Valerian officinalis - valeriana officinalis l.

Valerian family - Valerianaceae

Валериана лекарственная Валериана лекарственная

Botanical characteristics. Perennial herbaceous plant. It grows in meadows, forest glades, among bushes.

Rhizome short, thick, inside hollow, with cord-like long roots. Stem is straight, grooved, hollow, branched at the top. Leaves are odd-pinnate, opposite whole or coarse-toothed with 5-11 pairs of leaves, lower - petiolate, upper - sessile. Flowers are small, pale pink, fragrant, collected in the thyroid whisk. Fruit is an ovoid seed, with a tuft. Blossoms from May to August, fruits ripen in July - September.

Spread. Distributed in most of the territory of Russia, except the Far North. It grows on wet meadows, on the banks of reservoirs. Widely cultivated as a valuable medicinal plant.

Used parts of the plant. Medicinal raw materials are roots and rhizomes, less often the above-ground part of the plant. The roots are collected in autumn or early spring, dried in dryers at a temperature of no higher than 35 ° C. Store in a tightly corked form, keeping away from cats. The above-ground part is assembled in the usual way.

Chemical composition. All parts contain carbohydrates and related compounds (glucose, sucrose, valeroside), organic acids, esters of isovaleric and valeric acids, essential oil, iridoids, alkaloids, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, vitamins, phytoncides.

All valerian preparations have antibacterial properties.

Application. Galenic drugs are used as a sedative, hypotensive, choleretic, spasmolytic, coronary-dilating agent. They are used for nervous excitement, neuroses, spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, insomnia, epilepsy, neurasthenia, angina, hypertension, liver and biliary tract diseases; Enter into the composition of soothing, carminative and gastric collections, drops of Zelenin, preparations: corvalol, valocordin, validol, valosedan, valedrin, valokormid, cardiovalene.

In medical practice, valerian is used for chronic functional disorders of the central nervous system, hysteria, seizures, for coronary circulation disorders, for the treatment and prevention of angina pectoris, heart defects, gastrointestinal tract diseases associated with impaired secretory function and endocrine gland disorders, hyperfunction Thyroid gland, diabetes insipidus, climacteric disorders, beriberi; Has a positive effect on sexual activity; Is applied externally in the treatment of red flat lichen, in cosmetics, to reduce sweating.

In folk medicine in many countries, valerian preparations are used as soothing, with headaches, dizziness, chorea, to improve vision, as detoxification, with paralysis, rectal wounds; Externally - in the form of baths with epilepsy; For washing the eyes, as well as rinsing the throat, washing the head with a headache.

In the experiment, valerian preparations in small doses stimulate the central nervous system, in large - reduce the reflex activity; Intensify the activity of the cranial nerves and spinal reflexes, accelerate the coagulability of the blood. Essential oil exhibits an anticonvulsant effect, dilates coronary vessels, lowers the tone of smooth muscles, shows a sedative effect.

In Tibetan medicine valerian is used for pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, hemoptysis, neurasthenia, purulent wounds; In the Mongolian - as an antipyretic and anelgesic agent; In Korean - with toothache, to strengthen the gums, remove freckles and pigment.

Fresh juice of the plant is effective for facial cramps, helps with sunburn and weathering.

Extracts of valerian are included in the composition of the drink "Olympia".

Preparation. Galenic preparations are dosed by drops according to the doctor's prescription. At home, you can prepare a decoction of the roots of the aboveground part of the plant, for which you take 20 g of crushed raw material, pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist on the bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10 minutes, filter and bring to 200 ml with water. Take 1 tbsp. Spoon 2 times a day. Children - a teaspoon 3 times a day.

  • For the preparation of the infusion : 1 tablespoon of roots pour into a thermos, pour 1 cup of boiling water. The next day to take. Dosage is individual. Take one tablespoon infusion 3-4 times a day or, with increased excitability, drink all the infusion for 3 times in 1/3 cup.
  • You can take powders from the root of valerian in a dose of 1-2 g 3-4 times a day on an empty stomach.

Pharmacies sell ready-made preparations from valerian.

  • Tincture of valerian: apply for 15-20 drops per reception 2 times a day. Children as many drops as a child years.
  • The tincture is ethereal-valerian - 15-30 drops 2-3 times a day.
  • Zinc valerian - 1-2 powders or pills 3 times a day.
  • Valerian extract is thick - 1-3 pills 2-3 times a day.
  • Drops of lily-of-the-valley valerian with adoniside - 15-20 drops 2-3 times a day.
  • Tea soothing (1 part of the roots of valerian, 2 parts of mint leaves, 2 parts of watch and 1 part of hop) - 1 tablespoon of the mixture to insist with 2 cups of boiling water, infusion for 2-3 times during the day.
  • Valerian is also a part of valocordin, drops of Zelenin, in the composition of gastric and carminative teas, etc.

Contraindications. The therapeutic effect of valerian is purely individual. At a part of patients at systematic application of a root Valerian there comes a considerable and proof improvement of state of health and, on the contrary, there are patients, at all not transferring Valerianum.

With chronic enterocolitis, valerian can cause exacerbation.

More than a half to two months without a break, valerian should not be taken, as there may be feelings of discomfort, headaches, anxiety, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.