Dioscorea Nippon - a medicinal plant, which is a vine. It grows in the Far East and is extremely rare. The plant has many useful properties and is used to treat certain diseases. The most important thing is to collect raw materials correctly and on time, as well as prepare a preparation based on it. What is this plant and what effect does it have?
Brief description of the plant
Nippon dioscorea is a perennial herbaceous vine. The length of the stems of this plant can reach up to 4 meters, but no more. The rhizome of the creeper is horizontal. Its length can be about two meters, and a thickness of 3 to 4 centimeters. Rigid additional roots depart from the main root.
The stems are curly, grassy and almost without greens. The foliage is broad in shape, next to three-seven-lobed, fastened with small cuttings. It is worth noting that Nippon dioscorea is a flowering plant. Its buds open in the summer, in the second half. The plant is dioecious, therefore its flowers are same-sex. They are collected in the semi-umbrella. Such inflorescences form axillary brushes. As for the fruits, in the creeper they are three-nested boxes. They ripen in late August - early September.
Nippon Dioscorea Microscopy
Usually, the underground part of the plant is used as a medicinal raw material. Microscopy of the rhizome of Nippon dioscorea shows that this part of the vine has a small layer of cork. The cortex consists of tangentially elongated, small cells with non-lignified membranes. At the same time, in some of them raffid is found about 100 microns long. Such cells are oriented along the entire rhizome. Endoderm in raw materials is unclear. In a cylinder located in the center of the rhizome, collateral conductive bundles are visible. On the periphery they are smaller, and in the center - round and large.
Parenchyma cells are polygonal. They fit tightly together. They also contain starch grains of various shapes, as well as with a diameter of 1.5 - 24 microns. Drops of fatty oil are often found along with Druze. The cell membrane is lignified and has a large number of large pores.
Harvesting raw materials
The main medium of germination of this plant is Primorsky Krai. There is a liana in the south-east of the Amur region and in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory. Nippon dioscorea prefers to grow on the edges and in the depths of broad-leaved rare forests. You can meet her in thickets of wormwood and shrubs, in the valleys of small streams and rivers.
For the treatment of certain diseases in medicine, only the roots of Nippon dioscorea are used. You can harvest them either in autumn or in spring. It is during this period that a large amount of nutrients accumulate in the roots. Leaves and inflorescences can be collected only during flowering. Harvested, dried, and then stored raw materials in the usual way.
It is worth noting that when collecting the roots, more than 50% of all grown specimens should remain in place. It is forbidden to dig plants with a height of less than one meter. At the same place, re-harvesting is allowed only after 20 years.
The chemical composition of the plant
The roots and rhizome of Nippon dioscorea contain the following substances:
- Steroid glycosides. The plant contains up to 80% tigogenin, diosgenin, dioscin.
- Flavonoids.
- Carbohydrates.
During the period of vegetative growth of lianas, the concentration of these components increases significantly. It is worth noting that the seeds of Nippon dioscorea contain fatty oil, a large amount of vitamins and other organic compounds.
What properties does the plant have?
As pharmacognosy shows, Nippon dioscorea is used to combat some diseases. How the main substances of the rhizome, steroid glycosides, act, have long been studied. Their most valuable action is anti-sclerotic. Many clinical trials have been cited, as a result of which scientists found that steroid glycosides, in particular diosponin, can reduce the deposition of low-density lipoproteins and hypercholesterolemia in the arteries, liver, skin and cornea of the organs of vision. Such substances can increase the ratio of compounds such as cholesterol and lycithin. Diosponin has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system as a whole, allows you to lower blood pressure, as well as expand peripheral blood vessels. Preparations based on Nippon dioscorea have antisclerotic and diuretic effects.
How do plant-based drugs work?
The secret of the action of drugs based on Nippon dioscorea is quite simple. Saponins, which are part of plant materials, combine with cholesterol not only in the gastrointestinal tract, but also in the blood vessels. Molecules bound in this way are easily eliminated from the body. Due to this, the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels is prevented.
These substances have another unique property. Once in the body, saponins practically do not bind to the molecules of beneficial cholesterol, which is necessary for the production of sex and other hormones. As a result of this, it is mostly "bad."
What to consider
Saponins contained in the roots of Nippon dioscorea are able to enhance the effect of any drug that has sleeping pills. Such glycosides make breathing deeper, lower blood pressure, allow you to restore sleep phases, slightly increase the amplitude of heart contractions.
Such saponins have a low level of toxicity. This is another feature of them. However, such compounds can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes.
Plant-based preparations
In the photo, the Nippon dioscorea looks unusually beautiful. In traditional medicine, the plant is not used in its pure form. Based on it, preparations are made. At the moment, there are only a few such drugs: Diosponin and Polysponin. It is impossible to get drugs from other varieties of dioscorea.
It is worth noting that such medications are prescribed not only when common atherosclerosis is detected, but also with coronary and cerebral atherosclerosis in the initial and more severe stages. Such drugs have been widely used in the presence of diseases of the gallbladder and liver, as well as with hypertension.
What ailments
As already mentioned, preparations based on this plant help with atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diseases of the gall bladder and liver. Tincture of Nippon dioscorea eliminates the discomfort during exacerbation of chronic gastritis. In addition, such a drug increases the secretory function of the stomach. The use of dioscorea nippon drugs is indicated for:
- hormonal age deficiency;
- insomnia;
- radiation sickness;
- heaviness in the stomach and bitterness in the mouth caused by a violation of the digestive system;
- chronic fatigue;
- coronary heart disease;
- liver diseases;
- obesity and so on.
How to make a decoction
In folk medicine, Nippon dioscorea is used in the form of tincture and decoction. If there are no drugs based on such a medicinal plant, then you can cook it at home. The main thing is to observe the proportions. There are several recipes.
To prepare the broth, it is necessary to grind 20 grams of dried roots of Nippon dioscorea and brew them with 200 milliliters of boiling water. Strain the drug in a water bath for half an hour. After this, the product must be cooled, drained and diluted with boiled water to the original volume. Take the broth up to 4 times a day for 2 tablespoons after food. It is recommended to drink the drug with milk or jelly. This avoids irritation of the mucous membranes.
Tincture and Infusion Recipes
To prepare the tincture, you will need 70% alcohol. Preparing tincture from the rhizome. One part of the plant material must be poured with 5 parts of alcohol. Insist on the drug for 10 days, shaking several times a day. Ready-made drug is recommended to strain and take 30 to 40 drops before meals. To obtain the desired effect of such techniques during the day should be three.
From the flowers of the plant and leaves, you can prepare an infusion. To do this, you need to brew 20 grams of crushed raw materials with 200 milliliters of boiling water. Insist the medicine for 15 minutes in a water bath. At the end, the drug should be cooled and filtered. It is recommended to take such an infusion up to 4 times a day for 2 tablespoons after a meal.
Who should refuse
Dioscorea Nippon - a medicinal plant. Preparations based on it, like many medicines, have contraindications. It is not recommended to use them when:
- bradycardia;
- hypotension;
- breastfeeding;
- pregnancy
- chronic diseases of the intestines and stomach, accompanied by an inflammatory process.
With extreme caution, preparations based on Nippon dioscorea should be taken after a heart attack or stroke.