Tree up to 30 m tall with a wide and dense crown and dark brown bark. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, palmately compound, the middle leaflet is larger than the others. Flowers white, irregular. Corolla of 4-5 leaves (the top two are larger and recurved). Calyx campanulate, stamens 5-7, pistil with upper three-celled ovary. The inflorescence is an upright pyramidal panicle. The fruit is a round capsule, covered with thorns. Seeds are large, brown. Blossoms in May-June, bears fruit in September-October.
In Russia, it is bred in the south and in the middle zone of the European part, in the Caucasus and Central Asia as an ornamental culture.
The medicinal raw material is the bark; in folk medicine – flowers, peel and seeds.
Collection of flowers produced in May-June; bark – in early spring, seeds – when ripe. Flowers are used both fresh and dried, seeds – fresh.
The bark of the branches contains glycosides: esculin, fraxin, tiglinic acid, tannins and fatty oil.
Flavonoids found in flowers – quercitrin, iso-quercitrin, quercetin; glycoside – kaempferol, rutin and pectin substances.
The seeds contain flavonoids – spireoside, quercetin, kaempferol, saponin – escin, tannins, starch.
The main effect of chestnut is associated with the presence in it of substances that increase the resistance of blood vessels-capillaries. They prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels, lower blood viscosity, improve tissue metabolism and, above all, cholesterol metabolism, have a tonic effect, promote anti-inflammatory processes, fruits – with sciatica.
In medicine, an extract from horse chestnut (venostazin) is used, which is used orally in drops to prevent thrombosis, with hemorrhoids, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, and atherosclerosis. The therapeutic effect is due to the fact that the esculin and fraxin contained in the plant are close in nature of action on the body to dicoumarin, yielding to it in activity.
In folk medicine, an infusion of flowers and chestnut bark is used to treat gallbladder diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases. A decoction of flowers or their tincture on vodka is taken for heart diseases; drink in case of liver disease, leukemia, shortness of breath, pulmonary tuberculosis, gastritis, diseases caused by weight lifting, rheumatism; tincture of flowers on vodka is rubbed with rheumatism; tincture of alcohol – with articular rheumatism; a decoction of seeds is drunk, tincture of vodka is rubbed with rheumatism; tincture of fresh flowers and leaves in alcohol is rubbed with rheumatism; a decoction of the leaves is drunk with uterine, hemorrhoid bleeding.
Application
Tincture 30%; 20 drops 3 times every day (with atherosclerosis).
Infusion: 100 g per 2 l; for sitz baths (for hemorrhoids). Infusion on 40 ° alcohol of crushed fruits: 20 g per 200 ml; infused 7-12 days, 20-30 drops 3 times every day. Applied 15-20 days courses. The effect does not start immediately.
A decoction for the peel of seeds: 5 g per glass of hot water, boil for 15 minutes and drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times every day.
Juice from fresh flowers drink 20-25 drops 3 times every day.
The fruits are ground, mixed with camphor oil and lard (unsalted), taken equally, spread with a thin layer on gauze, applied to the sore spot.