Kalgan roots are part of a perennial plant of the same name from the Rosaceae family. Its scientific name is the erect cinquefoil. Kalgan roots are woody, tuberous. The cinquefoil reaches a height of 10-20 cm, its stems are upright or upright, thin, slightly short-haired, well-leafy, single flowers. It is distributed almost throughout the territory of the Russian Federation.
For medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant are used. One of them is the Kalgan root, the properties of which are most pronounced from this point of view, since the largest amount of useful substances accumulates in it. To do this, it is harvested in the first half of autumn or April-May, when basal leaves are just beginning to grow. The collected underground parts of the plant are cleaned, dried in the open air or in special chambers. Leaves and grass are harvested during the flowering period.
The plant contains essential oils and tannins. It contains organic and phenolcarboxylic acids: caffeic, dihydroxybenzoic, gallic, p-coumaric. Kalgan contains triterpenoids, anthocyanin, flavonoids, phenols (phloroglucin, pyrocatechol), cyanidin glucoside, vitamin C. It contains lipids in which higher fatty acids are present: pentadecanoic, stearic, lauric, oleic, linolenic, linoleic, palmitic.
Kalgan roots and preparations based on them have a high pharmacological activity, which is caused by a high content of tannins, flavonoids, saponins (triterpene). Means from this plant have a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, bactericidal and general strengthening effect. Kalgan roots in folk medicine are used very widely. Preparations from them are used to treat gastrointestinal ailments: ulcers (stomach and duodenum 12), enterocolitis, gastritis, diarrhea, cholecystitis, colitis. The outer root of Kalgan has been used for healing diseases such as skin cracks, weeping eczema, burns, inflammation, fungi, hemorrhoids.
Doctors have long used this plant for the preparation of tinctures and decoctions to combat uterine and intestinal bleeding, Trichomonas colpitis, thyroid ailments, frostbite, and renal colic. They are used for tonsillitis, tuberculosis, inflammation of the nasopharynx, hematomas, painful menstruation, insomnia, jaundice, rheumatism, dysentery, convulsions. The positive effect of the sea otter on the body of men is well known, with it you can restore or enhance potency. Its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties help fight prostatitis.
The roots of this plant are often included in antidiarrheal, gastric collections, as well as mixtures used for diseases of the bladder, mycosis, headache. A decoction of them is used against parasites. Infusion is used for fever. In addition to medical purposes, the roots are used for dyeing fabrics in black, red and brown colors, tanning the skin. In addition to decoctions and tinctures, ointments are used for medicinal purposes. Most often, these are remedies for wounds, ulcers and burns. For this purpose, the crushed root is boiled in butter (1 tbsp.spoon per glass).