Medicinal plants and their properties. How to prepare a tincture of medicinal herbs? Poisonous medicinal plants
Herbal treatment is the most ancient way fight against all kinds of diseases. Over the thousands of years of its existence, humans have discovered and studied the healing properties of hundreds of medicinal plants that can help with this or that disease. Over the long history, many effective recipes, many of which have reached and are used in folk medicine and in our days.
This section of the site presents many types of medicinal herbs, including field species, with high-quality photographs, the name of each plant and a detailed description of them beneficial properties and methods of application.
Despite the enormous pace of development traditional medicine and all the new products that it offers pharmaceutical industry, the use of medicinal plants to treat all kinds of diseases still remains relevant and does not lose its popularity. They can be used both for the prevention and treatment of various chronic and acute diseases in any field of medicine.
Medicinal herbs used in folk medicine can be fresh or dried, used both externally and internally. Medicinal herbs are much safer for human health than pharmaceutical drugs. They have fewer contraindications and side effects on the body.
For treatment use:
- tinctures;
- decoctions;
- extracts;
- infusions;
- tea fees.
Despite its apparent simplicity and harmlessness, unconventional treatment requires knowledge and caution. After all, for positive result, medicinal raw materials, must be collected correctly. And the tinctures, decoctions or extracts made from them are prepared only according to exact recipes. We should not forget about dosages. This is especially true for those medications that need to be taken orally.
It is advisable, before preparing medicine from herbs, to study our website, which lists medicinal herbs, photos with names, learn about the indications and contraindications of a particular medicinal plant, and methods of their preparation. You must not forget to carefully examine the raw materials for the medicine itself. It should be free of mold, dirt and other defects.
To make your search easier, we provide this list: Disease - Plant. Those marked with an asterisk are poisonous, each in their own way, so be careful! Read more about contraindications
2. Plants that increase blood pressure- Eleutherococcus, lowers - .
3. Expectorants and emollients - calamus, budra, larch, dandelion, primrose (primrose), chamomile, hops, jasmine.
5. Astringents (antidiarrhea) - blackberry, St. John's wort, golden rod, willow, viburnum (berry juice), nettle, mint, white water lily*, dandelion (bark), wormwood, *, wheatgrass, rowan.
6. Laxative medicinal herbs and plants - (berry), knotweed, bearberry, yarrow, chicory, thyme, string, horse sorrel (roots), jasmine.
7. Bitter herbs that stimulate appetite - dandelion, plantain, wormwood, chicory.
8. Enveloping and adsorbing plants - mullein, larch, Lyubka, wormwood, yarrow, chicory.
9. Metabolic disorders - blueberries, oregano, strawberries, fireweed, cranberries, nettles, fireweed, nettles, agrimony, licorice, string, bird cherry, blueberries (leaves).
10. Plants to reduce the acidity of gastric juice - barberry (roots), (leaf), barberry.
11. Choleretic - calendula, viburnum, nettle, white water lily*, juniper, mint, tansy, plantain, wormwood, agrimony, knotweed, yarrow, hops, celandine*, horse sorrel.
12. Gallstone and kidney stone diseases - geranium, strawberry, cranberry, nettle, cloudberry, agrimony, pine, knotweed, yarrow, horsetail, blueberry, rose hip.
13. Anthelmintic and anti-giardiasis - valerian, hoof*, tansy, pine, chicory.
14. Peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum- calamus, St. John's wort, calendula, viburnum, fireweed, white water lily*, burdock, coltsfoot, sea buckthorn (oil), tansy, plantain, chamomile, licorice, marsh cudweed*.
15. Gastrointestinal improve digestion - calamus, marshmallow, bergenia*, birch, lingonberry, budra.
16. When bronchial asthma- viburnum (berry juice), coltsfoot, lemon balm, wormwood, .
17. Soothing central nervous system- calamus, hawthorn, valerian, speedwell, blackberry, willow, viburnum (bark), willowherb, mullein, meadowsweet, linden, lemon balm, mint, primrose, chamomile, pine, hops, thyme, clearweed.
18. Diaphoretic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory - birch, oregano, blackberry, strawberry, St. John's wort, willow (bark), viburnum, cranberry, nettle, kupena, meadowsweet, linden, raspberry, mint, coltsfoot, plantain, chamomile, currant , string, bird cherry.
19. Diuretics - bergenia*, birch (buds), lingonberry, cedar, clover, cranberry, toadflax, raspberry, juniper, cloudberry, dandelion, nightshade, primrose, bearberry, string, celandine*, damask.
20. Hemostatic medicinal plants - bergenia*, barberry, blackberry, St. John's wort, viburnum (bark), nettle, meadowsweet, burdock, lemon balm, sea buckthorn, plantain, motherwort, chamomile, rowan, knotweed, yarrow, horsetail, thyme, yasami.
21. Anti-tuberculosis - calamus, birch (buds), budra*, nettle, buttercup*, coltsfoot, plantain, knotweed, bearberry, chin, celandine*, Icelandic moss.
22. For rheumatism, gout and radiculitis - birch, lingonberry, oregano, (needles), willow (bark), cedar, nettle, lily of the valley *, linden, larch (needles and resin), burdock, buttercup *, juniper, mint, aspen , nightshade, chamomile, pine, bearberry, hops, thyme, string, blueberry.
23. Against burns - burnet, meadowsweet, sea buckthorn (oil from the berries), rosehip (oil from the fruit).
24. Anti-alcohol - hoof*.
25. at eye diseases- chamomile, bird cherry, blueberry.
26. Wound-healing and anti-putrefactive - bergenia *, birch (tar), crow's eye *, oregano, blackberry, chickweed, St. John's wort, calendula, cedar, fireweed, clover, nettle, linden, burdock, buttercup, juniper, mint, linden, fir, plantain, marsh cudweed*, yarrow, chicory, celandine*, rose hips, jasmine.
27. Antihemorrhoidal medicinal herbs and plants - barberry, chickweed, St. John's wort, strawberry, cedar, mullein*, cat paw, nettle, buckthorn*, burdock, raspberry, dandelion, nightshade, rowan, yarrow, horse sorrel.
28. Medicinal plants and herbs for skin diseases— birch (tar), oregano, viburnum (berry juice), clover, hoof*, yellow egg capsule*, white water lily*, burdock, buttercup*, raspberry (leaves), aspen, fir, plantain, chamomile, licorice, knotweed, poplar , yarrow, horsetail, hops, string, celandine*, rose hips, jasmine.
29. Plants against insects - white water lily*, tansy, celandine*.
Our website provides answers to questions about medicinal herbs.
Before using any prescription, consult your doctor.
Everything you need to know about medicinal plants.
Why do people say that herbs don't help them?
Unfortunately, many people do not know at all how to use medicinal herbs correctly - at what time of year to collect them, how to store them, how to cook from them necessary medications and according to what treatment regimen. You definitely need to know the exact dosage and contraindications, since not all plants are safe for health - if used incorrectly, they can become poison rather than medicine.
How do medicinal plants help?
In the process of life, plants, under the influence of light energy, produce inorganic substances obtained from soil, carbon dioxide, water, biologically active substances. These chemical compounds have a certain effect on the human body: mineral compounds, vitamins, tannins, phytoncides (“natural antibiotics”) and other substances can have a beneficial effect on metabolism, immunity, and the functioning of various organs and systems.
Is it possible to replace drug treatment with herbs?
People are attracted to the many qualities of medicinal plants. After all, unlike antibiotics, they do not cause allergic diseases and drug complications. However, to contrast them drug treatment should not either - only a doctor can determine the required balance in intake medicines and medicinal herbs. It must be remembered that the effect of the same plant on health different people may be different and depends on the characteristics of the organism. Each plant has its own characteristics of impact on various organs. The experience gained over many centuries in the use of medicinal plants often allows for prevention and treatment various diseases more “gentle” means than traditional drug (or, especially, surgical) treatment. However, official medicine does not neglect the rich potential of medicinal plants: in fact, the active ingredients of most pharmacological drugs – plant origin or their synthetic analogues. And the herbs themselves are often prescribed by doctors as an alternative or addition to the traditional course of treatment.
What are medicinal plants made of?
Medicinal plants are those that contain biologically active, medicinal substances for humans: proteins, vitamins, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes, alkaloids, glycosides, bitterness, tannins, steroids, phenolic substances, phytoncides, flavonoids, essential oils, etc.
Proteins regulate all life processes of the cell. There are simple and complex proteins.
Vitamins – organic matter, synthesized mainly by plants. More than 20 vitamins are known, divided into two large types - water-soluble and fat-soluble.
Lipids are fats and fat-like substances. There are simple and complex ones. Lipids serve as a source of energy in the body. People get fatty foods from plants unsaturated acids, regulating fat metabolism and participating in the removal of cholesterol from the body.
Carbohydrates - organic compounds, found mainly in plants. Carbohydrates include cellulose (fiber), starch, inulin, mucus, gums, and pectins. Carbohydrates are very important for humans and are one of the main components of their diet. With a lack of carbohydrates, intestinal diseases can occur, blood sugar levels drop, memory deteriorates, and unreasonable fatigue appears.
Enzymes are complex proteins that accelerate chemical processes in organism. They play a major role in metabolic processes.
Alkaloids are organic compounds containing nitrogen. Some alkaloids are poisons.
Glycosides are organic compounds widely present in plants that contribute to the transfer and storage of various substances. Glycosides from some plants are used to treat heart diseases.
Bitters are natural compounds also called isoprenoids. Consist of terpenes, terpenoids and steroids. In the human body they are needed to enhance the choleretic function.
Tannins are natural compounds that have an astringent taste; in the composition of drugs they exhibit astringents and bactericidal properties.
Steroids are organic compounds. Steroids include sterols, bile acids, vitamins D, sex hormones, adrenal hormones (corticosteroids). They are part of steroid glycosides used to treat heart diseases.
Phenolic substances are a class of secondary compounds with various biological activities, such as aromatic ones.
Phytoncides are products of secondary biosynthesis carried out by higher plants. Plants are isolated in environment ethers, alcohols, terpenes, phenols. Phytoncides have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, rods).
Flavonoids are compounds derived from flavan and flavone.
Why is it better to use decoctions and infusions of whole herbs?
It is no coincidence that people believe that the action of one plant is less effective than the action of collecting several herbs. The effect is associated not only with different exposures various plants, but also with the fact that the action of one plant is often stimulated by the substances of another - which, perhaps, is not medicinal. That is why traditional medicine recipes are based mainly on medicinal mixtures and mixtures.
Collect medicinal plants yourself or is it better to buy?
Self-harvesting medicinal herbs- a complex and troublesome matter, requiring deep knowledge of where, at what time and how each specific plant should be collected. Active principles, i.e. biologically active substances that have a healing effect on the human body, are often found throughout the plant - in the roots, leaves, flowers. But more often they are concentrated only in certain organs, and therefore only part of the plant is often used for medicinal purposes. Collecting herbs for healing specific disease, you need to know which parts of the plants you will need - different parts are collected at different stages plant development.
In pharmacies you can buy a wide variety of medicinal herbs and their preparations. This is, of course, simpler and more convenient than collecting it yourself, besides, many plants recommended for the treatment of certain diseases are simply impossible to collect yourself - they are quite rare or not found at all in our area. On the other hand, self-collection is good for those for whom it is important to be absolutely sure: they will receive exactly the herbs that they need, and will have complete control over the entire process of collecting, preparing and preparing their medicine.
What is the harvesting time for medicinal herbs?
During different periods of growth and development of a medicinal plant, the amount of active principles contained in it is not the same. Therefore, the time for collecting medicinal plants should be timed to coincide with the moment of the highest content of these active principles in them.
Herbs should be collected certain deadlines and time. And herbalists clearly know these periods. Thus, Russian healers believed that herbs collected on Ivan Kupala or Agrafena Bathing Day (on the night of July 6 and 7) have special powers. At the same time, some of them are able to heal people, protect them from the evil eye, damage and evil spirits, while others can harm people and send illnesses. Today we understand that in the first case we're talking about about herbs that have no contraindications for use, in the second - about herbs with poisonous or intoxicating properties. Herbs had to be collected on certain days, hours, phases of the moon, and before picking the grass or digging up a root, tradition prescribed reading a conspiracy (persuading, begging the grass to bring good and help a person, and also not to be angry for being deprived of life).
What weather is best to pick herbs?
It is necessary to collect the above-ground parts of plants, especially flowers, in dry weather and after the dew has disappeared. Only in this case it is possible to preserve them during drying. natural color and protect against bacterial and fungal decomposition. Otherwise, the plant will inevitably lose its Medicinal properties.
Which parts of the plant are most useful?
It is known that Medicinal substances accumulate in a plant during a certain period of its development, and in its various parts, therefore, at a specific time, only those parts are collected (leaves, flowers and inflorescences, fruits and seeds, roots and rhizomes) that are in this moment contain greatest number useful substances. Their content in plants changes even during the day.
When is the best time to collect leaves?
Leaves are harvested during the period of bud ripening and flowering of plants, and only the lower leaves are selected so as not to disrupt the process of flowering and fruiting.
When is the best time to collect flowers and inflorescences?
Flowers and inflorescences are collected at the beginning of flowering, when they contain the most useful substances and crumble less during storage.
When is the best time to collect herbs?
Herbs are collected at the beginning of flowering, and in some cases even at full flowering. Using a knife (secateurs), cut off the tops of the plant, 15–30 cm long, without rough ground parts.
When is the best time to harvest fruits and seeds?
Fruits and seeds are harvested gradually as they ripen. Remember that the richest medicinal substances ripe fruits and seeds, but if they are overripe, they should not be taken. The stalks are separated immediately after harvesting, and for the fruits of rowan, caraway and dill - after drying.
When is the best time to dig up roots and rhizomes?
Roots and rhizomes are dug up with a shovel in early spring or during the period of death of the above-ground parts (late summer - autumn).
All harvested plant parts are collected in daytime(from 8–9 to 16–17 hours) and in dry weather. The raw materials are immediately put into bags or other suitable containers, but not stuffed tightly.
How to remove bark from trees?
In order to remove the bark from the trunk and branches, you need to make two ring cuts at some distance from each other, and then a cut along the trunk, from one ring to the other. Then the bark is peeled off, applying force from top to bottom.
Oak bark is removed only from its branches!
What rules must be followed when collecting and preparing medicinal plants?
Medicinal plants should be collected only in ecologically clean areas: in no case in the city or in other populated areas, not near roads, away from any enterprises, not only industrial, but also agricultural (where crops and plantings are treated with pesticides).
It is pointless and harmful to plants to pull them out entirely - carefully collect only those parts that you need. When resorting to the help of nature, do not forget to take care of its future: if you collect flowers, always leave a few plants untouched so that next year new plants appeared. Tubers, roots and bulbs can be dug out of the ground only after the seeds have ripened and fallen off.
Grass and other above-ground parts of plants should be collected on a fine sunny day after the dew has disappeared (otherwise wet plants will not be stored, pathogenic microorganisms will quickly appear in them, and decomposition processes will begin).
How to dry medicinal plants?
The main task that needs to be solved when drying medicinal plants is to stop the destructive activity of enzymes (“fermentation”), that is, to protect the active principles contained in the plants from changes for a long time. Plants must be dried thoroughly in well-ventilated areas, avoiding direct sunlight.
When dried, a significant part of the water evaporates from plants, and therefore the plants lose approximately the same amount of weight: grass - 70%, leaves - 80%, flowers - 75%, roots - 65%, bark - 45%.
At what temperature should medicinal plants be dried?
This depends on the characteristics of the plant: those that contain essential oils can be dried at a temperature no higher than 30–35 °C; for glycosides the upper permissible temperature limit is 55–60 °C, for vitamin C – 80–90 °C. As a rule, fruits and roots are dried in the oven at a temperature of 40–60 °C.
Do properties change during drying and storage?
Of course yes. Some of the healing properties are lost, but when correct observance collection and procurement technologies reduce these losses to a minimum. But gradually, over time, active properties harvested herbs weaken. However, dried medicinal herbs usually become completely unsuitable for consumption only after a few years (subject to storage rules). Some plants have a shorter shelf life.
How to properly store medicinal plants?
To preserve well-dried material great importance have both storage space and packaging. Plants should not be stored in a damp place or uncovered. The prepared material absorbs moisture, as a result of which it deteriorates, changes color and acquires a musty odor as a result of the activity of microorganisms that have fallen on it, in particular mold fungi. The storage room must be dry, well ventilated, accessible regular checkups. That is why a barn or basement cannot be used as a storage room for medicinal plants. It is better to store them in an unheated room in a living space.
Freshly collected herbs cannot be stored in the container in which you originally put them for more than 3-4 hours - the plants will cake and deteriorate.
Plants should not be stored in plastic containers, as essential oils react with plastic, forming compounds that are hazardous to health.
How to use medicinal plants correctly?
Medicinal herbs are used both internally and externally. Juices squeezed from plants, decoctions, steams, infusions, tinctures, extracts from roots, bark, seeds and fruits, powders from dried parts of plants are taken internally. Externally, medicinal herbs are used in the form of baths, enemas, wrapping in a sheet soaked in a decoction of medicinal plants, in the form of lotions, poultices, compresses, applying parts of the plant and paste from them to sore spots, etc.
The most common dose for using medicinal herbs internally is 1 tbsp. a heaping spoonful of finely chopped plant or mixture per glass of boiling water or 4 tbsp. spoons with “top” per liter of boiling water.
How to get juice from medicinal herbs?
Juices from medicinal plants are obtained using a juicer or press. If there is no juicer, the juice is prepared as follows. The plant is washed, finely chopped and placed, without stuffing tightly, in a glass jar. Pour boiled water over it and leave overnight. In the morning, filter through cheesecloth and squeeze out the remainder. Juices are best drunk freshly prepared.
How to make a medicinal collection?
A collection is a mixture of several types of medicinal herbs. Usually the collection includes 10 components or more. They are composed of plants that primarily enhance or support each other’s effects. Remember that some plants are incompatible, since their medicinal properties are mutually neutralized (for example, greater celandine and cinquefoil). From the collections you can prepare infusions and decoctions not only for oral administration, but also for lotions, rinses, douches, microenemas, baths and poultices.
How important is it to follow the indicated dosage when using herbs?
Strict adherence to dosage when preparing and taking preparations from medicinal plants is an indispensable condition for the effectiveness of treatment.
The packaging of medicinal herbs sold in pharmacies always indicates the method of preparation, single use and daily dose reception. At home, in the absence of pharmacy scales, medicinal herbs are usually dosed with spoons. Average dose for preparing infusions and decoctions for oral administration – 2 tbsp. spoons of dry herb per 0.5 liters of water. A tablespoon contains on average: flowers, leaves and grass - 4-5 g, roots, rhizomes and fruits - 6-8 g - although these data are very approximate.
The easiest way to measure the required amount of water is with a spoon or glass: a teaspoon holds approximately 5 g, a dessert spoon - 10 g, a tablespoon - 15 g, a glass - 200-250 g of water.
How to prepare an infusion of medicinal herbs?
Infusions are used to extract active principles from those parts of plants that release them relatively easily (grass, leaves, flowers, fresh fruits). Mostly water is used to prepare infusions. Infusions can be prepared either hot or cold.
With the hot method, the crushed raw materials are poured into a bowl and poured with boiling water, usually in a ratio of 1:10 (1 part plant to 10 parts water). Infusions intended for external use are prepared more concentrated (1:5). They are best made in a thermos: the raw materials are poured with boiling water and the thermos is kept open for 15–20 minutes, then it is closed with a lid and left overnight, and filtered in the morning. Another option for preparing infusions using a hot method is a water bath: the required amount of medicinal raw material is poured with water at room temperature (about 18 ° C) in a porcelain, glass or enamel container, which is placed in another container, bigger size, with boiling water (into a boiling “water bath”) and heat it in it with frequent stirring for 15 minutes, then cool for 45 minutes and filter.
Infusions are prepared using the cold method as follows: the raw materials are poured required quantity cold boiled water and leave for 4 to 12 hours and then filter.
How to prepare a decoction of medicinal herbs?
Decoctions are used to extract active principles from roots and rhizomes, bark, wood, rough leaves, and dry fruits. These parts of the plant require quite a long heat treatment, since they have a dense structure. To prepare the decoction, the crushed raw materials are poured cold water, mix thoroughly, put on fire, bring to a boil, and then keep on low heat for 20–30 minutes, then filter and squeeze in gauze. Boiled water The broth is diluted to the required volume.
It is important to comply next rule: herbal infusions Never cook in aluminum or other metal containers to avoid adverse reaction with metal.
How to prepare a tincture of medicinal herbs?
I use vodka or 40–70% alcohol as an extracting factor in tinctures. Usually, to prepare the tincture, 5 parts of vodka or alcohol are added to 1 part of the crushed raw materials; after thorough mixing, the mixture is placed in a cool, dry place, protected from light (it is advisable to prepare the tincture in a dark glass container). Depending on the purpose of the tincture, its infusion period can range from 7 to 40 days. At the end of this time, the tincture is filtered, then the gauze is squeezed out and filtered again.
As a rule, to prepare a tincture, take 100 ml of alcohol per 20 g of raw material and obtain a 20% tincture. Ready tinctures are stored in tightly sealed bottles.
How to prepare steam from medicinal herbs?
To prepare the steam, medicinal herbs are poured with boiling water and all night steam (simmer) in a cooling oven. In the morning, the napar is filtered through cheesecloth, after which it is ready for use. To prepare steam, the least coarse parts of plants are used, i.e. leaves, flowers, grass, fruits.
How to prepare powder from medicinal herbs?
To prepare the powder, well-dried raw materials are ground in a mortar or coffee grinder. The powder is most often used for oral administration, for sprinkling on wounds, ulcers and preparing ointments.
How to prepare ointment from medicinal herbs?
Ointments are medicines which are used for external use. They are prepared by mixing plant powders with an ointment base; For 1 part of the plant take 4 parts of the base. As an ointment base, you can use pork or visceral fat(lard), unsalted butter or any vegetable oil, Vaseline (preferably yellow color). Powder, tincture or Fresh Juice plants. You can prepare ointments of various concentrations: for example, to get a 10–20% ointment, you should take 10–20 g of powder per 100 or 200 g of fat or 5–10 ml of tincture per 95 g of fat. The choice of base depends on various considerations: for example, ointments made with vegetable oil or mineral fats, have a longer shelf life than lard ointments, but the latter are superior in quality.
How to make medicinal herbal baths?
Baths are prepared as follows. Pour 40–60 g of herb into 2–5 liters of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes or boil for 10 minutes over low heat, filter and pour into a bathtub filled with water (water temperature – 36–40 °C). To prevent steam from forming in the room, pour cold water first and then hot water. Take a bath for 10–15 minutes, first you need to rinse in the shower.
Important! During the procedure, the heart area should be above the water.
The usual course of treatment with baths with medicinal plants: 2-3 times a week for 15 days.
How to properly brew medicinal herbs purchased at a pharmacy?
Strictly speaking, collections of medicinal plants must be prepared in a water bath: here the requirements of the pharmacopoeia are consistent with the recommendations of experienced herbalists. But practice proves that extraction, i.e., the release of useful substances from plants, also occurs with simple infusion of herbs.
It is best to prepare infusions in the evening so that you can take the medicine in the morning. It is very convenient to use a glass teapot with a piston for “brewing” herbs. In the evening, place the amount of herb indicated on the package into it, pour boiling water, and in the morning you will receive a perfectly infused, chilled drink, ready to drink.
How long can the prepared decoction be stored?
The medicinal properties of the decoction do not last long - microbes begin to multiply in it, “thanks to” which various enzymatic processes are launched in the decoction. Therefore, the permissible shelf life of the decoction is short: a day at room temperature, two days in the refrigerator.
Are the dosages of medicinal herbs different for children and adults?
When using medicinal plants, it must be taken into account that the doses of the drug for an adult, adolescent and child are not the same. When choosing the right dosage for a child or teenager, you can rely on the following recommendations:
Adults 1 dose
from 7 to 14 years 1/2 dose
from 4 to 7 years 1/3 dose
from 3 to 4 years 1/6-1/4 dose
from 1 year to 2 years 1/8-1/6 dose
up to 1 year 1/12-1/8 dose
You need to strictly follow the dosage and take into account the characteristics of your body. Buying herbal teas at the pharmacy, always pay attention to the notices about contraindications for the use of herbs.
The section tells about medicinal plants - their places of growth and healing properties, collection and storage rules. You will learn about how to take care of these plants, what role they play in human life. Below is a list by name in alphabetical order main, from the point of view of medicinal use, medicinal plants with detailed descriptions, pictures and recommendations for use for the treatment of various diseases.
Medicinal plants are a wide group of plants used in medical and veterinary practice for various kinds diseases with therapeutic or for preventive purposes. The medicinal properties of medicinal plants are due to the presence of certain chemical compounds in them - the so-called active ingredients.
Medicinal plants are used in the form of collections, or teas, powders, etc., or after processing (see, Dosage forms). Special groups medicines prepared from medicinal plants at chemical-pharmaceutical factories consist of products of their primary processing (fatty and essential oils, resins, etc.), pure (without admixture of ballast substances) amounts of active substances, individual chemical compounds and their combinations. The active substances are distributed unevenly in medicinal plants. Typically, only those parts of the plant are used where the maximum amount of active substances accumulates. The composition and amount of active substances in medicinal plants changes throughout the year, with the age of the plant and depending on the conditions of its habitat, temperature, light, air, soil conditions, etc. Many medicinal plants are of historical interest only, as they are not currently used in medicine.
List of the most important wild and cultivated medicinal plants
Nomenclature of medicinal plants approved for use in medical practice, contains about 160 titles. Preparations or raw materials of 103 of these plants are described in the tenth edition of the State of the USSR (SFH). Requests for raw materials of medicinal plants are approximately half in terms of tonnage and about 75% in terms of nomenclature are satisfied through the collection wild plants, and the rest comes from cultivated medicinal plants.
Also given morphological description annual medicinal plants introduced into the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR, the content of biologically active substances in them is given, the viability of plants in new conditions is described and some issues of agricultural cultivation technology are considered.
IN Lately interest in herbal medicine increased, which in turn increased the number of collectors. However, using medicinal plants without knowing their properties and chemical composition, it is forbidden. Many medicinal plants, their distribution and use are described in popular publications. The chemical composition and methods of obtaining certain biologically active substances from plants are discussed in scientific works. Despite the seemingly abundance of well-known medicinal herbs, new ones are being discovered that are undergoing initial testing in botanical gardens and experimental stations. Botanical gardens located in different climatic zones globe, have collections of certain medicinal plants to study the biological characteristics, medicinal properties and methods of growing these herbs. Thanks to this, more and more new types of medicinal plants are being introduced into the industry. Seeds are the main material for exchange with other botanical gardens and other organizations. Similar work is being carried out in the Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR.
The section provides some information about annual medicinal plants grown in the experimental plot, and provides data on some long-known plants, but for some reason forgotten. Most of plants synthesize useful material in the above-ground mass - in the grass (chamomile, string, snakehead, fumes), in many species the seeds are valuable (coriander, anise, datura, flax, poppy, large plantain, etc.). In some plants medicinal properties flowers have (calendula officinalis, blue cornflower, etc.).
Our long-term research shows that many introduced plants do not change their chemical composition, and often the quantitative content of active substances is not inferior to that in wild plants. The study of the chemical composition of medicinal plants was carried out jointly with the laboratory of the Institute of Physiology and Experimental Pathology of the High Mountains and the laboratory natural compounds Organic Institute.
All plants are divided into two groups: 1) introduced into scientific medicine and included in the pharmacopoeias of the Soviet Union; 2) used in folk medicine. 
Medicinal plants are types of plant organisms used for the production of medicinal and prophylactic drugs, which are used in medical and veterinary practice. Herbal medicines account for over 30% of all medicines traded on the world market. In the USSR, about 40% of used medical supplies made from plants.
About 2,500 plant species from the flora of the USSR, including those used in folk medicine, have medicinal value.
The diversity of soil and climatic conditions of the USSR allows the introduction on its territory of numerous species of foreign medicinal plants of the cold, temperate and subtropical zones.
More than 600 plant species can be used as raw materials for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, in the pharmacy chain and for export. Of this amount, not counting minor medicinal plants, only about 200 species belonging to 70 families are practically used in medicine (mainly the families Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Legumes, Lamiaceae, Umbelliferae, Solanaceae, Buckwheat, Cruciferous, Ranunculaceae). About 70% of the medicinal plants used are used in galenic production, other types are used in pharmacies, homeopathy and are exported.
When harvesting wild and cultivated medicinal plants, as a rule, individual organs or parts of the plant are collected.
The collection of medicinal plant materials is carried out at certain times - during periods of maximum accumulation of active substances. The collected raw materials are usually dried.
In the USSR, a comprehensive study of medicinal plants already known in medicine is being carried out (identifying their reserves, introducing them into cultivation, increasing productivity and finding ways to reduce the cost of raw materials, establishing best timing collection, drying and storage conditions for raw materials, preparation of new drugs and dosage forms).
A search is underway for new and cheaper sources of plant raw materials to replace already known imported or scarce medicinal drugs, as well as medicinal plants with new pharmacological and therapeutic effect(study of their chemical composition, pharmacological activity and therapeutic value, development of technology for the production of drugs and their manufacture).
New medicinal plants and physiologically active substances of plant origin are identified through a complete or selective chemical and pharmacological study of the flora of certain regions of the USSR. At the same time, information about the use of certain medicinal plants in folk medicine is taken into account.
In targeted searches for a specific compound, species and genera that are phylogenetically close to the plant from which this compound was previously isolated are studied first.
Thus, to date, over 6,000 plant species have been previously studied for the content of alkaloids; essential oils- over 4000, for the presence of glycosides cardiac action About 2000 have been studied, saponins - about 3000, flavonoids - about 1000, coumarins - about 1000 species.
As a result, highlighted a large number of individual chemical substances and on their basis many new therapeutic drugs have been created.