland, so it can be prescribed for endocrine disorders.
• Gastroenterology. Thanks to its astringent properties, galangal is the first remedy for diarrhea of ​​various etiologies. Relieves inflammation in colitis, enterocolitis, hemorrhoids, dysentery, gastritis, stomach ulcers. For diseases of the liver and gall bladder, it is prescribed as a choleretic agent. It is also useful to drink for stomach and intestinal colic and cramps, and flatulence. Stops stomach and intestinal bleeding.
• Otolaryngology and dentistry. Apply externally for rinsing and applications. Well relieves inflammation of the throat, gums, pharynx, oral mucosa, heals wounds with stomatitis.
• Gynecology. Due to its hemostatic properties, it is used to treat uterine bleeding due to hormonal imbalance; the herb is also used for inflammation of the vaginal mucosa.
• Dermatology. Wide Application galangal root in the treatment of burns, frostbite, cracks, wounds, eczema is explained by its wound-healing, analgesic, bactericidal effect.
• Diseases of the joints and muscles. Used externally in the form of powder and tincture with alcohol for rubbing against rheumatism, gout, arthritis.
• Respiratory diseases. Taken orally for coughs during colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, removes excess phlegm.
• For potency. Kalgan root is a “male herb.” Many men have heard about the famous galangal tincture. It improves blood circulation and increases potency. In addition, the product has a beneficial effect on nervous system helps relieve tension in stressful situations, which negatively affect male potency. It is also useful to drink for prostatitis.

Are there any contraindications for galangal? These are individual intolerances, allergies to grass, and a tendency to chronic constipation. Also, root decoctions should be used with caution at high blood pressure. During pregnancy, during breastfeeding and in childhood, consultation with a doctor before use is required. Possible side effects such as vomiting and stomach pain in case of overdose. They are produced by a high tannin content.

Using and preparing galangal at home

What is the application in folk medicine Potentilla erecta? What medicines can be prepared from its rhizome?

Decoction

Use of Potentilla erecta decoction:

• externally: for rinsing, irrigating the throat and mouth, douching in gynecology, for lotions for weeping wounds, burns, cracks, eczema, frostbite, bedsores;
• orally: for coughing, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, bloating and other digestive disorders, to stop bleeding.

Preparation

1. Take 1 tsp. raw materials.
2. Pour a glass of boiling water.
3. Boil for 1 minute.
4. Leave for 30 minutes.
5. Strain.

This decoction can be drunk as tea - 2 cups per day. For external use, you can prepare a concentrated decoction - 2 tbsp. l. raw materials per glass of water. It is also recommended to prepare a bactericidal decoction of galangal, chamomile and sage in equal proportions for rinsing. For bloating, add cumin (1:1) to the decoction, for inflammation of the stomach - mint (1:1), for adenoma - nettle and licorice root (1:1:1).

Preparing a decoction with milk

1. Take 1 dessert spoon of crushed raw materials.
2. Pour a glass of milk.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Leave for 30 minutes.
5. Strain.

There are many positive feedback about this medicine. This decoction is useful for coughs, liver diseases, stomach diseases, and intestinal inflammation. You can drink it 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day before meals.

Tincture

Using galangal tincture on vodka:

• for men: inflammation of the prostate gland, to increase potency;
• for women: for bleeding, inflammation of the female genital organs;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, bloating, inflammation of the stomach, liver, intestines;
• nervous system: for neuroses, to relieve stress;
• externally: in diluted form - when treating wounds, for gargling and mouthwash, rubbing for joint pain.

Preparation

1. Take 1 part of crushed raw materials.
2. Pour in 5 parts alcohol (40%).
3. Leave for 2 weeks at room temperature.
4. Strain.

Single dose - 40–50 drops. Can be taken 2-3 times a day for severe diarrhea. But if diarrhea does not go away within a few days while taking the medicine, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Preparing moonshine tincture

1. Take 100 g of crushed root.
2. Pour in a liter of moonshine (or 70% alcohol).
3. Leave for 3 weeks in a dark place.
4. Strain.

This tincture is popularly called “galganovka”. It is taken for gastrointestinal diseases. “Kalganovka” is famous for its medicinal properties that are beneficial for men. They drink it to increase potency according to the following scheme: take it for a month, then take a break for 10 days, after which the course is repeated 2 more times with a break. How to take this medicine correctly?

• First dose after 17.00 - 1 teaspoon.
• The second - at 19.00 - the same dosage.
• The third - at 21.00 - the same dosage.

Evening medication intake is associated with the biorhythms of male sexual activity.

Ointment

It is prepared on the basis of powder and pork, goose fat, glycerin or butter. Well softens rough, chapped skin, heals cracks on the lips. It is used to treat burns, frostbite, bedsores, and weeping eczema.

Ointment recipe

1. Take 1 tbsp. l. powder.
2. Add 2/3 cup fat.
3. Put 2 tbsp. l. beeswax.
4. Boil for 5 minutes.
5. Leave for 2 hours.

The ointment is filtered and usually applied overnight as a compress.

Powder

They are used on burns, weeping eczema, ulcers, cracks, and non-healing wounds. It is also recommended to be used as a tooth powder for bad breath and gum inflammation. The powder can be taken orally for heavy menstruation and diarrhea in the following dosage: ½ teaspoon 3 to 5 times a day. Dilute with water or red wine.

More information about use in women

For women, galangal is useful, as mentioned above, for uterine bleeding. They often occur against the background of hormonal imbalance. Also, the root in the form of decoctions and tinctures is taken orally for colpitis caused by Trichomonas. Douching with decoctions is also carried out for this diagnosis. The medicine has antimicrobial properties. Herbalists describe recipes for galangal for infertility. The root is drunk for 2–3 months to normalize the menstrual cycle and ovulation.

It is important to know that self-medication in gynecology can lead to the development of chronic inflammatory diseases of the female genital area, complications, including infertility. Gynecologists urge women to undergo gynecological examinations in a timely manner and not to prescribe treatment “via the Internet.”

The main medicinal properties of galangal are astringent, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, bactericidal, and wound healing. Potentilla erecta root is the first remedy for diarrhea and other digestive disorders. It is also an effective external disinfectant in dentistry, otolaryngology, dermatology.

Potentilla erecta from the family Rosaceae (translated from Latin: “ potential» - strength, and « herecta» - erect, straight) corresponds to its name, since the thick rhizome grows horizontally. It is multi-headed and has cylindrical shape, woody structure, color - red-brown and numerous thin roots, located in tubers, the length of which is 2-7 cm and width 1-3 cm.

Cinquefoil is endowed with one or more erect or ascending, forked-branched, slender and thin stems with short hairs. Their height reaches 30 cm.

The leaves “sit” on the stem and are trifoliate, with large, deeply incised trefoils. The leaves are also sessile, oblong-wedge-shaped, large-serrate, fibrous-appressed on both sides, and less often bare.

The basal leaves are compound, of three to five fingers, have long petioles and are collected in a bunch; there are two large stipules that die off when flowering.

Cinquefoil is endowed with single flowers with long pedicels with a diameter of 10 mm. The double hairy calyx has a subcup of 4 leaflets and 4 sepals that remain with the fruit, a corolla of 4 petals. The petals are obovate and yellow in color. The convex hairy receptacle is dotted with many pistils and stamens (more than 15-20 of them).

The number of yellow petals (4 of them) differs from other types of cinquefoil (there are 5 of them). Potentilla erecta blooms in May-September, multi-nut-shaped fruits ripen from mid-August to the end of September.

The plant grows in the European part of Russia and in Western Siberia, in the Caucasus, Ukraine and Belarus. Prefers wet meadows and sparse coniferous or mixed forests, forest clearings or clearings and birch groves. Grows between bushes and in vacant lots.

At artificial cultivation Propagated using cuttings of rhizomes and seeds. It will grow better in acidic, humus-poor soils. Sowing seeds, as well as planting rhizomes, is carried out superficially in rows with a distance of 40-45 cm. After planting or sowing, the soil must be watered and the rows sprinkled with a mixture of turf and humus.

During the growing season - spring and summer (July) the roots are constantly watered and fed, which grow by 3-15 g/m² annually. The flowering of seedlings, as well as the digging of rhizomes, begins in the 5th year of growth.

Cinquefoil erect: procurement of raw materials

As soon as the above-ground parts of the plant die off, in September-October, rhizomes are harvested. They can also be dug up before the leaves appear - in early spring, in April-May. They need to be shaken off the soil, cleaned of aerial parts and rotten rhizomes and washed in cold running water.

Next, the roots need to be dried for a short time. outdoors and dry in attics under iron roofs or sheds with good ventilation. It is best to dry in dryers with a temperature of 50-60˚C; when laying the raw materials on fabric, wire racks or paper, the layer should be thin (no more than 2-3 cm). Store for no more than 6 years.

Chemical composition of Potentilla erecta

Potentilla rhizomes contain tannins from the group of protocatechins (non-hydrolyzable) - 14-31%. The above-ground part contains – 4-12%. Most tannins are found in the rhizomes at the very beginning of flowering. In the above-ground part - during full flowering. In addition, rhizomes contain many of the following substances:

• crystalline tormentol ether;
• flavonoids and phlobaphenes;
• acids: elagic and chitinic;
• resin and wax, starch and gum.

The aerial part contains vitamin C, especially during the period of full flowering, organic acids: elagic and malic, gum, wax, starch, resins and phlobaphenes. After flowering, tanning and other biologically active substances are on the decline.

Cinquefoil erecta (galangal): beneficial properties

The rhizome has a bactericidal, astringent effect that relieves inflammation and stops bleeding. Tannins create a biological film, providing a local effect against inflammation. The film protects tissues from impacts: bacterial, chemical and mechanical, which usually accompany inflammation.

In this case, vasoconstriction also occurs along with a decrease in capillary permeability. This effect can manifest itself especially well in cases of inflammation, redness of the mucous membranes against the background of diseases: gastritis and enteritis, pharyngitis, stomatitis and gingivitis.

Potentilla erecta: p medical use

Potentilla erecta is used as an irrigation, rinse for the mouth, larynx and pharynx. from inflammation and bleeding . For internal use it is prescribed for the treatment of dyspepsia, enterocolitis and enteritis.

For hepatitis: Acute and chronic liver cirrhosis with the presence of congestion (edema, ascites) is treated with decoctions and infusions from the stems, leaves and inflorescences of erect cinquefoil to lower bilirubin in the blood, increase diuresis, reduce edema, hemorrhage and ascites.

Tannins with plant flavonoids reduce the permeability of cell membranes and capillaries, which is the basis of the mechanism of action of cinquefoil preparations. Potentilla juice mixed with water treats scrofula; using infusions you can reduce toothache.

For external applications, infusions and steams of herbs are used for burns and hemorrhoids, skin inflammation and eczema, ulcers, bleeding from wounds and various skin diseases. A root patch helps with wounds and lichen.

The astringent, antimicrobial, hemostatic and deodorizing properties of decoctions are used to treat diarrhea and bleeding: uterine and gastric.

Cinquefoil erecta in traditional medicine recipes

Potentilla decoction for diseases of the intestines, stomach, gout and rheumatism: rhizomes and roots are crushed (1 tbsp) and boiled for 15 minutes in 250 ml of water. Filter thoroughly and take 1-1.5 hours before each meal, 1 tbsp. l. 4 times a day.

Infusion of cinquefoil rhizomes: crushed rhizomes (1 tbsp) are infused under a fur coat in a glass of boiling water for 3 hours. Filter and take 1 tbsp. l. as a choleretic agent for peptic ulcers and gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice. Externally – for hemorrhoids as an application.

Potentilla erecta tincture: fill the raw material with alcohol (40%), keeping the proportion 1:10, and also with alcohol – 45%, keeping the proportion 1:5. Insist for 7 days. The tincture will acquire a yellowish-golden color. Take with water (30 g) for dysentery, diarrhea, diseases of the stomach, uterus and heart, and bleeding. A tincture of the root is used to make lotions for burns and eczema. Irrigate or lubricate the oral cavity with tincture for gingivitis and stomatitis.

Folk magicians claim that by wearing the herb in a pouch around the neck, a person will always get what he wants and can become a scientist, and will not be denied anything.

Tea: the root is pounded (1 tbsp), boiled for 10 minutes (1 tbsp) and poured into a teapot. Drink one sip at a time, 1-2 glasses in total throughout the day, half an hour before meals. At the same time, lard, meat, fish, eggs, salt and alcoholic beverages are excluded from the diet. Treat colitis with the presence unpleasant odor and mucus in stool. Maintain bed rest and apply a warm heating pad to your stomach.

Bleeding: stomach and intestinal Treat with a decoction of cinquefoil, after adding flaxseed to the raw material - 1 tsp. Take 1 tbsp of decoction every 2 hours. l.

Prefabricated decoction: mix cinquefoil root with caraway seeds, sage leaves and sandy cumin flowers (1:1:5:2). Take the mixture - 1 tbsp. l. for 1 tbsp. water and boil for 7 minutes, infuse and drink half a glass cold or lukewarm 0.5 hours before meals - for diseases of the spleen and liver.

Ointment for the skin of lips, hands and feet: finely chop the roots of the cinquefoil (5 g), boil for 5 minutes in 1 tbsp. butter Lubricate cracks.

Root decoction (1 tbsp per 1 tbsp of water) helps with scurvy and fluxes, purulent sore throat, and leucorrhoea (as a solution for douching). On the body - from wet eczema, rashes, wounds and bleeding bruises.

Cinquefoil erecta or galangal cures almost all diseases, so it is valued like Far Eastern ginseng. It is effective as a prophylactic agent for improving the health of the body.

Flower formula

In medicine

Preparations of the rhizomes of Potentilla erecta (decoctions) are used internally for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, diarrhea, enteritis, dyspepsia, colitis, for flatulence associated with fermentation phenomena, for internal gastric, intestinal, pulmonary and uterine bleeding. Externally – for inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx - stomatitis, gingivitis, sore throat.

In dermatology, the plant is used internally for atopic dermatitis, eczema, trophic ulcers complicated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, burns, hemorrhoids and inflammatory skin diseases. Externally – for acne, bruises, bleeding wounds, cracks in the skin of the extremities.

Rhizomes of Potentilla erecta are included in the collection “Phytodiarin ®”, which has antimicrobial, astringent and anti-inflammatory effects.

For children

As a medicine, a decoction of crushed rhizomes of Potentilla erecta can be used by children from 12 years of age.

In cosmetology

Cinquefoil is used externally in cosmetology. A decoction of cinquefoil is used for oily facial skin, and a lotion for acne. The plant is also used in cosmetology in other countries: in Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic.

In production

Cinquefoil has long been used for tanning leather and for producing black and red dye. The plant is also used in distillery production and as an additive to tea. IN Food Industry it is used as a spice when canning fish, to give products pink shade and specific subtle pleasant aroma and taste.

Classification

Cinquefoil erecta (Kalgan) - lat. Potentilla erecta L. Raeuseh - sin. Potentilla tormentilla Neck. – belongs to the Rosacea family (lat. Rosacea). The Rosaceae family includes about 115 genera and 3000 species. The genus Potentilla includes up to 500 species of plants, distributed almost all over the world, but mostly in temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical description

Cinquefoil erecta is a wild-growing perennial herbaceous plant, height from 10 to 40 cm. The rhizome of the cinquefoil is cylindrical or tuberous, thickened, multi-headed, woody, reddish-brown, bearing numerous adventitious roots. The stem is one or several, erect or ascending, forked-branched. The basal leaves are trifoliate or quintuple, long-petiolate. Stem leaves are sessile, trifoliate, large-serrate, with large stipules, appressed and hairy on both sides. Potentilla flowers are single, on long pedicels, about 1 cm in diameter. The corolla consists of 4 yellow, obovate petals. The plant blooms from mid-May to September. Potentilla erecta flower formula: *H4+4L4T∞P∞. The fruit is a multi-nut, ripens in August and September.

Spreading

Cinquefoil erecta grows in damp meadows, in sparse shrubs, on the edges of forests, and in clearings. Loves moist sandy, sandy loam, loamy and peat soils. In the northern part of the range - in the tundra and forest-tundra it is found along the banks of rivers, streams, and along the outskirts of swamps.

In the European part of Russia it grows from the coast of the Barents Sea to steppe zone, enters the southern taiga forests and forest-steppe of Western Siberia, grows in the Ciscaucasia, as well as in the mountain belts of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Found in Belarus and Ukraine.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

Cinquefoil rhizomes (Potentillae rhizomata) are used as medicinal raw materials. They are dug up during flowering, cleared of roots, washed from the ground and dried in the open air, in ventilated areas or in dryers.

Chemical composition

The pharmacological properties of Potentilla erecta depend on the biologically active substances contained in the plant. Rhizomes contain up to 30% tannins, tormentilin glycoside; triterpenoids (up to 6%): quinovic acid, tormentoside; resins, crystalline tormenthol ether; phenolcarboxylic acids: gallic, quinic, ellagic, caffeic, n-coumaric, protocatechin, flavonoids (kaempferol), phlobaphenes; phenols (fluroglucinol, pyrocatechol, pyrogallol); catechin, wax, gum, starch, macro- and microelements.

Pharmacological properties

A decoction of the rhizomes of Potentilla erecta has an astringent, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, bactericidal effect, and also has an expectorant and choleretic effect.

It has been established that aqueous extracts from cinquefoil rhizomes have antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and fungicidal activity. Antimicrobial effect of the decoction when exposed to it chemical compounds on the intestinal microflora is peculiar. Its effect is milder and physiological, since the biologically active substances of the plant are in essence and pathogenic pathogens do not develop resistance to them. A decoction of cinquefoil rhizomes is used in the treatment of diseases associated with functional intestinal disorders. This protects the inflamed intestinal mucosa from irritation and damage by microbial and other unfavorable agents, eliminates the acute inflammatory reaction, normalizes intestinal motor function, suppresses pathogenic intestinal flora and restores eubiosis in the intestine.

The general anti-inflammatory effect is associated with the action of flavonoids, and the local one is associated with tannins that can create a biological film that protects tissues from bacterial, chemical and mechanical effects that accompany inflammation, while at the same time reducing capillary permeability and constricting blood vessels.

In the gastroenterological department of the Clinical Diagnostic Center No. 1 in Moscow, studies were carried out on the pharmacological properties of the rhizomes of Potentilla erecta. 60 people were under observation. The first group included patients with functional bowel diseases (irritable bowel syndrome) and organic diseases (chronic enterocolitis). All patients had diarrhea. The second group consisted of patients with erosive and ulcerative processes in the stomach and duodenum, the third group - with chronic active gastritis. The fourth group was a control group and, unlike the first three, received only medications, without cinquefoil.

When the plant was used in a group of patients receiving Potentilla erecta as monotherapy, a fairly rapid disappearance of diarrhea or its reduction was observed. The pain syndrome also significantly decreased to 5% (before treatment it was 54%), and dyspeptic disorders such as nausea, bitterness in the mouth, belching, vomiting, as well as bleeding gums and rectal bleeding significantly decreased.

Diarrhea in the control group without the use of cinquefoil was relieved in 12 of 30 patients (40%), with the use of cinquefoil erecta in 24 of 30 patients studied (80%).

Also, in connection with increased interest to Helicobacter pylori infection, tests were carried out to identify Helicobacter pylori in patients from all four groups of patients before and after treatment with cinquefoil rhizomes. The results showed that Helicobacter pylori was absent in 16 out of 19 study patients who, before taking this herbal medicine, suffered from chronic active gastritis and erosive and ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum, and in the control group of patients, Helicobacter was absent in 8 out of 21 people.

Thus, Potentilla erecta can be used both as monotherapy and in conjunction with other drugs without interfering with their metabolism. This plant is well tolerated by all patients, regardless of age. The introduction of cinquefoil erecta into antiulcer therapy accelerates the time of epithelization and significantly increases the effectiveness of eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, given the presence of a large amount of tannins, it is necessary to remember the drying effect of bloodroot on the mucous membranes.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, decoction, infusion, tea and tincture of bloodroot are used. Potentilla erecta was used primarily as an astringent, expectorant and analgesic. Potentilla rhizome - ancient folk remedy, used in the treatment of gastritis, stomach ulcers, various internal bleeding (pulmonary, gastric, intestinal, uterine). For diarrhea and dysentery, they drank tea from the roots of the cinquefoil. A decoction of rhizomes was taken for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and insufficient acidity of gastric juice.

It was also used externally as an ointment for burns, frostbite, weeping eczema, as well as for rinsing with sore throat and scurvy. Potentilla was also used for jaundice, liver diseases, gout, and as part of the preparations - for diseases of the kidneys, bladder and prostate adenoma.

There is information about the effectiveness of infusions and decoctions of the leaves, stems and flowers of cinquefoil in the treatment of patients with acute and chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver with congestion (edema, ascites).

Cinquefoil has found application in other countries. In Bulgaria, infusion of cinquefoil is used as a choleretic agent for gastritis and peptic ulcers with low acidity, as well as in the form of applications for hemorrhoids.

The German National Health Service recommends using galangal internally for diarrhea, and externally for rinsing and irrigating the mouth for inflammation of the gums and mucous membranes.

Historical reference

Potentilla erecta has always been popular among the Russian people. However, many people know it as galangal. The people also have other names for this plant: elm-grass, ovary root, ovary, wood, drevlyanka, whisper, oubrovka, oak root, navel grass, diarrhea grass, uzik, zolotnik, etc. Legends about this plant have been preserved. One of them is connected with Ilya Muromets. It says that before the battle with the Nightingale the Robber, the hero found a large thicket of “whisperer” grass, inhaled the smell of its roots and felt immeasurable strength in himself.

Highly valued in the Middle Ages medicinal properties Potentilla erecta, since it was almost the only remedy for dysentery. In ancient reference books, cinquefoil is also mentioned in combination with other medicinal herbs. In the “Ethnobotanical Notes” of H. Marcellus, the following is said about the cinquefoil: during the plague of 1348-1349 in the Baden Valley, a bird flew from the sky to people and sang: “Whoever eats galangal and cinquefoil will delay his end.”

Literature

1. State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Eleventh edition. Issue 1 (1987), issue 2 (1990).
2. GOST 6716-71 “Rhizome of cinquefoil (wild galangal, dubrovka, uzik).”
3. State Register of Medicines. Moscow 2004.
4. Medicinal plants state pharmacopoeia. Pharmacognosy. (Ed. I.A. Samylina, V.A. Severtsev). - M., “AMNI”, 1999.
5. Mashkovsky M.D. " Medicines" In 2 volumes - M., Novaya Volna Publishing House LLC, 2000.
6. “Herbal medicine with the basics of clinical pharmacology”, ed. V.G. Kukesa. - M.: Medicine, 1999.

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