Name: Stefania Gladenka – Stefania Smooth
Stephania smooth (Stephania glabra); Stefania is smooth
Perennial tropical herbaceous liana of the menisperm family. It has a root system in the form of a large (up to 30 kg in the homeland) almost round tuber, with fibrous roots at the base. The stem is rounded, bare, woody at the base, twisted, long (10-15 m long in the homeland). The leaves are alternate, long-petiolate, whole, thyroid, rounded, 15-20 cm in diameter. The flowers are small, unisexual (dioecious plants), 6-lobed, yellow-green, collected in umbrella-shaped hanging inflorescences, contained in the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a red spherical drupe. Blooms in June-July.
Distribution . Stephania smooth grows wild in the mountains of India, Burma, Vietnam, South China and Japan. On the territory of the former USSR, it is cultivated as a medicinal plant in Adjara.
Procurement and storage . Tubers with Stephania roots (Tuber cum radicibus Stephaniae glabrae) are used to make medicines. Tubers with roots dug up in autumn are cleaned from the ground, cut into pieces up to 1 cm thick (the length can be different) and dried in dryers at a temperature of 60-80°. Store in a dry, ventilated room (the raw material is sensitive to moisture). The shelf life is 2 years.
Chemical composition. Stephania tubers and roots contain 6-8% of alkaloids: hindarine, cycleanine, coridine, palmatine, stefaglabrin (stepharin) and others.
Pharmacological properties and use. The healing effect of Stephania Gladenkoi depends mainly on the content of the alkaloids hindarin and stefaglabrin in the tubers and roots. Hyndarin belongs to the means with a moderate tranquilizing effect. It has sedative, mild hypnotic and hypotensive properties. Indications for the appointment of hindarin are functional disorders of the central nervous system (neurasthenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder), residual effects of traumatic lesions and vascular diseases of the brain, schizophrenia, epilepsy (seizures and epileptic psychosis), and chronic alcoholism. The use of hindarin gives a good therapeutic effect in the treatment of children with neurotic conditions. No contraindications to the use of hindarin were found. At the beginning of the treatment, lethargy and drowsiness are possible, which pass during the treatment. In case of an overdose, mild phenomena of motor anxiety are possible, which can be eliminated by taking corrective agents (cyclodol, etc.). Stefaglabrin exhibits anticholinesterase activity. It is recommended for syringomyelia, progressive muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, traumatic plexitis, polyradiculoneuritis, and neuritis of the facial nerve. The drug is contraindicated in epilepsy, hyperkinesis, bronchial asthma, angina and bradycardia.
Medicinal forms and applications . Hyndarinum is prescribed internally at 0.05-0.075 g per reception 2-3 times a day. The largest single dose is 0.1 g. Children are prescribed in smaller doses (0.0125-0.025 to 0.05 g). 1-2 ml of a 1% solution of hindarin is injected under the skin 2-3 times a day. Release forms: tablets of 0.05 g and ampoules (1-2 ml of 1% solution). Stephaglabrini sulfate (Stephaglabrini sulfas) is administered intramuscularly in 1-2 ml of a 0.25% solution 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 20-30 days. Release form: in the form of a 0.25% solution for injections in ampoules of 1 ml.