Useful and medicinal properties of the Tangut jealousy
Synonyms: rabarbar, Chinese rappon, rhubarb finger.
Description. A large perennial herbaceous plant of the buckwheat family( Polygonaceae) up to 2 m in height, with a thick rhizome and large succulent roots. Stems with rare leaves, naked, inside - hollow. Radical leaves are large, the length of the stem is up to 0.75-1.5 m, the length of the plate is 80, and the width is 75 cm. The leaves are separate, with pinniped particles. The cauline leaves are alternate, ovate, with a dry film socket near the base. From the second to third year of the culture the rhubarb develops large, paniculate branchy inflorescences. Flowers are small, regular, white, green or pink. Fruit - three
granular nutlet red-brown color. Weight of 1000 seeds -
13-15 g.
Medicinal raw materials: roots.
Biological features. Rhubarb grows where, during the growing season, high humidity of soil and air remains. However, the plant does not tolerate a close occurrence of soil water( closer than 3 m).In wetlands and on sites with a prolonged standing of water, as a rule, perishes. For 3-4 years the rhubarb forms a large aboveground mass and a well developed root system penetrating to a depth of 40-50 cm. This development is possible only on deep, fertile, well drained and light loamy soils. Heavy clay, sandy and swampy soils for growing this plant are not suitable. Freshly harvested seeds of rhubarb Tangut high germination - 85-90%.The minimum germination temperature is 5-6 ° C, the optimum temperature is 15-20. At this temperature and good humidity, the seeds swell for 48-50 hours, while absorbing 100-120% of their water mass. The first shoots appear already on the 5th-6th day, completely rises - on the
14-16th. The seed germination rate is maintained for 4-5 years and amounts to 70-75% of the initial year by the fourth year.
Distribution. The native land of Tangut rhubarb is the mountain forests of Central China. On the territory of Ukraine it is cultivated as a medicinal plant.
Chemical composition. The roots and rhizomes of Tangut rhubarb contain anthraglycosides( more than 5%), as well as their aglycones and primary forms - anthranol, tannic( up to 12%), resinous and pectinic substances, starch, glucose, gallic and cinnamic acids, as well as a significant amount of calcium oxalate. The composition of antraglikozidov include gluco-reumemodine, chrysofanein, rheochrisin and gluco-aloe-emodin.
Application. The main active ingredients of this plant are anthraglycosides and tannins. Antraglikozidy, splitting in the large intestine, form the rhein, remumodin and chrysofanolic acid, irritating the nerve endings of the intestinal wall, and have a laxative effect. Tannins exhibit an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect. The biological effect of rhubarb Tangut depends on the dose: in large doses of
it acts as a laxative( the result appears after 8-10 hours), in low doses an opposing effect is observed. The laxative and astringent effect also depends on the solvent used during the preparation of the preparations: the aqueous preparations have an irritating effect( antraglycosides are highly soluble in water), alcoholic - astringent( tannins dissolve better in alcohol).Galenic preparations of Tangut rhubarb are also used as a choleretic agent. The rhubarb is prescribed mainly to elderly patients and children as a laxative for intestinal atony, meteorism and chronic constipation. Dose is chosen individually. In small doses( 0.05-0.2 g), rhubarb helps with dyspepsia and stomach catarrh with low acidity.
Rhubarb preparations are contraindicated in acute appendicitis and cholecystitis, acute peritonitis, intestinal obstruction and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, during pregnancy. Avoid their use in gout, catarrh of the bladder and oxaluria. Long-term use of rhubarb strengthens constipation.
Agrotechnics of cultivation. Site selection. The best for the rhubarb chernozem culture with a light texture, structural, fertile soil garden-garden type, protected from the northern winds, with a deep arable layer and calcareous soils of drained peatlands. The best predecessors are clean and busy couples, row crops and winter crops that go through fertilizers.
Soil treatment. The main autumn plowing on the plowing is recommended to be carried out to a depth of 27-30 cm. If a field is used after the grain crops, three weeks before plowing, the stubble is harvested. With a significant compaction of the soil after winter, plow to a depth of 14-16 cm, if the soil is not compacted, it is enough to be extruded to a depth of 8-10 cm.
Application of fertilizers. Under deep plowing, depending on soil fertility, 40-80 t / ha of manure and 3-8 c / ha of superphosphate are applied. If there is not enough manure in the farm, it is equally divided with the appropriate amount of mineral fertilizers.
Reproduction. The rhubarb propagates by sowing seeds directly into the soil in early spring, late summer or
in autumn. Spring and summer are sown at 7-8, and in autumn 9-10 kg / ha.
Care of plantations is to destroy the crust by fluffing rows, weeding out weeds and planting seedlings in dilute areas. The first row of row spacing is carried out immediately after emergence, the next 3-4 during the summer;2-3 times weed out the weeds in rows. First time fed, mainly, mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30 kg / ha of the active substance( nitrogen, phosphorus, potash).During the second feeding, 2-3 tons / ha of slurry and 1 centner / ha of superphosphate are applied.
Harvesting. The rhubarb is removed in August-September by tractor-less plows for 3-4 years of culture. Excavated rhizomes and roots are cleared from the ground, washed, cut off the aboveground mass and remove the damaged parts. Then cut into pieces of length 15 and 3-4 cm thick and laid out for 3-4 days under a canopy or in an attic for pre-drying.
Drying. Dry the roots and rhizomes in the fire driers at a temperature of 60 °.After the humidity drops to 12%, the drying is stopped. In clear weather, they dry in the open air, hanging the roots on a twine in the shade, or in an attic under an iron roof.
Packing. Pack the roots in wooden paper boxes lined with paper 20-25 kg each or in double bags.
Storage. Dried roots should be stored in tightly closed boxes or boxes to prevent pest damage to agricultural crops, yellowing and loss of commercial quality due to large hygroscopicity.
Quality requirements. Raw materials must meet the requirements of State Pharmacopoeia XI( FS-68, pp. 352-356).
Seed growing. The greatest yield of rhubarb seeds comes from 4-5 years of culture. In this regard, it is recommended to allocate for cultivation of seeds special areas with light fertile soil, protected from cold northern winds. Agrotechnics of cultivation and care of plantations are the same as on economic crops of rhubarb, but the feeding area should be 70x70 cm. Blossoming plants approximately from the second half of May to the end of June, all
mena ripen in early July. To avoid clogging the rhubarb fingered with other types of rhubarb, which is possible due to cross pollination, before flowering it is necessary to remove other plant species. The average yield of seeds with good care of plants is 8-10 centner / ha.