Common ginseng – panax ginseng p. a. mey.
Botanical characteristic.Araliaceae family. Perennial herbaceous plant up to 80 cm high. The main root is taproot up to 3 cm in diameter, fleshy, cylindrical in shape, yellowish outside, white inside, with a specific smell. Three adventitious roots depart from it, which in turn break up into smaller roots, ending in small lobes. The shape of the root sometimes resembles a human figure. Rhizome (root neck) of irregular shape, with traces of places of attachment of fallen stems in the form of platforms (the age of the plant is determined by these signs). Several overwintering buds appear at the top of the neck. The stem is straight, thin, green, leafy. The leaves are petiolate, palmately compound, up to 40 cm long, in young plants there are 1-2, in adults 4-5. A flower arrow emerges from the middle of the whorl, carrying an inflorescence – a simple umbrella. Flowers are small, greenish white, bisexual. The fruit is a berry, bright red when ripe, bilocular. Blooms in June – July; the fruits ripen in August-September (color table V-1).
Spreading. Under natural conditions, it is found in the south of the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. It grows under the canopy of broad-leaved and coniferous forests, on loose, well-drained soils. It was introduced into culture in the Primorsky Territory, the Byelorussian SSR, and the Moscow Region.
Medicinal raw materials – roots with rhizomes. The plant is dug up with the help of wooden or bone spatulas so as not to cut off the long lobes that go from the root deep into the ground, without damaging even the smallest lateral and adventitious roots. The raw materials are not washed, but only cleaned with a soft brush from dirt and excess husk, trying not to scratch the skin of the root. Then the roots are placed in bags, boxes made of cedar bark are sprinkled with moderately moist soil and stored in this form until delivery to the procurement points. If necessary, dry at a temperature of 50-60 ° C to an air-dry state. In dryers, the roots are laid out in a thin layer. Stored in a dry, well-ventilated area on racks in thick wooden boxes lined with paper inside.
Chemical composition. The roots contain a number of physiologically active substances – triterpene glycosides, called panaxosides A, B, C, D, F (panaxoponin, panaquilon, panaxoside A and B), also a volatile essential oil, vitamins B1 and B2 , ascorbic and phosphoric acids, iron , manganese, resinous substances, starch, fatty oil, phytosterol, pectin and other substances.
pharmacological properties.Ginseng belongs to the group of adaptogens, that is, substances that act non-specifically, increasing the overall resistance of the body to adverse environmental influences. Under experimental conditions, it has been shown that the action of ginseng is due to its stimulating effect on the cortex and subcortical centers of the cortex. Plant preparations have a positive effect on the blood picture, increase gas exchange, stimulate tissue respiration (mainly of the brain), increase cardiac activity and slow down its rhythm, and accelerate the healing of experimentally induced ulcers. Preliminary administration of ginseng to animals increases their resistance to radiation exposure. After internal use, there is an increase in the secretion of bile and the concentration of bilirubin and bile acids in it; increases physical performance.
Application. Water-alcohol tincture and tablets from the root of the plant are used as a tonic, stimulant and adaptogenic agent for functional disorders of the cardiovascular system, physical fatigue, exhaustion due to prolonged and debilitating diseases, functional diseases of the nervous system, atherosclerosis, anemia, inflammatory liver diseases, anacid gastritis and other diseases.
Doses of tincture of ginseng root: for small animals 10-20 drops per dose 2-3 times every day.
dog
Rp.: Tinctura Ginsengi 20.0
DS 15 drops 3 times daily 30 minutes before feeding.