It is perhaps difficult to find at least one person who has never seen a calendula. Moreover, if you ask the appropriate question, the answer may be unpredictable, since “calendula” is the scientific name of this plant. If we are talking about the national name, then who does not know these medicinal plants! Marigolds (this is the way they are more familiar in home use) we will consider in detail in this article.
Interestingly, the homeland of the plant has not been reliably established so far. It is very decorative and, therefore, was widespread in ancient times and later naturalized around the world. Thus, it successfully took root, after which it became wild, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to find out where the medicinal nails come from (the photo is presented in this article). But science does not stand still.
Spread
The plant is found in southern and central Europe, in Australia and Central Asia. On the territory of our country, medicinal nails (the photo shows various ways of their application) as a decorative plant are cultivated by gardeners, in addition, as medicinal raw materials are grown on an industrial scale. The conditions of the cold region of the temperate zone are well tolerated, as they withstand frosts, are undemanding to soils and photophilous.
Biological description
Medicinal marigolds (calendula) is a herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 60 cm. It belongs to the family Asteraceae. The stem is ribbed, thick, erect, branching, light green, has a slight pubescence, consisting of glandular, sticky hairs. The leaves are simple, arranged alternately on the stem, elongated or oval in shape, pubescent by hairs.
Inflorescence of medicinal marigolds in diameter reaches 7 cm. Flowers - from dark orange to yellow. On the edges of the petals are reed, pistil, in the center they are very small, tubular, from yellow to brown. In this flowering occurs throughout the summer. Baskets are used for medical purposes.
Medicinal marigolds, the description of which was described above, became so called due to the shape of their seeds, which have different sizes and shapes. Seeds originating from reed (external) flowers are thin and long, like cat's claws, while from tubular (internal) ones they are concave, hemispherical. The fruits ripen in mid-late summer, which depends on weather and climatic conditions.
Calendula is propagated by seed.
Amazing facts
Calendula is very rich in provitamin A (carotene), which is widely used in the food industry as a dye and dietary supplement. Cheeses, margarine and butter owe their yellowish tint to him. Incidentally, in the Soviet years, about 30 collective farms were engaged in the industrial cultivation of calendula. The bulk of it went specifically to obtain this food coloring.
Moreover, in Europe in ancient times, the flowers of medicinal marigolds were considered a spice. It has been widely used in cooking. It was used as a separate vegetable, and jam was also made from it. It should be noted that one of Elizabeth's (English Queen's) favorite dishes was a braised sparrow or lark, generously seasoned with calendula. In addition, wine recipes and puddings prepared from this plant are known.
Fraudsters gave marigolds as saffron - in those years it was very highly valued.
Harvesting raw materials
In herbal medicine, freshly blossomed inflorescences of this medicinal plant are used. Harvesting starts from the moment 50% of the flowers open. Since one plant can have a large number of inflorescences, and they open throughout the summer, make up to 20 such fees. The plant, with regular collection of inflorescences, new baskets appear, while the flowering period increases to the first frost. Therefore, this increases the productivity of calendula at times. Medicinal marigolds should be collected every 5 days - this is the period during which new inflorescences grow on the plant. After the growing season, they appear less and less.
When harvesting, medicinal marigolds must be cut off at the base of the peduncle. Then they must be dried in ventilated rooms. When harvesting on a large scale, the inflorescences after collection are stacked in dryers until completely dry. Shelf life is two years.
To date, the harvesting of these inflorescences is carried out in Belarus, Russia, Transcaucasia, in Ukraine. Most of the raw materials are exported.
Composition
Medicinal marigolds contain the following substances:
- Carbohydrate paraffin discharge (sitosterol, gentriacontane, etc.).
- Carotenoids (lycopene, carotene, violoxanthin, rubixanthin, citroxanthin, flavoxanthin, flavochrom, etc.). The pattern was established: the darker and brighter the inflorescences, the greater the content of carotenoids in them.
- Triterpene glycosides.
- Organic acids (malic, salicylic, pentadecyl).
- Resins, mucous substances and bitterness.
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Medicinal properties of marigolds
The biologically active substances that make up this plant determine its properties:
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory;
- bactericidal;
- choleretic;
- antispasmodic;
- sedative;
- hypotensive and cardiotonic.
Application
A medicine from marigolds relaxes the smooth muscles of organs, digestion in particular (intestines, liver and stomach), thereby improving their secretion. This explains the choleretic effect of drugs taken orally. The effect of the drug is enhanced when it is combined with a pharmacy chamomile and yarrow. Therefore, complex herbal medicine with the help of these plants helps relieve symptoms or get rid of diseases such as cholecystitis, stagnation of bile, intestinal atony, lack of appetite.
Marigold medicinal use found as an anti-inflammatory agent. Such plant activity is associated with accelerated tissue regeneration, especially epithelial. Because of this, a more delicate and thin scar appears on the affected areas. Drugs help the healing of ulcers. The protective effect of funds from this plant is manifested in a decrease in the aggressiveness of the secreted gastric juice, therefore, they can be used in the treatment of gastritis.
Tincture and infusion of plants are used to treat the following diseases:
- ulcers of the duodenum and stomach;
- gastritis;
- enterocolitis, colitis of various etiologies;
- spleen diseases;
- liver disease;
- hypertension, heart disease with a disturbed rhythm of heart contractions, swelling and shortness of breath;
- neoplasms as an effective symptomatic agent;
- menopausal syndrome.
Decoctions and infusion of calendula are used to gargle in case of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, runny nose). Diseases of the oral cavity, such as stomatitis, are also treated by rinsing with infusions and decoctions of this plant.
Calendula Juice
The juice of the plant is squeezed from inflorescences. Mix 20 drops of it with a spoon of honey, then dilute everything in a glass of milk. Use twice a day to treat digestive diseases. For the treatment of various skin diseases, it is used as an external agent when mixing juice with milk and honey in a ratio of 1: 2.
Infusion of flowers
Marigold medicinal can be used in the form of infusion. To do this, pour 20 g of dried flowers in a glass of boiling water and put in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then the mixture is cooled at room temperature, filtered, the remaining raw materials are squeezed out, the volume is brought to a glass. Use with the above diseases of the digestive system according to this scheme: a couple of tablespoons of infusion 3 times a day. Store the infusion in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days.
To cure proctitis, you need to dilute 1 tablespoon of the infusion in ½ cup of water, and then make an enema.
To cure the fistula, add an equal volume of a three percent solution of boric acid to the infusion of calendula, and then introduce the mixture into the channel of the fistula.
Ointment
The ointment is prepared in this way: 10 grams of dried inflorescences, ground in a coffee grinder, are mixed with a spoon of petroleum jelly. It is used to treat various skin diseases.
In the pharmacy you can buy ready-made preparations of calendula - ointment "Kaleflon" and "Calendula." This is a mixture of emulsion (petroleum jelly or water) and tincture of calendula. Mostly sold in jars of 40 grams. It is used for burns, eczema, bruises, frostbite, cracked lips, nipples, heels.
Additionally
Calendula baskets can be used as a full-fledged green vegetable. It should be noted that even today the scope of their use in the food industry can be incredibly large: from the preparation of fragrant tinctures, flower teas, adding to a variety of vitamin salads to further use as a basis for a variety of vegetable soups. At the same time, the dried inflorescences of the plant, ground into powder, can be used in the confectionery industry as spices, in the preparation of liquors, mulled wine, wines and so on.
It was already said earlier that jam is cooked from fresh marigold flowers in some countries.
Contraindications
Interestingly, there are no special contraindications to the use of drugs of calendula. At the same time, there are a number of people in whom, like other plants, it can cause a fairly strong allergic reaction. In this case, the dosage of drugs is reduced or completely canceled. Say what you like, but when using drugs from this plant, you must adhere to the scheme and dosage selected by a specialist.