Buckthorn: types, uses and medicinal properties of the plant, contraindications

Krushina is a name given to deciduous trees and shrubs that belong to the Krushin family. They are woody plants that have smooth branches and glossy oval-shaped leaves. Flowering occurs in May-June. This culture is characterized by a high content of useful components. This is related to its medicinal properties. The plant is used in medicine, cosmetology and other fields.

Botanical description

Buckthorn is a deciduous shrub up to 7 meters high. Sometimes the plant looks like a tree. This species belongs to the Krushinov family and has 55 types. They are predominantly found on the American continent.

There are also evergreens with thorns. The alder type really looks like a tree. It is characterized by large gray-brown branches with light spots. In young plants, the bark is reddish and shiny.

The shrub has bare buds without closing scales and whole-edged elliptical leaves that differ in alternate arrangement. The flowering of the plant begins in May. During this period, yellow-green flowers appear on it, which are collected in brushes, looking out from the leaf axils.

A distinctive feature of buckthorn is the fruit. They are blue-black berries of spherical shape. Their diameter is up to 10 millimeters. Berries ripen in August.

Chemicals in the plant

All terrestrial plant fragments include anthracene derivatives in the form of glycosides. The bark, foliage, fruits and buds of buckthorn contain anthracene derivatives - anthraglycosides.The maximum content of such compounds was found in the bark - up to 8%. In addition, it contains aglycones, resins, alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenes.

In addition, buckthorn bark includes anthranol, coumarins, pectin, essential oils. It also contains saponins, naphthaquinones, tannins. In addition, this part of the plant contains many vitamins.

Wood includes tannins, sucrose, alkaloids. It contains malic acid, essential oils, alizarin. The leaves contain many alkaloids, vitamin C, franganine. The fruits and seeds contain a large amount of palmidin and chrysophanol.

Healing properties

The key pharmacological characteristics of the plant are due to the high content of anthraglycosides. Together with other ingredients, they have the following types of effects on the body:

helps achieve a laxative effect;
fight bacterial infection;
kill germs;
deal with viruses;
heal wounds;
deal with fungi;
provide sedation;
remove s alts;
cleanse the internal organs - intestines and liver;
deal with worms;
improve metabolic processes.

Dry powder from crushed bark is recommended for helminthiasis, severe diarrhea, heavy bleeding during menstruation. The fruits of the culture can also be used as an anthelmintic, but it is important to consider that they have toxic properties. It is allowed to take such a remedy only under the supervision of a doctor.

Application

Buckthorn is a sought-after crop that is used in various areas of life.

Economy and life

The berries and bark of the plant are used to dye woolen fabrics. Also, these fragments are used in tanning leather. Thanks to the use of these substances, it is possible to achieve a pronounced brown or olive color. Buckthorn has flexible branches that can be used for weaving baskets and other products.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionThe plant has beautiful wood that can be used for carving. It is used to make decorative plywood, shoestrings and all kinds of handicrafts.

Cosmetology

In cosmetology, buckthorn is used in many ways. A decoction of this plant can be taken orally to cleanse the intestines and the body as a whole. It can also be used externally for washing. An infusion of the bark of the culture has pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.Due to this, it has a drying effect on acne and ensures their rapid healing. Due to the content of vitamin C in the plant, it is possible to improve the complexion.

It's easy to make an infusion for washing. To do this, it is recommended to take 2 tablespoons of crushed buckthorn bark and pour a glass of boiled water. The composition must be infused for 30 minutes, after which it must be filtered and boiled water added to obtain the initial volume. With the resulting product, you can wipe your face by wetting a cotton pad in it. It is also acceptable to freeze the infusion and apply it in the form of ice cubes in the morning.

Medicine

Buckthorn bark based medicines are suitable for external and internal use. Orally, it is worth using decoctions and infusions of the plant. These drugs are used as a laxative. They also induce vomiting.

The laxative properties of buckthorn bark decoction can be used by people who are overweight.At the same time, the composition should not be used too often, since it has a large number of side effects. Before using the composition, be sure to consult a doctor.

Decoctions and infusions of buckthorn bark are also suitable for external use. They have strong antibacterial properties. Such funds can be used for infection with streptococci, furunculosis, dermatological pathologies.

Indications for use

Decoctions and infusions of buckthorn bark and fruits are used in the following cases:

chronic constipation associated with intestinal atony;
hemorrhoids;
cracks in the anus;
helminths;
heavy bleeding during your period.

Plum berries have pronounced diuretic properties. They can be used to treat abdominal dropsy and edema associated with the development of chronic heart failure.

Contraindications

Prolonged use of buckthorn provokes addiction. In this case, you have to increase the dosage or use other laxatives. With prolonged use of an increased amount of the composition, there is a risk of an increase in blood volume in the pelvic organs. It is dangerous in these states:

pregnancy - increased risk of miscarriage;
gynecological pathologies;
tendency to uterine bleeding.

Buckthorn-based products are prohibited in such cases:

Crohn's disease;
malignant tumor formations in the digestive organs;
bleeding from the uterus;
lactation.

For the treatment of constipation, buckthorn-based products are allowed to be used for a maximum of 8-10 days. In this case, other laxatives should not be used. This can provoke irritation of the intestines, impair its peristalsis and significantly increase constipation.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionThe patient must strictly observe the permissible dosage. It is prescribed by a doctor depending on the situation. Exceeding doses can cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, pain in the abdomen.

Recipes

For treatment, you can use a variety of remedies based on buckthorn. To do this, you can use a decoction of the bark, dry and liquid extracts. Such formulations are often used as part of complex therapy.

From buckthorn bark teas are made for constipation, hemorrhoids, pain in the stomach. The roots of the plant are used for the preparation of diuretics and choleretic preparations. Buckthorn fruits have anthelmintic characteristics and are beneficial in liver diseases. A syrup made from buckthorn bark is used in pediatrics.

Bark decoction

To make a healing decoction, you need to take the following:

1 tablespoon of buckthorn bark;
250 milliliters of water.

It is recommended to put the mixture on a steam bath and warm it up for 20 minutes. After that, you need to add a little boiled water to get the original volume.

It is recommended to take the composition half a glass 2 times a day. It is best to do this at the same time - for example, at 8.00 and at 20.00. As a rule, the medicine begins to act only after 8 hours. However, sometimes the effect may come earlier.

This composition is prescribed for fever and liver failure. External use is possible with the appearance of scabies in children. Also, the composition is often prescribed by veterinarians for the treatment of pets.

All medicinal formulations must be prepared from dried raw materials. If it is necessary to use fresh plant fragments, they must be heated at a temperature of +100 degrees. This must be done within 1 hour.

Alcohol tincture

To make such a composition, it is recommended to take the following:

1 piece of ground bark;
5 parts food alcohol 30%.

The composition must be infused for 10 days. From time to time, the components need to be mixed. The resulting composition is recommended for use in various dermatological pathologies - pyoderma, streptoderma, furunculosis and other skin lesions, which are accompanied by infection with staphylococci and E. coli.

In complex therapy, the bark is recommended to be prescribed for ulcerative pathologies of the digestive system, which are accompanied by high acidity, inflammatory lesions of the liver and gallbladder.

Prunes cocktail with rosehip syrup

This remedy has a pronounced cleansing effect on the intestines. To do this, it is recommended to take the following components:

1 sachet of buckthorn bark;
400 grams of prunes with pits;
1 bottle of Holosas.

First you need to boil dried fruits in 1.5 liters of water for 40 minutes. After that, the prunes need to be pulled out and put into the composition of 15 grams of buckthorn bark. The broth must be brought to a boil and left for 5 hours in a warm place. At the same time, it needs to be wrapped in a warm towel.

After filtering, you need to add water to the composition to get 1.2 liters. Then you need to pour Holosas into the product and mix well. The resulting laxative composition is recommended to be kept in the refrigerator. It can be drunk at night - 2 hours after dinner. A single dose is 100 milliliters. It is best to use the product in a warm form. The course of treatment lasts 12 days. If required, therapy can be repeated after 21 days.

Harvest recommendations

As a medicinal raw material, buckthorn bark is usually used, which is harvested in the spring.It is important to collect raw materials between the swelling of the kidneys and the beginning of the flowering of the crop. When harvesting a plant, use an ax or a hacksaw. In this case, it is recommended to leave small stumps - up to 15 centimeters. This is required to renew the growth.

Brittle buckthorn is often confused with other shrubs and trees. It can be mistaken for laxative joster or bird cherry. A distinctive feature of the culture in question is that when scraping off the outer cork layer on the bark, you can see a raspberry-red hue. Other shrubs and trees have a green or brown layer there.

To remove the bark, you need to make ring cuts. They are connected with longitudinal. This technology helps to remove the bark in the form of neat gutter-like pieces. At the same time, it is impossible to cut the bark with a knife, since its fragments will turn out to be too narrow and will contain the remains of wood.If fruticose lichens are present on the crop bark, they must be removed.

The next time you can harvest raw materials in the same area only after 10 years. Drying of the bark is done in the fresh air. This must be done under sheds, laying out a loose layer. In this case, the raw materials must certainly be mixed several times during drying.

At night, bark that dries outside must be brought indoors or covered with a tarp. When the raw material begins to break with a crash when bent, we can say that it is dried. However, it is impossible to use buckthorn bark immediately, since many toxic substances are present in its composition. These ingredients can cause severe nausea and vomiting.

Because before using for medicinal purposes, the bark must be kept for at least 1 year. After the specified time, the substance is allowed to be used as a laxative.If you want to use the medicinal composition immediately, and only fresh bark is available, it can be heated in the oven at a temperature of +100 degrees. This needs to be done for at least 1 hour.

Under the influence of high temperatures, the toxic substances that are present in the bark will be destroyed. In this case, the components that have a laxative effect will remain. It should be borne in mind that properly harvested raw materials have a slight aroma and a bitter aftertaste. Its shelf life does not exceed 5 years.

Buckthorn is a useful plant that contains many valuable components. Because of this, it can be used for medicinal purposes. This substance has pronounced laxative properties and helps to cope with many other problems. In order for buckthorn not to harm the body, it is important to use it correctly, strictly observing the dosage. If this is not done, there is a risk of serious poisoning. The fact is that the composition of the plant contains toxic substances.