Large perennial herbaceous plant up to 3 m tall. Stem erect, branched above. The leaves are large, palmate-separate with pinnatipartite lobes, long-petiolate, stem-like, sessile. The flowers are small, collected in a dense apical leafy brush. The fruits are trihedral winged nuts.
Palm-shaped rhubarb is not found in the wild in the South-East. Cultivated in some collective farms, state farms of the Ministry of Health. Homeland – Central and East Asia.
For medicinal purposes, rhizomes and roots are used. The collection of rhizomes is carried out from plants aged 3 to 4 years, mainly in the summer. Raw materials are dried in the open air, and then dried in dryers.
Roots and rhizomes contain tannaglycosides, which include glucogallin, tetrarin and antroglucosides, which include rheochrysin and chrysophanein, which decomposes into chrysophaneic acid and glucose. In addition to anthraglucosides, their aglucones were isolated from the plant in a free form: reuemodin, direin, rabarberone, chrysophanoic acid, fiscion, etc.
Vitamin C, rutin, organic acids and many potassium salts are found in the leaves and flowers. Anthracene derivatives were not found in young leaves.
In scientific medicine, products from the roots and rhizomes of rhubarb are used to treat certain gastrointestinal diseases: with habitual constipation, intestinal atony, flatulence. The action of the products depends on the dose. When using small doses, an astringent antidiarrheal effect is detected. Large doses increase peristalsis, mainly of the large intestine. Rhubarb preparations also have an antiseptic effect. Therefore, they can be used for dyspepsia and chronic intestinal inflammation. In addition to the above, rhubarb has a choleretic effect and increases appetite. It is prescribed in the form of powder, dry extract, water or wine tinctures, syrup. Included in the choleretic tea.
In folk medicine, rhubarb is used as a laxative to treat gastric catarrhs with insufficient acidity. In doses 2-3 times less than laxatives, it is used as an antidiarrheal, 10 times less than laxatives – as a choleretic agent, also for sclerosis.
In Russia, more than 20 types of rhubarb grow and are cultivated for decorative and food purposes.
Young succulent leaves, petioles containing a lot of potassium salts, oxalic acid, citrine and vitamin C are eaten. Rhubarb ripens early – already in May soups, salads, kissels, compotes, fillings for pies are prepared from it.