Climbing woody plant – liana with a powerful rhizome. Stem up to 16 m long and up to 25 cm thick with dark brown scaly bark. The leaves are simple, petiolate. The flowers are white, fragrant, solitary, same-sex, located on one individual. Female flowers – with numerous pistils. When ripe, the receptacle lengthens 25-30 times, and an overhanging raceme appears from one flower, seated with orange-red spherical berries. Blossoms in June, bears fruit in late August-September.
A plant of the Far East, common in the Ussuri region and on Sakhalin.
For medicinal purposes, lemongrass berries and seeds are used. The berries are harvested in September, at their full maturity, by cutting off whole fruit clusters and then picking off intact berries. Seeds are harvested, previously freed from the fruit shells. Dry in well-ventilated areas, in the open air or in dryers.
The berries contain a large amount of malic, citric, tartaric acids, tonic substances – schi-sandrin, schisandrol, sugars, tannins, dyes, essential oil, vitamin C. Fatty oils, essential oils, and resins were found in the seeds. The ash contains iron, silicon, phosphorus, calcium. Glycosides and alkaloids were not found in lemongrass.
Lemongrass has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, enhances positive conditioned reflexes, stimulates reflex excitability, increases the light sensitivity of the eyes, tones the cardiovascular system, increases blood pressure in case of hypotension, stimulates respiration, promotes faster recovery during physical and mental fatigue and a longer maintaining performance.
In addition, lemongrass stimulates the motor and secretory functions of the digestive apparatus, tones up the activity of the uterus and skeletal muscles, activates metabolism, regenerative processes and enhances immuno-biological reactions. In muscles, under the influence of lemongrass products, glycogen content increases, and in the liver, glycogen content decreases; the amount of lactic acid in the liver increases, and in the muscles it decreases. A decoction of schisandra berries slightly stimulates tissue respiration, lowers blood sugar in experimental diabetes, lowers blood chloride and reserve alkalinity.
In scientific medicine, lemongrass is mainly used as a tonic for the central nervous system. It is prescribed for physical and mental fatigue, reduced physical and mental work capacity, hypotension, drowsiness, asthenic and depressive conditions in mental and nervous patients, with a general breakdown due to chronic infectious diseases and intoxications, with sluggish granulating wounds and trophic ulcers.
Lemongrass is also used as a stimulant for a number of heart diseases of a functional nature and weakening of breathing, pneumonia with vascular insufficiency. The use of lemongrass to enhance labor activity also gives positive results. Lemongrass preparations act on the body slowly (after 2-10 weeks), but are effective for general fatigue and weakness, increased drowsiness (in pilots, athletes, tourists, scientists, etc.), and also for dysentery in children.
The use of lemongrass products in order to avoid overexcitation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems should be carried out under the supervision and prescription of a doctor.
The tonic effect of magnolia vine on the body has long been known to the Nanais, according to whom a handful of dry berries of magnolia vine “gives strength to chase the sable trail without eating all day long.”
The population of the areas where lemongrass grows uses the pulp of berries to make jelly, and the bark is put instead of lemon for smell in tea. Seeds are used for anemia and other diseases.
Contraindications to the use of lemongrass are insomnia, high blood pressure, nervous excitement, organic diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Tolerance of products by the body can be established using a test dose: the result appears after 30-40 minutes and is saved for 4-6 hours.
Lemongrass does not give any bad consequences, if it is used wisely, it is not only a medicinal, but also a dietary product.
Application
Schisandra is prescribed inside in the form of an alcohol tincture, liquid extract, tablets or powder. The drugs are taken on an empty stomach or 4 hours after a meal.
Lemongrass seed extract is prepared in 70° alcohol (1:3), 20-30 drops 3 times every day for hypotension.
Tincture (on 96 ° alcohol): 25%; 20-40 drops 2 times every day on an empty stomach (see above) for pneumonia.
Decoction (light): 20 g per 200 ml; 1 st. spoon 2-3 times every day (use warm) on an empty stomach.
Powder (in tablets): 0.5 g in the morning and evening 2 times every day (on an empty stomach or 4 hours after eating).