Botanical characteristic. Honeysuckle family. Shrub or tree 2-4 m high. Bark smooth, grayish-brown, fissured. The leaves are opposite, rounded, three-five-lobed, coarsely serrated along the edges, petiolate. The flowers are white, collected in corymbose inflorescences. The fruits are red.
Blooms in May – June. Fruits in August – September (color table VI – 2).
Spreading. It grows in the undergrowth, in forests and river valleys, near lakes and swamps, in forest and forest-steppe zones, less often along the outskirts of the steppe zone, almost throughout the entire territory of the Soviet Union. Bred in gardens and parks as an ornamental plant. The main harvesting areas: Belarus, Ukraine, the Volga region.
Medicinal raw materials. Bark, flowers, fruits are used. The bark is harvested in the spring (April – May) at the beginning of active sap flow. Side branches are cut off, gutter-like pieces of bark no more than 2 mm thick are removed, cut into pieces and dried in the open air in the shade or in a well-ventilated room. The bark is laid out in a layer of 3-5 cm and periodically mixed. The fruits are harvested in late autumn along with the stalks, stored tied in bunches in a suspended state or after drying in the air, dried in ovens. Store in a dry place up to 4 years.
Chemical composition. The bark contains viburnin glycoside, tannins of the pyrocatechin group, flavonoids, resins, salts, organic acids, fruits – up to 32% sugar, tannins, organic acids, vitamins C and K. The berries are edible (especially frozen).
pharmacological properties. Viburnum preparations have astringent, hemostatic, sedative, antispasmodic and diuretic effects, lower blood pressure.
The fruits increase the contraction of the heart muscle and increase diuresis. The presence of ascorbic acid determines the use of viburnum fruits in vitamin preparations.
Application. A decoction of the viburnum bark and a liquid extract are used for all kinds of internal bleeding, especially uterine, as well as an antispasmodic and sedative in obstetric and gynecological practice. In folk veterinary medicine, a decoction of flowers is prescribed for coughs, gastrointestinal and kidney stone diseases, as an astringent for diarrhea, as an expectorant and diaphoretic. In veterinary practice, liquid extract of viburnum is prescribed for small animals in 30-40 drops, and a decoction of the bark (1:10) in 1-2 tablespoons 3 times every day. Flowers and berries in the form of infusion and decoction are used for inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity.
dog
Rp.: Extracti Viburni fluidi 25.0
DS 30 drops per reception 2-3 times every day (hemostatic).
calf
Rp.: Decocti corticis Viburni 10.0-200.0
DS 1/4 cup 3 times daily (antispasmodic).
Liquid viburnum extract – Extr. Viburni fluidum. Transparent red-brown liquid, peculiar smell, bitter taste.
A decoction of viburnum bark is prepared 1:10. To do this, the raw material is placed in an enamel bowl, poured with the required amount of hot boiled water, closed with a lid and heated in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cooled at room temperature for 10 minutes, filtered, squeezed and topped up with boiled water up to 200 ml. The broth is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days.
An infusion of 1:20 is prepared from viburnum fruits and prescribed to calves as a vitamin, tonic, diaphoretic and laxative. Approximate dose: 1 – 2 tablespoons 3 – 4 times every day.