Botanical characteristic. The kutovye family. Evergreen subshrub, branching from the base. The stems are lying, up to 100-150 cm long, flowering shoots are erect, 30-35 cm high. The rhizome is cord-like, horizontal, occurring in the surface layer of the soil. The leaves are elliptical at both ends, elongated, evergreen, leathery, arranged oppositely on the stems.
The flowers are large, dark blue, located in the axils of the leaves. Blooms in May.
Distribution – Baltic states, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, foothills and low mountains of the Crimea and the Caucasus. It grows in beech, oak, less often in pine forests, among shrubs. Along with the small periwinkle, pink, grassy and straight periwinkle is used.
Medicinal raw materials. Use the aerial part of all four plant species during flowering or at the beginning of fruiting.
The aerial part of the plant is cut at a height of 1-5 cm from the ground plane. The grass is dried in attics with good ventilation or under sheds, spreading out thin (3-5 cm) puffs on paper, fabric. Raw materials are periodically turned over. Ready to store in bags in a dry, well-ventilated area.
Given the toxicity of the plant, precautions are taken when working with it.
Chemical composition. The herb of all types of periwinkle contains alkaloids. Periwinkle has indole alkaloids (vincamine, rubescine and minorin, tannins, bitterness), rose has 16 alkaloids (among them vincristine and 2-vincoleukoblastine), grassy has vincamine, aquammycin, also tannins of the pyrocatechin group, flavonoids, organic acids, etc.
37 individual indole bases and 25 alkaloids have been isolated from the roots and herb of periwinkle direct. Among them are vincamine, vincamidine, vincanin, etc.
pharmacological properties. It has been established that the products of the plant have astringent, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects, lower blood pressure, dilate the coronary and cerebral vessels, relax and lower the tone of the muscles of the small intestine and tone the smooth muscles of the uterus. At the heart of the hypotensive action are their properties to lower the tone and resistance in the peripheral vessels.
Application. The plant has been used in practice since time immemorial as a sedative and lowering blood pressure agent. Infusion of herbs (1:40) is recommended for uterine and intestinal bleeding, diarrhea, externally to stop bleeding and heal wounds. Approximate doses of grass inside: 0.01-0.05 g / kg. Our industry prepares two plant products. Vinkapan is produced in tablets containing 0.01 g of the product. Store according to list B. Used for spasms of cerebral vessels, high blood pressure, neurogenic tachycardia. Devikan is the methyl ester of vincamic acid. It has a vasodilating, hypotensive and weak sedative effect. Assign inside and intramuscularly.