Willow goat (bredina, rakita) - salix caprea l.

Family Willow - Salicaceae

Botanical characteristics. A tree or a bush. The bark is young in color greenish-gray, later brown, fissured. Young shoots seroopushennye, with large buds. The leaves vary greatly in size and shape on the same plant: ovoid, rounded, elliptical, oblong-lanceolate, often wavy, dentate, dense, wrinkled, naked from above, dark green, from below gray-gray. Flowers are yellowish-gray, collected in drooping brushes, earrings. Blossoms until the appearance of leaves. Fruit is a box. Seeds are wavy, gray.

Spread. It grows at streams, in forests, clearings, among bushes.

Used parts of the plant. Medicinal raw materials are bark, leaves, flowers, earrings, collected at different times in the usual way.

Chemical composition. The willow goat bark contains in large quantity, and the leaves - in less quantity tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenol glucosides (salicin and its derivatives).

Leaves and inflorescences contain vitamins, organic acids, saponins, nitrogen-containing compounds, proanthocyanidins, essential oil, catechins, lipids (triacetylglycerides), in acid hydralisate (lauric, myristic, pentadecanoic, margaric, arachino, ginejkozanoic and their isomers).

Application. Willow preparations have hemostatic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, wound-healing, tonic effect. Glycoside salicin is digested by salipase enzyme into glucose and alcohol saligenin, which in the body is oxidized to salicylic acid.

In folk medicine decoction of willow bark is used for rheumatism, whooping cough, headache, fever, various bleeding, gout, malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, neuralgia, as soothing, antihelminthic; Externally - for rinses, lotions, baths, powders with ulcers, wounds, furuncles, sweating.

In Azerbaijan willow in the form of broths and infusions is used as an antipyretic, sedative, diuretic, astringent. Alcohol extracts of inflorescences and the total preparation of polyphenol compounds are willows are recommended for functional disorders of the cardiovascular system: tachycardia, angiospastic pain.

Peoples of many countries goat's willow preparations are used as a substitute for quinine, aspirin, and this is not an accident: for the first time, aspirin was obtained from willow.

Nanais young plants are used to treat diseases of rheumatoid nature. Willow bark is a part of sweatshop tea, used for various diseases, mainly for colds. Fresh juice of the bark and leaves is an effective remedy for the treatment of corns; Decoction of bark and leaves - for growth and strengthening of hair.

Preparation

• To get a decoction of 20 g of bark crushed, pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist on a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cool 10-15 minutes, filter. Take 2 tbsp. Spoon 3-4 times a day.
• For infusion of 10 g inflorescents pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist on a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, cool for 45 minutes, filter. Take 2 tbsp. Spoon 3-4 times a day.