Spring Adonis is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Adonis of the Ranunculaceae family. Widely distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe regions – Samara, Saratov, Volgograd. Also found in the Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan, Voronezh regions, the Mordovian and Chuvash republics. It grows on dry open steppe slopes, on shrubs, edges, beams, on limestone. Other popular names: spring adonis, yellow-thousand, spring yellow-flower, yellow-thousander, hairy.
Description:
Plant height often reaches 60 cm. It has a short, vertical dark brown rhizome. Stems are rounded, glabrous, erect. Basal and lower stem leaves are in the form of brownish scales, other stem leaves are sessile, many-parted, their lobes are narrowly linear, entire. Flowers solitary, large, light yellow. Fruits are spherical-obovate, wrinkled, their columns are bent down, hooked. Blooms in April-May. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Adonis blooms from March to May, and bears fruit in May-June.
Used for diseases:
Mild forms of chronic circulatory failure, heart neurosis, chronic heart failure stage I and II.
Contains active substances:
cardiac glycosides (cymarin and anidotoxin) and saponins, cardenolides odonitoxin and cymarin, quinones, adonivernit flavone glycoside, coumarins, saponins, adoiit alcohol, adonylic acid.
Workpiece:
For medicinal purposes, it will be necessary to use the plant during the period from the beginning of flowering to shedding of fruits (from April to June), but still the best raw material is that which is collected at the time of flowering. Acceptable grass cutting height – 5-10 cm from ground level. In order to avoid the loss of medicinal components (glycosides), it will be necessary to dry the herb as soon as possible. The herb can be dried both outdoors in the shade, in attics, under a roof, and in dryers at a temperature of 50-60 °. The medicinal raw material is the entire aerial part of adonis without flowers or with them, probably with buds or fruits. The stems should be 10-35 cm long, cut above the brown lower scaly leaves. Stems and leaves are green. The smell of raw materials is weak, the taste is not determined. The biological activity of the herb must be at least 50-66 ICE or 6.3-8 KED. The moisture content in raw materials is allowed no more than 13%; total ash – no more than 3%; stems with brown leaves – no more than 2%; organic impurities – no more than 2%; mineral admixture – no more than 0.5%. Adonis spring refers to potent means, so it will need to be stored in paper multi-layer bags or in closed glass jars, as well as in boxes lined with paper. Storage period up to 2 years.
Medical Significance:
Adonis spring is used for medicinal purposes. Medicinal raw material is the entire aerial part, collected during the flowering and fruiting of the plant. 25 cardenolides were found in the herb, 10 of them were isolated in pure form; the main ones being odonitoxin and cymarin. Seeds and roots of adonis contain cardiac glycosides, the nature of which has not been established, in addition, coumarin vernadine was found in the roots. The active principles of spring adonis are cardiac glycosides (cymarin and anidotoxin) and saponins. Spring adonis is used as a means of regulating cardiac activity, as well as a general sedative and diuretic. A medicinal infusion is prepared from Adonis.The recipe is as follows: chopped grass is placed in a washed vessel (glass jar, enamelware), then pour 200 g of cold water. Place in a saucepan with boiling water and heat in a water bath for 15 minutes, then for 45 minutes. cooled, with all this, during cooling, the medicinal properties of the herb pass into the infusion. After cooling, it will be necessary to strain and add boiled water to the original volume. It is necessary to take one tablespoon 3-4 times every day. Adonis is effective in the convulsions of addicts caused by cocaine. Preliminary administration of an infusion or tincture of adonis prevents deaths. These products also prevent the onset of camphor cramps and cramps caused by picrotoxin. Help with poisoning with Adonis products:gastric lavage with water with the addition of carbolene, rest, bed rest, oxygen inhalation, saline laxative. Inside 6-8 drops of a 0.1% solution of atropine sulfate. Vomiting is contraindicated.