Gleditschia caspia; Caspian sea bream
A small, 10-12 m tall, monoecious tree of the legume family. It has large unbranched spines. The leaves are odd-pinnate or bipinnate. The flowers are small, unisexual, zygomorphic, greenish, in shortened axillary racemes. The fruit is a bean. Blooms in June.
Spread. Comes from North America. In Ukraine, it is grown as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks
Raw. Fruit husks and young leaves collected during the blooming period are used.
The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition . The young leaf contains the alkaloid triacanthine (up to 1%), ascorbic acid; in the peel of the fruit – anthraglycosides (2.6%), tannins (3.1%), vitamin K.
Pharmacological properties and use . Triacanthine alkaloid has an antispasmodic effect, dilates blood vessels, and lowers blood pressure. The domestic pharmaceutical industry produced the product triacanthin, which was used for hypertension, bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum, spastic colitis and chronic cholecystitis. The product has recently been discontinued. Galena products of the peel of the fruit have a relaxing effect.
Medicinal forms and applications.
Internally – crushed fruit peel is brewed as a tea (10 g per 200 ml of boiling water) and drunk 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day for chronic constipation.