Perhaps, it is difficult to find at least one person who has never seen a calendula. However, if you ask the appropriate question, the answer can be unpredictable, since "calendula" is the scientific name of this plant. If we are talking about a popular name, then who does not know these medicinal plants! Marigolds (this is how it is more customary to designate them at home) we will consider in detail in this article.
Interestingly, the birthplace of the plant has not been reliably established so far. It is very decorative and, therefore, was widespread in ancient times and later naturalized throughout the world. Thus, it successfully took root, after which it went wild, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to find out where medicinal marigolds come from (their photo is presented in this article). But science does not stand still.
Distribution
The plant is found in Southern and Central Europe, Australia and Central Asia. On the territory of our country, medicinal marigolds (the photo shows various ways to use them) are cultivated as an ornamental plantgardeners, in addition, as medicinal raw materials are grown on an industrial scale. They perfectly tolerate the conditions of the cold region of the temperate zone, as they withstand frost, are undemanding to soils and are photophilous.
Biological Description
Marigold (calendula) is a herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 60 cm. It belongs to the Compositae family. 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 with hairs.
The inflorescence of medicinal marigolds in diameter reaches 7 cm. The flowers are from dark orange to yellow. At the edges of the petals are reed, pistillate, in the center they are very small, tubular, from yellow to brown. In this case, flowering occurs throughout the summer. Baskets are used for medical purposes.
Marigolds, the description of which was described above, began to be called so due to the shape of their seeds, which have different sizes and shapes. Seeds originating from reed (outer) flowers are thin and long, like cat's claws, while from tubular (inner) - concave, hemispherical. The fruits ripen in mid-late summer, depending on weather and climatic conditions.
Calendula propagated by seeds.
Amazing Facts
Calendula is very rich in provitamin A (carotene), which is widely used in the food industry in the form of a dye and a dietary supplement. Cheeses, margarine and butter owe their yellowish tint to him. By the way, in the Soviet years, about 30 collective farms were engaged in the industrial cultivation of calendula. The bulk of it went precisely to obtain this food coloring.
At the same time, 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 also made jam from it. It should be noted that one of the favorite dishes of Elizabeth (Queen of England) was stewed sparrow or lark, generously seasoned with calendula. In addition, recipes for wine and puddings made from this plant are known.
Scammers passed off marigolds as saffron - in those years it was valued very highly.
Procurement of raw materials
In herbal medicine, freshly blossomed inflorescences of this medicinal plant are used. Harvesting begins from the moment 50% of the flowers open. Since there can be a large number of inflorescences on one plant, and they open throughout the summer, up to 20 such collections are made. With a regular collection of inflorescences, the plant has new baskets, while the flowering period increases until the first frost. Consequently, this increases the yield of calendula at times. Marigolds should be collected every 5 days - this is the period during which new inflorescences grow in the plant. Aftergrowing season, they appear less and less.
Marigolds medicinal when harvesting must be cut 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 put in dryers until completely dry. Shelf life - two years.
To date, the harvesting of these inflorescences is carried out in Belarus, Russia, Transcaucasia, Ukraine. Most of the raw materials are exported.
Composition
Marigolds officinalis contain the following substances:
- Paraffin discharge carbohydrates (sitosterol, gentriacontan, etc.).
- Carotenoids (lycopene, carotene, violoxanthin, rubixanthin, citroxanthin, flavoxanthin, flavochrome, etc.). A pattern has been established: the darker and brighter the inflorescences, the more carotenoids they contain.
- Triterpene glycosides.
- Organic acids (malic, salicylic, pentadecyl).
- Resins, slimy 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
Marigold medicine relaxes the smooth muscles of the organs, digestion in particular(intestine, liver and stomach), thereby improving their secretion. This explains the choleretic effect of drugs taken orally. The action of the remedy is enhanced when it is combined with pharmacy chamomile and common yarrow. Therefore, complex herbal medicine with the help of these plants helps to relieve symptoms or get rid of diseases such as cholecystitis, bile stasis, intestinal atony, lack of appetite.
Marigolds medicinal use has also been found as an anti-inflammatory agent. Such activity of the plant is associated with the acceleration of tissue regeneration, epithelial in particular. Because of this, a more delicate and thin scar appears on the affected areas. Drugs help the speedy healing of ulcers. The protective effect of remedies from this plant is manifested in the reduction of the aggressiveness of secreted gastric juice, therefore, they can be used in the treatment of gastritis.
Tincture and infusion of the plant are used to treat the following diseases:
- duodenal and stomach ulcers;
- gastritis;
- enterocolitis, colitis of various etiologies;
- diseases of the spleen;
- liver disease;
- hypertension, heart disease with irregular heartbeat, edema and shortness of breath;
- neoplasms as an effective symptomatic remedy;
- climacteric syndrome.
Decoctions and infusion of calendula are used for gargling in case ofinflammation 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 the inflorescences. Mix 20 drops of it with a spoonful of honey, then dilute everything in a glass of milk. Use twice a day for the treatment of diseases of the digestive system. For the treatment of various skin diseases, it is used as an external remedy by mixing juice with milk and honey in a ratio of 1: 2.
Infusion of flowers
Marigold medicinal can be used as an infusion. To do this, pour 20 g of dried flowers with 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 material is squeezed out, and the volume is brought to a glass. Used for 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 spoonful of infusion in ½ glass of water, then make an enema.
To cure a fistula, add an equal volume of a three percent solution of boric acid to the calendula infusion, and then inject the mixture into the fistula channel.
Ointment
The ointment is prepared in this way: 10 grams of dry inflorescences, crushed in a coffee grinder, mixed with a spoonful of vaseline. Used to treat various skin diseases.
Bin a pharmacy you can buy ready-made calendula preparations - Caleflon and Calendula ointments. This is a mixture of emulsion (vaseline or water) and calendula tincture. Mostly sold in jars of 40 grams. Used for burns, eczema, bruises, frostbite, cracked lips, nipples, heels.
Extra
Calendula baskets can be used as a complete 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 the basis for a variety of vegetable soups. At the same time, dried inflorescences of the plant ground into powder can be used in confectionery as spices, in the preparation of liquors, mulled wines, wines, and so on.
It has already been mentioned earlier that jam is made from fresh calendula flowers in some countries.
Contraindications
Interesting, but there are no special contraindications to the use of medicinal calendula preparations. At the same time, there are a number of people in whom it, like other plants, can cause a fairly strong allergic reaction. In this case, the dosage of drugs is reduced or completely canceled. Like it or not, but when using drugs from this plant, you must adhere to the scheme and dosage selected by the specialist.
