St. John's wort subclass. Distinctive features of different types of St. John's wort

Hyperici herba Instead of GF XI, no. 2, art. 52 (amendment No. 4 dated December 25, 1999)

Collected in the flowering phase and dried herbs of wild and cultivated perennial plants St. John's wort, Hypericum perforatum, and St. John's wort (St. John's wort), Hypericum maculatum, family. St. John's wort – Hypericaceae.

External signs. Whole raw materials. The upper parts of the stems with leaves, flowers, buds and unripe fruits. The stems are hollow, cylindrical, up to 50 cm long, with 2 (in St. John's wort) or 4 (in St. John's wort) longitudinal ribs. The leaves are opposite, sessile, oblong or oblong-oval, entire, glabrous, up to 3.5 cm, up to 1.4 cm wide. St. John's wort has leaves with numerous translucent receptacles in the form of light dots. The flowers are numerous, about 1 – 1.5 cm in diameter, collected in a corymbose panicle. The calyx is fused-leaved, deeply five-parted, the sepals are lanceolate, finely pointed (in St. John's wort) or oblong-oval (in St. John's wort). The corolla is separate-petalled, 2–3 times longer than the calyx, there are 5 petals. The stamens are numerous, fused at the base with threads into 3 bunches. The fruit is a three-lobed multi-seeded capsule.

The color of the stems is from greenish-yellow to grayish-green, sometimes pinkish-violet; leaves - from grayish green to dark green; petals - bright yellow or yellow with dark dots, clearly visible under a magnifying glass; fruits are greenish-brown. The smell is weak and peculiar. The taste of the aqueous extract is bitter, slightly astringent.

Medicinal marigold flowers GF XIII FS.2.5.0030.15

Сalendulae officinalis flores Instead of FS 42-0168-06 (amendment No. 3 of September 2, 1999)

Collected at the beginning of the blooming of tubular flowers and dried flower baskets of the cultivated annual herbaceous plant of marigold (calendula officinalis) - Calendula officinalis, family. Asteraceae - Asteraceae.

External signs. Whole raw materials. Whole or partially crumbled baskets with a diameter of up to 5 cm, without peduncles or with remnants of peduncles no more than 3 cm long. The involucre is grayish-green, one- or two-row; its leaves are linear, pointed, densely pubescent. The receptacle is slightly convex, bare. The marginal flowers are ligulate, 15–28 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, with a curved short pubescent tube, a three-toothed limb, twice the size of the involucre, and 4–5 veins. Flowers are arranged in 2–3 rows for non-double forms and 10–15 rows for double forms. Pistil with a curved lower unilocular ovary, a thin style and a two-lobed stigma. The middle flowers are tubular with a five-toothed corolla. Occasionally, unripe fruits and their pieces of various shapes are found.

The color of the marginal flowers is reddish orange, orange, bright or pale yellow; middle ones - orange, yellowish-brown or yellow; unripe fruits - green, grayish-green, yellowish-green, yellowish-brown and brown. The smell is weak. The taste of the water extract is salty-bitter.

Leaves of Eucalyptus rodoforma GF XI, no. 2, art. 15

FOLIA EUCALYPTI VIMINALIS

Collected in late autumn, winter or early spring and dried leaves of the cultivated eucalyptus tree - Eucalyptus viminalis, family. myrtaceae - Myrtaceae.

External signs. A mixture of two types of leaves: leaves of old branches - petiolate from narrow-lanceolate to sickle-shaped, pointed, dense, 4-27 cm long, 0.5-5 cm wide; leaves of young branches are sessile with a rounded base or with short petioles, elongated - ovate, pointed at the apex, 3.5-11 cm long, 0.7-4 cm wide. There are leaves that have a transitional shape from elongated - ovate to lanceolate . The leaves are glabrous with a whole, smooth or wavy edge with numerous dots that are visible in passing bright light (containers with essential oil).

The color of the leaves ranges from light green to grayish green, sometimes with a purple tint and a faint bluish bloom. The smell is aromatic, intensifying when rubbed. The taste is spicy - bitter.

Common spruce cones GF XI, no. 2, art. 81

STROBILI PICEAE ABIETIS

Collected in the summer before the seeds ripen and dried cones of the common spruce - Picea abies, fam. pine Pinaceae.

External signs. Whole raw materials. The cones are oval-cylindrical or oblong-elliptical, 3-14 cm long, 1.5-5 cm wide; formed by spirally arranged covering scales, in the axils of which there are larger seed scales. Covering scales are 3-4 mm long, 1.2-1.6 mm wide, lanceolate, membranous, with an elongated apex fringed along the edge, reddish-brown in color. The seed scales of young cones are elongated - oval, greenish - brown, 8-10 mm long, 5-7 mm wide. In more mature cones, the seed scales are much larger - 2.5-2.7 cm long, 1.4-1.5 cm wide, broadly rhombic, truncated at the apex, unequally toothed, wedge-shaped-narrowed at the base; their surface is greenish or light brown, shiny in the upper part, darker and matte at the base. At the base of each seed scale there are two seeds, covered with a membranous wing. The seeds are ovoid, brown, up to 5 mm long, up to 3 mm wide; free end of the wing up to 11 mm long, up to 6 mm wide; Resinous secretions are often visible between the seed scales. The smell is fragrant. The taste is astringent, bitter.

RHIZOMATA CUM RADICIBUS VERATRI FS 42-1051-89

RHIZOMES WITH HEBELLE ROOTS

Collected in early spring or autumn, thoroughly cleared of soil, washed and dried rhizomes with roots of the wild perennial herbaceous plant Lobel's hellebore - Veratrum lobelianum, family. Liliaceae – Liliaceae.

External signs. Whole raw materials are whole or cut along rhizomes with roots and individual roots. The rhizomes are single-headed or multi-headed, 2-8 cm long, 1.5-3 cm in diameter. The outside is gray or dark brown in color, grayish-white when broken. The roots are cord-like, longitudinally wrinkled, up to 20 cm long, up to 0.4 cm thick. Outside, straw-yellow or yellowish-brown in color, grayish-white at the break. There is no smell. Taste is not determined.

Pumpkin seeds GF XI, vol. 2, art. 81

SEMINA CUCURBITAE

Mature, peeled from the remains of pericarp pulp and dried seeds of annual cultivated plants of common pumpkin - Cucurbita pepo, large pumpkin - Cucurbita maxima and nutmeg pumpkin - Cucurbita moschata, fam. Cucurbitaceae - Cucurbitaceae.

External signs. The seeds are elliptical, dense, slightly narrowed on one side, bordered along the edge with a rim. The surface of the seeds is glossy or matte, smooth or slightly rough. The seed coat consists of two parts: woody, easily detachable and inner - membranous, tightly adjacent to the embryo; sometimes the woody peel is absent (gymnosperm variety). The embryo consists of two yellowish-white cotyledons and a small root. The length of the seed is 1.5-2.5 cm, width 0.8-1.4 cm, thickness in the middle part of the seed 0.1-0.4 mm.

The color of the seeds is white, white with a yellowish or grayish tint, less often greenish-gray or yellow. There is no smell. The taste of the seed, peeled from the woody part of the peel, is oily and sweetish.

Bibliography:

1. Federal Law No. 61-FZ “On the Circulation of Medicines” dated April 12, 2010 (as amended).

2. State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR XI edition, volume II. – M.: Medicine, 1989.

3. State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation XIII edition - Moscow, 2015. (http://www.femb.ru/feml).

4. Mashkovsky M.D. “Medicines”: a reference book for doctors, 16th edition / M.D. Mashkovsky. – Moscow: New Wave, 2014. – 1216 p.

5. N.V. Bespalov “Pharmacognosy with the basics of herbal medicine”, textbook - Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2016 - 381 p.

6. E.V. Zhokhov “Pharmacognosy”, textbook – M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2016 – 544 p.

Pharmacotherapeutic group.
Astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant.

Description of the plant

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Rice. 8.25. St. John's wort - Hypericum perforatum L.

St. John's wort herb- herba hyperici
(h. Ordinary) - hypericum perforatum l.
St. John's wort spotted(h. tetrahedral) - hypericum maculatum crantz (= h. Quadrangulum l.)
Sem. St. John's wort- hypericaceae
Other names: hare's blood, krovets, sickly, common fool.

St. John's wort perforated

perennial herbaceous plant with a thin branched rhizome and a highly branched taproot (Fig. 8.25).
Stems in the upper part they are branched, cylindrical with two longitudinal ribs, 30-60 (100) cm high. Leaves and branches are located opposite.
Leaves oblong-ovate or elliptical in shape, sessile, entire, with numerous translucent light and black dotted containers scattered throughout the leaf blade. They appear to be holes pierced by a needle—hence the name “perforated.”
Inflorescence- corymboid thyrsus.
Flowers regular, with a five-leaf, non-declining calyx and a free five-petalled corolla; sepals are linear-lanceolate, pointed, petals are bright yellow, oblong-elliptic.
Calyx and corolla also have light and dark containers.
Stamens numerous, fused at the base into three bundles.
Pestle with an upper three-lobed ovary and three styles.
Fetus- a three-lobed multi-seeded capsule that opens with three valves (Fig. 8.26, A).
Blooms June - August, fruits ripen in September.

St. John's wort spotted

It is distinguished by a tetrahedral stem with four longitudinal sharp ribs.
Sepals oblong-elliptical with a blunt apex (Fig. 8.26, B).

Composition of St. John's wort

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Chemical composition of St. John's wort

St. John's wort herb contains various biologically active compounds. The main active ingredients are

photoactive condensed anthracene derivatives (up to 0.4%) –
- hypericin,
- pseudohypericin,
- protopseudohypericin, etc.

Also found

flavonoids -
- hyperoside (in grass - 0.7%, in flowers - 1.1%),
- routine,
- quercitrin,
- isoquercitrin and
- quercetin.

The grass contains

essential oil containing isovaleric acid esters.

Also discovered

tannins (10-12%),
resins (up to 10%),
catechins,
leukoanthocyanidins,
carotenoids (up to 55 mg%),
nicotinic acids and
ascorbic acid

Pharmacological properties of St. John's wort

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St. John's wort herb has multifaceted pharmacological properties.

The main pharmacological effect of St. John's wort —

antispasmodic effect associated with the presence of flavonoids in the plant.

This effect manifests itself on the smooth muscle elements of the stomach, intestines, bile ducts, and blood vessels.

St. John's wort preparations have

astringents,
anti-inflammatory and
antiseptic properties,
have a stimulating effect on regenerative processes.

In recent years careful study of St. John's wort has revealed his

pronounced antidepressant effect.

This effect is due to the presence in its composition of hypericin and other components that act on the structures and functions of the brain.

St. John's wort

increases adaptation of the psycho-emotional sphere under stress.

Due to the photosensitizing effect hypericin, St. John's wort increases the sensitivity of the skin to light and ultraviolet rays, which is especially pronounced in albino animals.

When eating hay with large impurities of St. John's wort, animals show signs of poisoning.

Biologically active substances St. John's wort herbs (mixture of higher alcohols, carotenoids, tocopherols)

have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Application of St. John's wort

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The variety of biologically active substances in St. John's wort determines the versatile use of its preparations.

Infusion and tincture of St. John's wort herb used as

antispasmodic,
astringent,
disinfectant and
anti-inflammatory agent.

Aqueous infusions of St. John's wort are prescribed

for gastritis,
for acute and chronic enteritis and colitis,
for biliary dyskinesias,
cholecystitis,
cholelithiasis,
hepatitis,
flatulence.

St. John's wort tincture is used for rinsing at

chronic tonsillitis,
sore throat,
gingivitis,
stomatitis.

St. John's wort preparations are prescribed

for mild to moderate depression, including anxiety, fear, and insomnia;
with asthenic syndrome.

With long-term use St. John's wort may cause

dyspepsia,
photosensitivity (ultraviolet radiation should be avoided during treatment).

Spreading

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Spreading

- Eurasian species. Widely distributed in the European part of the country (except for the northern regions), in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Caucasus, and the mountains of Central Asia. Beyond the Yenisei it is replaced by other species.

St. John's wort spotted has the same range, but is more common in the northern regions and in the Non-Black Earth Region.

Habitat

In dry meadows, forest clearings, in sparse forests, among bushes, in forest belts, among crops. They are usually found in separate stripes and patches; they rarely form large thickets. Young forest plantings, overgrown clearings and fallows are convenient for harvesting.

Procurement and storage of raw materials

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Preparation. The grass is harvested in the flowering phase (July - August) before the appearance of unripe fruits, cutting off the leafy tops up to 25-30 cm long with knives or sickles, without the rough bases of the stems.

Security measures. To renew populations, some plants are left for seeding. It is unacceptable to pull out plants by their roots. You cannot use the same thickets every year; the frequency of harvesting is 2 years.

Drying. St. John's wort herb is dried in attics, under canopies with good ventilation, spreading the raw material in a layer of 5-7 cm and stirring occasionally. In dryers with artificial heating at a temperature of 40-60 °C. The end of drying is determined by the degree of fragility of the stems. When dried, they do not bend, but break.

Standardization. GF XI, issue. 2, art. 52.

Storage. In a dry room, protected from light, packed in bags, bales, bales, boxes. Shelf life: 3 years.

External signs of raw materials

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External signs

Whole raw materials

Upper parts stems with leaves, flowers, buds and unripe fruits.
Stems hollow, cylindrical, up to 30 cm long, with two (in St. John's wort) or four (in St. John's wort) longitudinal ribs.
Leaves opposite, sessile, elliptical or oblong-ovate, entire, glabrous, up to 3.5 cm long, up to 1.4 cm wide. St. John's wort has leaves with numerous translucent receptacles in the form of light dots.
Flowers numerous, about 1-1.5 cm in diameter, collected in a corymbose-paniculate inflorescence.
Cup fused-leaved, deeply five-parted, sepals lanceolate, finely pointed (in St. John's wort) or oblong-elliptic with a blunt apex (in St. John's wort).
whisk Separately petaled, 2-3 times longer than the calyx, five petals.
Stamens numerous, fused at the base with threads into three bundles.
Fetus- three-cell multi-seeded capsule.

Rice. 8.26. Types of St. John's wort:
A – St. John's wort; B – St. John's wort;
B – graceful St. John's wort; G – St. John's wort:
1 – tip of flowering shoot; 2 – sepal; 3 – stem fragment.

Color stems - from greenish-yellow to grayish-green, sometimes pinkish-violet; leaves - from grayish-green to dark green; petals - bright yellow or yellow, with black dots, clearly visible under a magnifying glass; fruits are greenish-brown.
Smell weak, peculiar. Taste bitter, slightly astringent.

Crushed raw materials

Pieces stems, leaves (grayish-green), flowers (yellow) of various shapes and unripe fruits passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm.
Smell weak, peculiar. Taste bitter, slightly astringent.

Impurities

Possible impurities are presented in the table and in Figure 8.26.

Distinctive features of different types of St. John's wort
Plant name	Diagnostic signs
Plant name	stems	leaves	inflorescence	flowers
St. John's wort - Hypericum perforatum L.	Naked, 30-80 cm high, cylindrical with two ribs	Oblong-ovate or elliptical, 1-3 cm long, glabrous, with numerous translucent dark and light receptacles	Heavily branched, almost corymbose	Sepals are entire, finely pointed, with sparse black dots; petals are golden yellow, with black and light glands
St. John's wort -Hypericum maculatum Crantz(H. quadrangulum L.)	Naked, 30-70 cm high, tetrahedral	Ovoid or elliptical, 0.5-3.5 cm long, glabrous, with scattered transparent dots	Paniculata	Sepals entire, obtuse; petals are golden yellow, with black glands along the edge
St. John's wort - Hypericum elegans Steph.	Naked, 20-80 cm high, cylindrical with two ribs	Ovate-lanceolate, heart-shaped at the base, 1.5-2.5 cm long, glabrous, with black dots along the edge	Wide, almost pyramidal panicle	The sepals are finely toothed along the edge, with black glands at the top of the teeth; petals are light yellow, with black glands along the edge
Mountain St. John's wort - Hypericummontanum L.	Slightly pubescent, 30-60 cm high, cylindrical	Oblong-ovate, glabrous, 1.5-5 cm long	Sparse, short, oval panicle	The sepals are black-glandular-toothed along the edge; petals pale yellow
St. John's wort -Hypericum hirsutum L.	Densely pubescent, 50-100 cm high, cylindrical	Ovate or elliptical, short-petiolate, 1.5-5 cm long, densely pubescent, without receptacles	Long loose panicle	The sepals are black-glandular-toothed along the edge; petals are golden yellow

Qualitative reactions

When a 2% alcohol solution of aluminum chloride is added to a 50% alcoholic extract from St. John's wort, a greenish-yellow color develops (flavonoids). (in St. John's wort) are found throughout the leaf blade, along the veins they are longitudinally elongated; in St. John's wort they are rare or absent (Fig. 8.27).

Rice. 8.27. Microscopy of St. John's wort leaf:
A - epidermis of the underside of the leaf;
B - epidermis of the upper side of the leaf;
B - part of the sheet under a magnifying glass;
1 - receptacle along the vein; 2 - container with pigmented contents; 3 - container with colorless contents; 4—clear-shaped thickenings of cell walls.

Numerical indicators of raw materials

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Whole raw materials

The amount of flavonoids in terms of rutin (spectrophotometric method) is not less than 1.5%; humidity no more than 13%; total ash no more than 8%; ash, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, no more than 1%; stems (including those separated during analysis) no more than 50%; organic impurity no more than 1%; mineral impurity no more than 1%.

Crushed raw materials

The amount of flavonoids in terms of rutin is not less than 1.5%; humidity no more than 13%; total ash no more than 8%; ash, insoluble in a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid, no more than 1%; stems no more than 50%; particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 7 mm, no more than 10%; particles passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 0.31 mm, no more than 10%; organic impurity no more than 1%; mineral impurity no more than 1%.

Medicines based on

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St. John's wort grass, crushed raw materials. Astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic.
As part of the collections (antidiabetic preparations “Arfazetin”, “Mirfazin”; diuretic preparations “Brusniver”, “Brusniver-T”; choleretic, hepatoprotective collection “Gepafit”).
St. John's wort tincture (tincture (1:5) in 40% ethanol). Astringent, anti-inflammatory agent.
Novoimanin, alcohol solution 1% for external use (total preparation from the herb St. John's wort). Antibacterial agent.
Deprim, tablets (extract standardized to hypericin). General tonic, adaptogenic agent.
Doppelhertz Nervotonic, oral solution (liquid extract). Antidepressant.
Gelarium Hypericum, dragee (extract standardized to hypericin). Antidepressant.
Negrustin, capsules; oral solution (extract). Antidepressant, anxiolytic agent.
Yarsin 300, dragee (extract). Antidepressant.
St. John's wort extract is included in a number of complex preparations (Sibektan, Novo-Passit, Faringal, Prostanorm, etc.), restorative balms and elixirs.

Family St. John's wort - Hypericaceae

St. John's Hollow is a perennial herbaceous plant. The stems are branched, with two ribs, up to 60 cm high. Leaves and branches are located opposite. The leaves are oblong-oval in shape, obtuse, entire-edged, smooth, with translucent spots scattered throughout the leaf blade and black dotted containers of essential oils along the edges. The flowers are free-petaled, regular, with a five-petalled corolla; petals are bright yellow, oblong-oval, with black-brown dots (on the underside). There are 50-60 stamens, fused at the base into three bundles. The inflorescence is a corymbose panicle. The fruit is a three-lobed multi-seeded capsule that opens with three doors.

It blooms from June to August, the fruits ripen in September.

Along with St. John's wort, it is permitted to harvest St. John's wort (H. maculatum Grantz) for medicinal purposes. (H. quadrangulum L.). It differs from St. John's wort in having a tetrahedral stem with four longitudinal sharp ribs.

Other types of St. John's wort have a similar chemical composition, but have not been sufficiently studied by official medicine and do not have an approved pharmacopoeial status.

Spreading

St. John's wort is found in almost the entire European part of the country, in the Caucasus and Western Siberia. To the east of the Yenisei it is replaced by a related species - St. John's wort (H. attenuatum Choisy).

St. John's wort is distributed throughout almost the entire European part of Russia except the Far North, Lower Don and Lower Volga, as well as in the south of Western and Eastern Siberia.

In Siberia and the Far East, in addition to the above-mentioned St. John's wort, St. John's wort, H. ascyron L., is common. Outside Russia, it is common in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Northeast China and North America (USA and Canada).

Habitat

St. John's wort is common in forest and forest-steppe zones. It is usually found in stripes and patches (it rarely forms large thickets) in dry meadows, forest clearings and edges, overgrown clearings, in sparse birch, oak or pine forests, and on dry rocky mountain slopes. It is found as a weed along roadsides, along the edges of fields, in gardens and orchards.

St. John's wort grows in forest clearings, edges and clearings, among bushes, in meadows, along the banks of reservoirs, the edges of fields, in vegetable gardens and orchards. It often coexists with St. John's wort, but prefers moister soils and is more shade-tolerant.

Chemical composition

The herb St. John's wort contains a variety of biologically active compounds. The main active ingredients of St. John's wort herb are photoactive condensed anthraquinones of the hypericin group.

The herb also contains essential oil, flavone compounds, sterols, tannins, resins, anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanidins, triterpene saponins, phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives, coumarins, carotene, nicotinic and ascorbic acids, vitamin P.

pharmachologic effect

St. John's wort has multifaceted pharmacological properties. The main pharmacological effect of St. John's wort is its antispasmodic effect, associated with the presence of flavonoids in the plant. This effect manifests itself on the smooth muscle elements of the stomach, intestines, bile ducts, and blood vessels.

St. John's wort preparations have astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, vasodilator, bronchodilator, choleretic, hemostatic, diuretic, analgesic properties, and have a stimulating effect on regenerative processes.

Hypericin exhibits a slightly sedative effect.

Due to the photosensitizing substance hypericin contained in the herb, St. John's wort increases the sensitivity of the skin to light and ultraviolet rays, which can cause burns and dermatitis.

Dosage forms

St. John's wort herb, briquettes, infusions, St. John's wort oil (oil extract), the drug "Novoimanin".

The herbs St. John's wort and St. John's wort are included in the State Fund XI as medicinal raw materials.

Application

St. John's wort preparations are used as an antispasmodic, astringent, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. The medicinal properties of St. John's wort are combined with a mild, bitter-astringent taste and a pleasant balsamic aroma. The presence of vitamins complements the therapeutic effect.

Water infusions and decoctions of St. John's wort are taken for inflammatory diseases of the digestive and genitourinary systems.

Alcohol tinctures of St. John's wort are used as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent in dental and otolaryngological practice.

St. John's wort preparations, which have photosensitizing properties, are used to treat skin depigmentation in vitiligo.

St. John's wort, in combination with other measures, is used as a moderate sedative for the treatment of symptomatic and reactive depression, nervous agitation and sleep disturbances.

The herb of the Far Eastern species H. ascyron is used in Russian folk and Tibetan medicine for headaches, palpitations, as an anticonvulsant and diuretic. A decoction of the herb is drunk for bleeding of various natures, and is used externally in the form of lotions and rubs to treat purulent wounds, traumatic bleeding, burns, and eczema.

St. John's wort is added as a seasoning to fish dishes and consumed instead of tea.

In the alcoholic beverage industry, St. John's wort is used as a component of bitters, balms, and some wines.

Procurement of raw materials

Flowering tops 25-30 cm long, without rough stems, are harvested during the period of mass flowering. The raw materials are dried in rooms with good ventilation, spread in a thin layer, and periodically turned over. Drying is preferably done in dryers with artificial heating at a temperature of 35-40°C. The end of drying is determined by the degree of fragility of the stems. When dried, they do not bend, but break.

Dried and packaged raw materials are stored in a dry room, protected from light.

Shelf life: 3 years.

Security measures

The frequency of procurement is 2 years.

It is not allowed to uproot plants.

Resources

St. John's wort in the USSR was harvested mainly in Ukraine, Belarus and the south of the European part of Russia. The yield of St. John's wort in natural communities reaches 15 c/ha of above-ground mass, in experimental plantings - up to 30-40 c/ha.

St. John's wort is perforated. medicinal herb medicinal properties contraindications extract photo description drugs application fruit raw materials composition planting, reproduction, care, distribution

Latin name Hypericum perforatum L.

Synonyms: St. John's wort, St. John's wort

In Russia, St. John's wort, in addition to the official one, has many local folk names, including: hare, hare tree, hare's blood, hare's blood, vertebrae, St. John's wort, healthy herb, St. Ivan's potion, St. Ivan's herb, krovavets, krovavnik, valiant blood - grass, red grass, sevenfold blood, wild chicken, twigweed.

Family St. John's wort

Genus Hypericum L. - St. John's wort

As remedy St. John's wort have been used for a very long time. It was used by the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates. Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. n. e. St. John's wort was prescribed for sciatica, burns, fever, and infused with wine for poisonous snake bites. But the medieval herbalist Hildegard of Bingen did not favor the plant, pointing only to its harmful properties for livestock. In many European countries and the United States, St. John's wort is called St. John's herb (in honor of John the Baptist), on the eve of which (June 24 for Catholics) St. John's wort blooms.
The Latin name of the genus, consisting of two parts - hyper (above, above, on top) and eicon (image, image, icon), is explained by the Greek and Roman traditions - keeping a bunch of St. John's wort in the house in order to drive away evil spirits, and the later medieval It is a tradition to place a bunch of grass on top of the icon to ward off the forces of evil. It was even used to remove damage.

This plant received its name not by chance. We noticed that when sheep graze where St. John's wort grows, their lymph glands become inflamed and ulcers form. Therefore, this plant was removed from pastures. It turned out that St. John's wort contains the pigment hypericin, which increases the sensitivity of non-pigmented areas of the skin to sunlight.

Description

A perennial herbaceous plant from the St. John's wort family, from 30 to 100 cm in height, with a thin branched rhizome and a highly branched taproot.

Stem Young plants have one, but from the second year of life there may be several. The stem is erect, round, with two protruding ribs, bare, green or reddish-brown, branching in the upper part.

Leaves opposite, sessile, elliptical, up to 3.5 cm in length. If you look at the light, you will see numerous light dots on them. It seems as if the leaves are pierced in many places with a needle. These are nothing more than containers of essential oil, which gives St. John's wort a specific spicy aroma.

Flowers free-petaled, regular, have 5 golden-yellow petals with black-brown dots (on the underside). Collected in apical widely paniculate or corymbose inflorescences. Petals are lanceolate, finely pointed, 12 - 15 mm long. There are 5 sepals, like petals. The sepals are glabrous, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, with sparse oval dots. There are many stamens, they grow together at the bases of the filaments into three bundles. There is one pistil, with the upper ovary bent outward, and with three columns.

Blooms in June-August.

Fetus- four-cavity multi-seeded box, opening with 3 doors. The seeds are very small, oblong, brown.

The seeds ripen in August-September.

Spreading

Occurs St. John's wort almost throughout the entire European part of Russia (except for the Far North), in the Caucasus and Western Siberia.

The northern border of the range is from 62° N. w. near the state border with Finland it descends to the south and, bending around Lake Onega from the west, rises to the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk and through the river basin. Pechora reaches the Northern Urals, crosses it at 60° N; into the territory of Siberia it descends along the eastern slope of the Urals, crosses the Irtysh at 59° north latitude. and follows east to the mountains. Tara, crosses the Yenisei north of Yeniseisk and reaches the lower reaches of the Angara River. The eastern border of the range goes from the Angara to the south through Kansk (about 96° E) to the village. Ermakovsky. From here the southern border runs along the foothills of the Western Sayan and Altai to Lake Zaisan, where it leaves Russia. Then, when the Amu Darya enters the plain, it again crosses the state border in the Tien Shan and Pamir-Altai and heads north, passing the highlands of the Pamir-Altai and Tien Shan, to Tashkent, Chimkent, goes around the Syrdarya Karatau from the west, goes along the Chu River, crosses it and follows to Alma-Ata, and then through the Ili River and the mountains. Taldy-Kurgan to Balkhash, goes around it from the east, turns to the west and passes along the southern foothills of Bektauat, Ulutau, Mugodzhar, to Uralsk, the southern slopes of General Syrt. Along the bank of Eruslan it reaches the Volga, meeting along its valley to Astrakhan, and from there along the western shore of the Caspian Sea - to the state border of the former USSR, which, together with the Black Sea, is subsequently the southern limit of the distribution of St. John's wort in the former USSR. To the west, the border of the range of St. John's wort goes to the border of the former USSR and continues in neighboring European countries. Isolated areas of the St. John's wort range are located in southern Turkmenistan (in the area of Nebit-Dag and Kushka).

Habitats. Distributed in forest and forest-steppe zones. More often it grows in small clumps, narrow stripes along the edges. In the forest zone it is found in dry meadows, along edges, in clearings, in sparse pine or dry coniferous-small-leaved forests. In the steppe zone it lives in meadow steppes.

In some areas of the European part of Russia and Siberia, along with St. John's wort, similar St. John's wort, St. John's wort and St. John's wort grow, the medical use of which is not provided for by approved technical documentation.

St. John's wort

Growing on site

St. John's wort is perforated. grows better on black soils, open sunny places.

St. John's wort can not only be harvested from nature, but also grown in your own garden. Seeds can also be taken from nature or you can purchase the Zolotodolinsky variety, specially bred for industrial cultivation.
St. John's wort is a plant that is undemanding in terms of soil fertility, but in terms of the mechanical composition of the soil it is better to choose not heavy soils - sandy loam, light and medium loams. On heavy, floating and crusty soils, small St. John's wort seeds do not germinate well. The soil is dug up in advance, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied if possible (1 bucket of compost and 20-30 g of ammophosphate per 1 m2), all perennial rhizomatous and root shoot weeds are carefully selected.

Care

Care consists of weeding, loosening and regular watering. To prevent a crust from appearing, the soil is mulched with humus.

St. John's wort Reproduction

Reproduces mainly by seeds. The best sowing time is before winter (late October - early November). 25 days before sowing, the soil is dug up, 3-4 kg/m2 of rotted manure is added, as well as complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 10 g/m2 of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If St. John's wort is sown in the spring, then the seeds are stratified in advance by mixing them with sand and keeping them in the cold for about 2-3 months.

You can sow St. John's wort in the fall, before winter, when the soil freezes, or in early spring (late April - early May). Seeds do not require pre-sowing preparation. It is better to sow seeds superficially in pre-made grooves or with shallow embedding, about 0.5 cm. The width between rows is 45-60 cm. To make the sowing more uniform, the seeds are mixed with 2-3 parts of dry river sand. If you pre-water the furrows during spring sowing, the seedlings will appear more friendly and faster.
Another way to speed up the emergence of friendly shoots, especially in a dry spring, is to cover the crops with agril or plastic wrap. Of course, this advice is not applicable on large areas, but on your favorite pharmacy bed on your summer cottage it’s just right. When the seeds begin to germinate, the cover is removed.
Shoots appear in 3-3.5 weeks. The first months of life the plants are very small and develop slowly. Therefore, careful weeding and loosening are necessary. If the weather is very dry, it is better to water them generously several times. But at the same time, it is necessary to pour out such an amount of water to thoroughly wet the top layer of soil by 10-15 cm, and loosen the surface so that the moisture evaporates less. By autumn, some of the plants bloom.
In the spring, dry shoots from last year are cut off and, if necessary, on very poor soils the plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers. In July it will be possible to collect raw materials. The yield is about 250 g of dry grass per 1 m2.
It is not worth keeping St. John's wort in one place for more than 3 years - the yield is noticeably reduced. Therefore, when the plants reach 3 years of age, sow the next area. It will produce a harvest next year, and the old plot can be dug up in the fall. That's all the tricks for growing St. John's wort. Some plants can be left for seeds, and then the problem with seed material will be solved on your own. When the boxes turn brown, they are cut off and dried, spread out in a thin layer on paper. After this, they can be carefully crushed with a potato masher, which every housewife has in their kitchen, and sifted through a sieve. The seeds are ready for sowing.

Advice. St. John's wort can be placed in a mixborder or in a flower bed. And what’s surprising is that it looks very elegant.

Medicinal raw materials

The raw material of St. John's wort is grass collected during flowering, when about 50% of the flowers have bloomed, and the rest are in buds. The upper parts of the shoots, about 20-25 cm long, are cut off. There is no point in cutting the plants to the very roots - the lower leaves die off quite quickly, and the lignified, coarse stems contain very few active substances. Collection of raw materials must be done in dry weather, after the morning dew has dried. The grass is tied into small bunches and hung in the attic or laid out in a thin layer in a well-ventilated area and turned periodically. The raw material is considered well dried when the stems break with a crunch and the buds crumble when pressed. Store it in paper bags or craft bags.
The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years.

Chemical composition

St. John's wort raw material contains tannins, flavonoids, essential oil, saponins, carotene and vitamin C. Herb St. John's wort contains about 10-12% tannins, hyperia, hypericin. essential oil (0.2-0.3%), resinous substances (17%), anthocyanins (5-6%), saponins, vitamin C and carotene.

St. John's wort Active ingredients

St. John's wort herb contains carbohydrates and related compounds, such as mannitol (up to 2%), essential oil (6.22%), alkaloids, vitamins C, most in the flowering phase (56 mg-%), carotene (55 mg%), PP , phenols, phenolcarboxylic acids, tannins (10.57-10.96%), flavonoids (up to 2%), anthocyanins (5.66-5.78%), anthraquinones. The plant juice contains organic acids (6.07%), nitrogen-containing substances (choline), tannins (0.86%), flavonoids (0.1-0.11%), anthraquinones, sterols, triterpene saponins, alkaloids (0. 3%), nitrogen-containing compounds (choline), vitamins (C, E, carotene), phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives, coumarins, tannins (3-12%), 2-5% flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperin), anthocyanins (5.7%), anthraquinones (hypericin, pseudohypericin, protopseudohypericin, hypericodehydrodianthrone, frangulaemodinanthrone), hyperforin, leukoatocyanidins, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons (octacosane, triacontane), higher aliphatic alcohols.

Saponins, alkaloids, vitamins, tannins (2-7%), coumarins, flavonoids, leukocyanidins were found in the stems. anthraquinones; in the leaves - essential oil (1%), alkaloids, vitamin C, carotene, phenolcarboxylic acids, tannins (3.88 7.94%),
coumarins, flavonoids, e.g. rutin (2%), anthraquinones, essential oil in flowers (0.47%), carotenoids, saponins, vitamin C, phenolcarboxylic acids, coumarins, tannins (2.91-6.57%), flavonoids ( 17.3%), anthraquinones.

St. John's wort

Application

Medicinal

St. John's wort has long been used to treat various diseases in Rus'. It’s not for nothing that this plant is called “the herb for 99 diseases.”

St. John's wort preparations have astringent and antimicrobial properties, as well as the ability to stimulate tissue regeneration. They are used internally for colitis, and as an external remedy for second and third degree burns, gingivitis and stomatitis. The preparations imanin and novoimanin are also obtained from St. John's wort. used externally in the treatment of burns, fresh and infected wounds. In addition, imanin was used in obstetric, gynecological and otolaryngological practice, as well as in inflammatory processes of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, for rinsing, irrigation and lotions.

St. John's wort Application in official and folk medicine

Given the wide variety of active ingredients, St. John's wort is effective for a wide variety of diseases.
The range of applications of St. John's wort is extremely wide. Meticulous Germans tried to figure out which substance works how. And after lengthy research, certain results were obtained, although far from complete:

Food use

St. John's wort is used in the food and alcoholic beverage industries. It is added as a seasoning to fish dishes and consumed as a substitute for tea. This plant is widely used for the preparation of many bitters (“St. John’s wort”, “Erofeich”), almost all balms, it is included in the recipe of the wines “Bouquet of Moldova”, “Morning Dew”, etc.

To relieve stress, improve well-being after hard physical and mental work, as well as improve appetite and digestion, you can prepare a food tincture with vodka - “Zveroboevka”. For this, 2 tbsp. spoons of crushed herbs are poured into 0.5 liters of vodka, add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, leave for 2 weeks, filter. Take 50 ml before meals.

An infusion for external use is prepared at the rate of 2 - 3 tablespoons of herbs per 2 cups of boiling water.

Use in design

Golden flowers of St. John's wort and leaves, as if pierced with thin needles, look impressive in compositions of medicinal plants.

Ecology

Grows in dry and sunny areas. Distributed in forest and forest-steppe zones, rises into the mountains up to 2300 m above sea level. Rarely forms large thickets; more often it grows in narrow stripes along the edges of the forest or in small clumps. In the forest zone it grows in dry meadows, forest glades, along forest edges, in clearings and in sparse pine or dry coniferous-small-leaved forests. In the forest-steppe zone it is found in oak groves and birch groves, as well as in meadow steppes. In mountainous regions it grows in the foothills on rocky slopes, rarely rising to subalpine meadows. Sometimes, like a weed, it grows near roads, among crops, along the edges of fields.
Resources. The main procurements are carried out in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. In Ukraine, St. John's wort reserves are estimated at 200-300 tons, mainly in the forest-steppe zone. Polesie and the Carpathians. In the Carpathians, industrial procurement is possible in the amount of 8-10 tons. In the Vologda region, reserves of St. John's wort have been identified in the amount of 5-10 tons, in the Pskov region - 3-5 tons, in the Stavropol and Altai territories - 3 tons each. Procurement of St. John's wort is possible in the Krasnodar region , in Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Perm, Rostov and other regions, as well as in the Chechen and Ingush Republics.
St. John's wort should be harvested during its flowering, before the appearance of unripe fruits, by cutting off the tops of plants 25-30 cm long with knives or sickles, without the rough bases of the stems. St. John's wort herb is dried in attics with good ventilation, under awnings or in dryers at a temperature of about 40-60, spread in a thin layer (5-7 cm) on cloth, paper or sieves and turning frequently. The dried grass is threshed, after which the coarse stems are separated on sieves. The yield of dry raw materials is about 25%.
When harvesting, it is necessary to leave some of the plants untouched for seeding. ensuring the regeneration of the thicket. It is unacceptable to pull out plants by their roots, because... this leads to the rapid destruction of thickets.

Flower formula

Formula of St. John's wort flower: ♀♂ * H(5)L5T(∞)+(∞)+(∞)P(3).

In medicine

St. John's wort infusion is used in the treatment and prevention of gingivitis and stomatitis, to eliminate bad breath and strengthen the gums. St. John's wort preparations are used for biliary dyskinesia, hepatitis, stagnation of bile in the gallbladder, cholecystitis, chronic colitis, for initial symptoms of cholelithiasis, for gastritis with secretory insufficiency, flatulence, as well as for decreased filtration capacity of the kidneys, functional failure of the renal glomeruli with fluid retention and electrolytes in the body. As an adjuvant for urolithiasis.

Infusions in the form of compresses are used for bleeding and infected wounds, and a condensed extract is used to treat vitiligo.

The herb St. John's wort is a component of many borons and dietary supplements.

Contraindications and side effects

The drug is non-toxic, however, due to the content of traces of various alkaloids, which can cause a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, insomnia, photosensitivity, it is contraindicated in pregnant women, during lactation, and children under 12 years of age. The drug also has the following contraindications: hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Currently, the following information is available on interactions with other drugs: when using St. John's wort preparations together with cyclosporine, warfarin, steroid drugs, antiviral drugs - reverse transcriptase inhibitors (amprenavir, indinavir, efavirenz, nevirapine, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir); inhibitors of the activity of proteolytic enzymes may reduce their effectiveness.

For children

As a medicine, an infusion of crushed St. John's wort can be used from the age of 12.

Classification

St. John's wort (common) - lat. Hypericum perforatum L. - belongs to the St. John's wort family (lat. Hypericaceae). There are about 350 species of St. John's wort, 50 species grow in Russia.

Botanical description

St. John's wort is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 30 - 100 cm high. The stem is dihedral, bare, and oppositely branched in the upper part. Rhizomes and roots are underdeveloped and poorly branched. The leaves are opposite, sessile, oval or ovate, entire, with translucent glands in the form of black dots. The flowers are collected in a wide paniculate, almost corymbose inflorescence. The calyx consists of 5 lanceolate sepals, the corolla of five yellow-orange petals. The petals are strewn with black-brown or purple dots, especially along the edges. Stamens (about 50-60) fused at the base into 3 bunches. The plant blooms in June-August. Formula of St. John's wort flower - ♀♂ * H(5)L5T(∞)+(∞)+(∞)P( 3 ).

The fruit is a three-locular oblong-ovoid capsule 6 mm long and 5 mm wide. The seeds are small, up to 1 mm, cylindrical, brown. The fruits ripen in September-October.

Spreading

St. John's wort grows in deciduous and mixed forests, meadows, clearings, bushes, forest edges, fallow lands, clearings, and along roads. Distributed in forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones of the European part of Russia, in Western and Eastern Siberia, Transbaikalia, the Caucasus, Crimea, Central Asia, Belarus, Ukraine.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

St. John's wort (Hyperici herba) is used as a medicinal raw material. Medicinal raw materials are harvested during the flowering phase, before the appearance of unripe fruits. When harvesting, the tops of the plant, 25-30 cm long, are cut off. The grass is dried in attics, under sheds or in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 40ºC. Sometimes the grass is tied in bunches, which are dried hanging in the shade. Another type of St. John's wort is used as a medicinal raw material - St. John's wort (St. John's wort tetrahedral) - Hypericum maculatum Crantz.

Chemical composition

St. John's wort herb contains tannins (up to 13%); flavonoids (up to 8%): hyperoside (in grass - 0.7%, in flowers -1.1%), rutin, quercetin, quercitrin and isoquercitrin; carotene, antibiotic hyperforin; leukoanthocyanidins and anthocyanins (5-6%); essential oil (0.1-1.25%), which includes cineole; resins, nicotinic and ascorbic acids, vitamins P and PP, choline, anthocyanins, saponins, alcohols, traces of alkaloids and other compounds.

St. John's wort herb contains coloring substances: hypericin (up to 0.4%), pseudohypericin, protopseudohypericin, franguloemodinanthrol, hypericodihydrodianthrone, pseudohypericodihydrodianthrone.

Pharmacological properties

St. John's wort preparations have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, antispasmodic, diuretic effects, and stimulate tissue regeneration. The plant has restorative and hemostatic properties.

St. John's wort flavonoids have an antispasmodic effect on intestinal smooth muscles, blood vessels, bile ducts and the ureter, prevent stagnation of bile in the gallbladder, increase the outflow of bile, prevent the possibility of stone formation, facilitate bile secretion into the duodenum as a result of reducing spasm of the sphincter of the hepatic-pancreatic ampulla, stop spasms of the large and small intestines, restore normal peristalsis, improving the digestive ability of the gastrointestinal tract.

St. John's wort relieves spasm of blood vessels and has a capillary-strengthening effect, typical of compounds containing vitamin P. St. John's wort preparations improve venous circulation and blood supply to some internal organs, and also increase diuresis as a result of reducing tension in the walls of the ureters and directly increasing filtration in the renal glomeruli.

St. John's wort has photosensitizing properties, that is, it increases the sensitivity of humans and animals to the effects of sunlight (this is associated with the presence of the hypericin pigment in St. John's wort).

The tannins of the plant have a slight astringent and anti-inflammatory effect, and have antimicrobial activity against a number of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics.

High antibacterial activity of St. John's wort has been established. Plant hyperforin inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, affects gram-positive microflora in low concentrations, but has almost no effect on gram-negative microorganisms, fungi and actinomycetes. The bactericidal activity of this antibiotic is significantly lower than the bacteriostatic one. However, hyperforin has no independent practical significance due to chemical instability and instability of antimicrobial activity.

The bitter substance in aqueous extracts from the herb St. John's wort stimulates gastric secretion.

Hypericin contained in the plant, when taken orally, plays the role of a catalyst for certain intracellular reactions and a factor regulating important life processes of the body. It also increases the absorption of ultraviolet rays by the skin, however, it does not dissolve in water, therefore it is not detected in infusions and decoctions, but is present in alcoholic extracts and in plant juice.

Use in folk medicine

People use St. John's wort infused with vegetable oil to treat bruises, wounds, ulcers, abscesses, and burns. St. John's wort is also used in the treatment of diseases of the lungs, stomach, intestines and gall bladder, for diarrhea and nervous disorders. In Czech medicine, it is believed that St. John's wort has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and has anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. Ancient Slovak medicine recommends St. John's wort for diseases of the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and gall bladder.

Historical reference

St. John's wort has been used as a medicinal plant for a long time. The first mention of the plant dates back to the time of Hippocrates (460-377 BC). Dioscorides prescribed taking St. John's wort seeds with honey; Pliny wrote about the plant. Paracelsus used St. John's wort to treat wounds, contusions, bleeding, and abscesses. During excavations at the site of Biskupin (Poland), which existed about 2,500 years ago, remains of the herb St. John's wort were found among medicinal preparations. In Rus', St. John's wort was considered a herb for 99 diseases. By order of Tsar Michael, St. John's wort was collected in Siberia, dried, ground into flour and sent to Moscow “by the pound for every year.”

Literature

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