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Gentian yellow (gentian yellow) is a perennial herbaceous crop from the Gentian family. The healing properties of the plant were well known to the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, who used it in the treatment of stomach diseases, inflammation, tuberculosis and many other ailments. In ancient Rome, remedies based on gentian yellow treated stings of scorpions and poisonous snakes, treated diseases of the blood, kidneys, liver and upper respiratory tract.
Description of the plant
The yellow gentian flower is a herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of 120 cm. The plant is distinguished by a short forked rhizome, turning into a root. The stems of the culture are characterized by an upright cylindrical shape. The leaves of the yellow gentian are opposite, entire, bluish-green in color. The basal leaf plates are elliptical in shape, the stem ones are ovate-elliptical.
The yellow inflorescences of gentian are bunches collected from small-sized leaves.
The fruits are multi-seeded capsules of a lanceolate-oblong shape. Inside there are many small flattened, oblong or rounded brown seeds.
Where does yellow gentian grow?
Gentian yellow is considered an endangered plant. The culture grows on the mountain ranges of Asia Minor, in the Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Carpathians and on the Balkan Peninsula. Gentian yellow is cultivated in Ukraine, India, France, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Germany and some regions of Our Country. The culture blooms for several weeks from June to July.
The composition and value of yellow gentian
Gentian yellow has a rich composition, which includes the following substances and compounds:
- Alkaloids, the main of which is gentianine. It is found mainly in the roots of the plant. In medicine, it is used as a bitter remedy for the treatment of various digestive disorders. Does not dissolve in water.
- A number of disaccharides (gentiobiose, sucrose), monosaccharides (glucose and fructose), as well as gentian trisaccharides and polysaccharides (pectic substances).
- Secoroidoids: gentiopicrin, gentiomarin, sveroside, svertiamarin. The most bitter component of the plant is amarogentin. The taste of bitterness is also provided by amarosverin and amaropanin.
The yellow gentian also contains: inulin, essential and fatty oils, tannins, resins, flavonoids, mucus, aromatic compounds, ascorbic and phenol carboxylic acids.
The yellow color of gentian is due to the high concentration of pigment, which belongs to the group of xanthones.
Medicinal properties of yellow gentian
The famous botanist and physician of German origin Hieronymus Bock described gentian yellow as a miraculous remedy for the fight against worms, tuberculosis and fever. During the Middle Ages, the flower was revered as having magical properties and was one of the twelve magical plants of the Rosicrucians. Residents of mountainous countries prepared a strong tincture from the roots of yellow gentian, which was used for diarrhea, intestinal colic. It has also been used as an anthelmintic and general tonic.
The therapeutic effect of yellow gentian is provided mainly by the high content of gentiopicrin and other bitter glycosides. They have a stimulating effect on the motor and secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract, increase the digestibility of food and stabilize the digestion process. The therapeutic effect is more pronounced in the case of normal secretion. Preparations from gentian yellow have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. They are prescribed for diseases of the gallbladder and liver, intestinal atony, spasms, colitis and diabetes.
Preparations based on gentian yellow are widely used for achilia and dyspepsia, as well as in the absence of appetite, diarrhea, heartburn, constipation, scrofula, anemia, arthritis and pancreatitis. The plant stabilizes metabolic processes in the body and helps to increase the amount of milk in women. Due to the pronounced hepatoprotective properties, gentian yellow preparations protect the liver from destruction. They are used for inflammation of the bladder and kidneys, and also as an anti-allergic agent.
The special substances that make up gentian yellow are considered analogues of anabolic steroids.
The plant can be used to safely increase muscle mass.
The use of yellow gentian in folk medicine
With dyskinesia affecting the biliary tract, the use of a cold infusion of yellow gentian (pictured) is carried out according to the following recipe: 1 tbsp. l. dried and ground gentian is poured with half a liter of boiled water (the temperature should be in the range of 22-25 ° C). The container is removed overnight in a dark place at room temperature. In the morning, the solution is filtered and taken ½ cup twice a day.
There are other recipes based on gentian yellow:
- Tea drink. Increases appetite, prevents bloating, spasmodic pain in the stomach and stabilizes the digestive process. The drink is prepared in this way: vegetable raw materials (in the amount of 1 tsp) are poured into 250 ml of purified water and boiled for five minutes. The healing drink is filtered and consumed in 100 ml shortly before meals.
- Yellow gentian tincture. Used for colitis, constipation and intestinal atony. To prepare it, take 100 g of dried ground parts of the plant and pour a liter of vodka or high-quality distillate. Tincture is cleaned in a place protected from sunlight. A few days later, it is filtered and consumed in 15-25 drops, which are diluted in 50 ml of pure water. Take the remedy 15 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
- Decoction for external use.
Gentian yellow remedy can be used externally
2-3 tablespoons of crushed parts of the plant are mixed with an identical amount of dry chamomile, poured with purified water (1 l) and boiled for 10 minutes. The broth is filtered, and the finished product is used to treat burns and wounds. Dry powder of chamomile and gentian (the ingredients are taken in equal proportions) is sprinkled on abscesses on the skin to disinfect, disinfect and accelerate regeneration.
In medicine, it is customary to use mainly the yellow gentian root, since the rest of the plant cannot boast such a high concentration of valuable substances and compounds. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat excessive sweating of the feet. From gastritis and various disorders of the digestive tract, the collection of yellow gentian roots in combination with centaury and yarrow helps. Take 1 tablespoon of each ingredient, pour four glasses of water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. Take a decoction of 50 ml three times a day before meals.
Limitations and contraindications
Like other medicines, gentian yellow has contraindications and restrictions for use. The use of plant-based preparations is strongly not recommended for such diseases: stomach ulcers, hypertension, as well as during pregnancy and lactation.
Planting and care
Gardeners practice growing yellow gentian mainly from seeds. However, the culture propagates without any problems and difficulties by dividing the bush, as well as layering and cuttings. It is preferable to plant gentian in partial shade. Plants need to provide drainage in the form of pebbles or gravel.
When and how to plant
Gentian yellow seeds are planted in open ground in mid-spring or in the last days of September. Seed material needs preliminary stratification for three months at a temperature not higher than 8 °C. Good air ventilation must be ensured. They dig up the soil, rid it of weeds and bring in five to six buckets of compost. The optimal soil for growing gentian yellow is with neutral acidity. When planting, it is required to observe the distance between plants from 55 to 65 cm.
A good soil for a plant is a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 1
Since the culture does not tolerate transplants, it must be propagated vegetatively with great care. Damage to the root system can be detrimental to the plant. The flower goes well with ferns, hostas, rhododendrons, primrose and edelweiss. The culture is used to create rabatok, flower beds and rocky hills.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Gentian is very whimsical to watering and does not tolerate drying out of the soil and increased dryness of the air. The ideal place for a plant is an area near a pool or fountain.
Watering the plant with hard water is strongly discouraged, as this step can cause slow development and delayed flowering.
Gentian prefers organic fertilizers, especially rotted manure. Immediately after planting, ash or bone meal is added under the roots. In the process of growing, mineral complex top dressings with a prolonged action are used. A good top dressing for a semi-shrub is horn flour, as well as crushed limestone, which provides high growth rates of green mass.
Weeding and loosening
The culture does not tolerate neighborhood with weeds, so it requires periodic weeding and loosening of the soil. It is necessary to loosen the soil only after watering and removing weeds. Mulching the soil in the near-trunk circle with peat, sawdust and straw allows the semi-shrub to provide natural protection from adverse environmental factors.
Preparation for winter
It is necessary to timely rid the semi-shrubs of dried inflorescences by pruning with a garden tool. In the case of growing in a region that is characterized by a sharp onset of winter, yellow gentian must be provided with shelter from spruce branches.
Diseases and pests
Since the plant has a high concentration of alkaloids and bitter acids, various pests are in no hurry to settle on it. When grown in open ground, ants and thrips (small insects from the bell-legged order that cause plant diseases) pose a danger to the culture. Get rid of them with the help of special insecticides and systemic drugs.
In case of damage to the plant by gray mold, spotting, rust, root collar rot or other fungal diseases, it must be treated with a fungicide.
Collection and procurement of raw materials
The root part of yellow gentian is harvested in early spring or autumn. For healing fees, only plants that have reached four or five years of age are used. The roots are dug up, cleaned of soil, washed and cut into small pieces, and then subjected to quick drying in a special cabinet or oven, keeping the temperature in the range of 51-60 degrees. Dried roots have a pronounced specific smell and persistent bitter taste.
Conclusion
Gentian yellow has been used for thousands of years as a raw material for the manufacture of medicinal remedies for a wide variety of diseases. Preparations based on this herb are effective in the treatment of chronic forms of hepatitis, diathesis, anemia, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and many other ailments. The therapeutic properties of the plant are recognized by official medicine. Many pharmaceutical companies produce extracts and tinctures from yellow gentian.
