Joster laxative belongs to the buckthorn family. More often this plant looks like a small tree, sometimes - like a bush. Buckthorn laxative (the second name of the joster) is easy to distinguish from an alder.
The branches of this tree end with thorns, the leaves are finely serrated, opposite, have the shape of an ellipse. The flowers of the joster are also small, crowded, greenish. They have four sepals, stamens, and petals. Flowers bloom in May and June. The fruits of the laxative joster are a pea-sized spherical drupe of bluish-black color, having 3-4 ovoid bones 5 mm long, with a curved back and a weakly pronounced face on the ventral side. The pulp is juicy, greenish-brown. The fruits ripen closer to the end of August - in October. They do not crumble for a long time.
Joster Laxative: Range
The plant is widespread in Eastern and Western Europe (with the exception of its northern regions), in Central Asia. A vast section of the laxative joster is isolated from the European part.
It is located in the Caucasus (except eastern Transcaucasia) and in all regions of Crimea.
Joster laxatives : chemical composition
The bark of the bush contains many tannins. Its fruits include antraglycosides, pectin and coloring, bitter and other substances, flavonol glycosides, gum, mucus, sugar. Per 100 g of leaves of this plant accounts for up to 700 mg of vitamin C.
Laxative Joster : Harvest
For medicinal purposes, fully ripened fruits of the plant without pedicels are used. When collecting, it is advisable not to break off the branches in order to pick berries from them. This, of course, speeds up the procurement process, but can lead to the complete death of the bushes of the joster. The fruits are dried first, then they are dried in not too hot ovens or in dryers, sprinkled with a layer of 2-3 cm on sheets or nets.
Beware of burning. Raw materials should not contain impurities of twigs and other black berries. Especially dangerous are the fruits of
alder buckthorn: they provoke vomiting. They differ in that they have only 2 seeds, which resemble lentils in shape and have a cartilaginous beak at the top. And the branches of this buckthorn do not have thorns, and the leaves are not opposite, but are located separately.
Joster laxative : use in everyday life and medicine
In former times, the plant was used as a dye for silk, cotton and woolen fabrics. It also has quite beautiful wood and is sometimes used in woodworking. Joster is an excellent honey plant. However, due to the fact that the plant is an intermediate host for oats rust, it is not recommended to plant it near the fields. For medicinal purposes, the fruits of the plant are used. Properly dried, mature they are used as a gentle laxative for constipation. The therapeutic effect is due to the antraglycosides contained in them. Decoctions or infusions are prepared from the fruits. A tablespoon of dried raw material is poured with boiling water (glass). The product should be infused for at least 20 minutes, and preferably 2 hours. After that, the product is filtered and taken at night ½ cup. Freshly squeezed juice of the fruit of the joster also has the same gentle laxative effect. In a pharmacy you can buy liquid extract of joster. It also needs to be taken at night, but only 1 teaspoon. Joster laxative is also part of the general fees that help with constipation. Also, its fruits are used as an external remedy for arthritis. To this end, the fruits insist on vodka (100 g of berries per ½ liter of vodka) for 12 days. Patient joints are rubbed with the resulting product twice a day.