Seed rye (Secale cereale); Rye is sown
An annual herbaceous plant of the grass family. There are usually several stems, they are straight, naked, 60-200 cm tall, with well-defined nodes (“knees”) and hollow internodes. The leaves are linear, bare, bluish-green. The inflorescence is a thick two-row spike, with an almost bare, unbreakable axis after maturity. Spikelets are two-flowered, with the beginning of a 30% flower; spikelet scales linear-acute, without a stipe or with a stipe much shorter than the scale itself; the lower flower scale – with a ciliated keel, with 3-5 veins, gradually narrowed to a spine at the top. The fruit is a grain. Blooms in June.
Spread. It is grown throughout Ukraine as a grain crop.
Raw material . Rye bread and bran are used for medicinal purposes.
Chemical composition . Grains of seed rye contain protein (up to 11%), carbohydrates (67.4%), fiber (3.5%), from 0.6 to 1.6% of minerals (phosphorus, calcium, copper, manganese, zinc, fluorine ), thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid and fats, which consist mainly of triglycerides of oleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids. It is believed that in terms of amino acid composition, rye proteins are more complete than wheat proteins.
Pharmacological properties and use . Rye bread belongs to strong agents of gastric secretion. Staying in the stomach for 3-4 hours, it is its mechanical and chemical irritant. Rye bread has a mild laxative effect and is especially useful for long-term constipation. Rye bread soaked in hot milk or warm rye dough is applied to boils and hard painful tumors to accelerate their “ripening”, softening and absorption. Decoction of rye bran is used as a softening and expectorant and for diarrhea. The negative qualities include the ability of rye bread to cause flatulence.