Henbane black - blekota black (growing and cultivation)

Name: Black henbane – blekota black (growing and cultivation)

Black henbane ( black bleach) Hyosciamus niger L.

Synonyms: chicken blindness (Ukrainian : blekota black, lyulnik, lyulki, German black, German, lylyuk, zubovik).

Description. Henbane black 2-year-old herbaceous plant from the nightshade family (Solanaceae) 30100 cm high. The root is branched, taproot. Stem erect, hollow inside, branched or simple, densely covered with soft sticky hairs.

Medicinal raw materials: leaves.

biological features. In the first year of life, it gives only a rosette of basal leaves, and in the second year it already bears fruit. It has a very extended flowering period from June to September. In the first period of growth, it requires increased soil moisture, but an excess of moisture in a later period adversely affects the yield.

Habitat. In the wild, black henbane is found within rivers, on fallow lands. As a weed, it grows on roadsides, wastelands, ditches and other waste lands.

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Spreading. Black henbane has a very large distribution area. It is found almost throughout the entire USSR, with the exception of the taiga (northern) part of Siberia. As a weed, it grows almost everywhere.

In the following years, black henbane is introduced into cultivation and is already being cultivated in specialized state farms in the Novosibirsk and Voronezh regions.

Under natural conditions, raw materials for black henbane are harvested in Ukraine, the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the Voronezh region, the Krasnodar Territory and other regions of the Soviet Union.

Composition of active substances. The main active ingredients of black henbane are alkaloids (0.050.1%): hyoscyamine, atropine, scopolamine. They act like atropine: they have an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles, increase intraocular pressure, dilate the pupils of the eyes, and cause palpitations. In addition, henbane contains protein substances, calcium oxalate, caxar, gum, fatty and essential oils, sugar, etc. Henbane alkaloids act differently on the central nervous system: hyoscyamine increases, and scopolamine lowers the excitability of the nervous system.

Application. Black henbane and products derived from its leaves are used as a sedative, analgesic and anticonvulsant similar to belladonna products. In homeopathy, it is used in the treatment of violent insanity.

It has been known as a remedy since ancient times. Currently, henbane is included in the pharmacology of many countries. It is prescribed in very small doses: in powders, drops, in the form of a dry extract for the treatment of digestive and respiratory organs as a sedative. In large doses, henbane causes powerful excitation and poisoning. A mixture of dry leaves of black henbane, sage and dope is used as a smoke for the treatment of bronchial asthma. Aeron tablets containing hyoscyamine are used for nausea and dizziness. Bleached oil is used as an external agent in a mixture with chloroform and other substances for rubbing in muscle and neuralgic pains.

In folk medicine, black henbane is used very, very rarely.

Agrotechnics of cultivation. Site selection. Black henbane gives the best yields when grown on fertile, well-drained soils with a slightly acidic reaction. As the best predecessors, the VILR recommends black fallow, winter crops running on fertilized fallow or on a layer of perennial grasses, also tilled.

Soil cultivation is carried out basically in the same way as for other tilled plants.

Application of fertilizers . VILR’s experiments established that nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers have positive results on the accumulation of alkaloids in black henbane. As the main fertilizer introduced from autumn, 3040 t/ha of rotted manure with 60 kg/ha of superphosphate is recommended. During sowing, granulated superphosphate is applied to the rows at the rate of 68 kg/ha of the active substance. In summer, one and a half to two months before harvesting the leaves, ammonium nitrate is fertilized at the rate of 30 kg / ha.

On plantations of the second year of culture, in early spring, 30 kg/ha of nitrogen and potash, 45 kg/ha of phosphorus fertilizers are applied.

Propagation is done by sowing seeds directly into the soil in early spring or before winter. The sowing method is ordinary with a row spacing of 60 cm. For spring sowing, the seeds are stratified for 4045 days. Seeding rate 8 kg/ha, seeding depth 1.52 cm. Sown with vegetable or grain seeders.

Before winter, they are sown as late as possible, before the onset of frost, in order to avoid the likely germination of seeds in the fall.

Plantation care consists in 2- or 3-time timely loosening of row spacings with simultaneous weeding and fertilization in the form of top dressing. The same is done in early spring on the plantations of the second year of culture. During winter periods of sowing, loosening is carried out at the first probability of carrying out field work. And with spring sowing, the first treatment is carried out as soon as seedlings are indicated on the mother plants. In the future, loosening and weeding is carried out if necessary.

Rosette leaves are harvested in the first year of life twice during the summer in July-August. At this time, the leaves are most rich in alkaloids.

Stem leaves are harvested by machines in the second year of culture at the beginning of flowering, and the tops of stems and branches in the form of grass to obtain an extract at the end of flowering, i.e. at the beginning of formation

fruits at the bottom of the inflorescences. The collected leaves and grass are crushed on a straw cutter before drying and immediately sent to the place of drying.

Drying is carried out in dryers at a temperature not exceeding 3040 ° C. It can also be dried in attics under an iron roof, spreading the raw materials in a thin layer on sieves, paper (cardboard), canvas, if good ventilation is observed. The end of drying is determined by the fragility of the petioles of the leaves when bent.

The pack is produced in bales of 50 kg.

Storage. Henbane leaves should be stored in a well-ventilated area.

quality requirements. Medicinal raw materials of black henbane should consist of intact whole, well-dried stem and basal leaves. In accordance with the State Pharmacopoeia X allowed: moisture14; total ash 20 (including ash insoluble in 10% hydrochloric acid, not more than 10); organic and mineral impurities, 1% each; leaves turned brown and blackened 3; other parts are bleached 5%. For whole raw materials of crushed parts passing through a sieve with a hole diameter of 3 mm, 8%; for cut raw materials, particles over 8 mm long, no more than 10, particles passing through a sieve with a hole diameter of 0.5 mm, no more than 8%.