Name: golden rhododendron
RHODODENDRON GOLDEN
A small evergreen shrub with dark brown bark, creeping, traditionally strongly twisted stems and branches rising 20-100 cm from the ground, covered with glandular-pubescent kidney scales, remaining 2-4 years. The leaves are alternate, entire, 2-8 cm long, dark green above, shiny, paler below, with pronounced reticulate venation, elliptical or obovate, wedge-shaped narrowed towards the base, leathery, smooth, with edges turned down, petiolate. The flowers are golden, collected 3-5 (8) at the ends of the branches, on long stalks. Corolla slightly irregular, 4-5 cm in diameter, light yellow, broad-ronkovidny, with five lobes. Stamens 10, unequal in length. Pistil with upper felt-pubescent ovary, long style with five-lobed stigma. The fruit is a five-celled box, opening with five doors. Seeds are small, numerous. Blooms in May-June; bears fruit in July-August.
Distributed in mountainous areas: in Altai, in the Sayan Mountains, in the Far East, Sakhalin, Northern Kuriles.
Medicinal raw materials are the leaves of the second and 30% of its year of life, collected in the summer, during the flowering period. Air dry in the shade or in dryers.
Of practical interest are 3 types of rhododendron: golden rhododendron – kashkara, Dahurian rhododendron – maral and Caucasian rhododendron.
Rhododendron leaves contain rhododendrin, ericolin, poisonous glycoside andromedotoxin, trannides, gallic acid, arbutin, rutin, urosolic acid, essential oil.
It has been established that the leaves of rhododendrons have an effect on the heart, similar to the effect of the products of the foxglove group.
Experimental studies have found that rhododendron products (tincture, infusion and new herbal product of Pontic rhododendron – rhododensid, which is an aqueous solution of the active principles of the plant) increase the tone of the heart muscle, increase the amplitude and decrease the frequency of heart contractions, do not significantly change blood pressure and have a pronounced diuretic effect. By the speed of the onset of action and the absence of cumulative properties, rhododenside is closer to strophanthin, but unlike it, it decomposes little in the gastrointestinal tract. Products from Pontic and Caucasian rhododendrons have the highest biological activity, of which the former is less toxic than the latter.
Clinical observations have established that rhododendron products have a distinct therapeutic effect when administered to patients with cardiovascular insufficiency. There is a decrease in shortness of breath, palpitations, the disappearance of edema, a decrease in venous pressure, an increase in the speed of blood flow, an increase in diuresis. Rhododendron products do not have cumulative properties.
In addition, it was found that both aqueous and alcoholic extracts from leaves and branches have bactericidal properties against pathogenic microbes of the intestinal flora (E. coli, pathogens of dysentery, typhoid fever), as well as streptococcus, staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
In folk medicine, an infusion of the leaves is used for febrile illnesses, epilepsy, headaches, insomnia, irritability, as well as a heart and diuretic. In addition, the beneficial effect of infusions in rheumatism, gout, dysentery, acute and chronic colitis was noted.
Since the active principles of rhododendrons are potent drugs, all products from them can be used only for their intended purpose and under the supervision of a physician.
Application
Decoction: 0.5 g per 200 ml; on ! Art. spoon 2-3 times every day (with heart failure).
Infusion: a teaspoon of dry leaves is brewed with a glass of boiling water, after cooling it is filtered, an infusion of 1 tbsp is taken. spoon 3 times every day.
Sometimes the leaves are used as a tea, believing that it helps a lot when climbing to a height (mountains), relieves shortness of breath.
Tincture: 30%; 25-30 drops per reception 2-3 times every day (with heart failure).
When ingesting golden rhododendron products, it should be remembered that they have an irritating effect on the urinary tract and are contraindicated in kidney diseases.