Pontian butcher's broom benefits. Ruscus: description of species and medicinal properties. Biological features of butcher's broom

Butcher's broom is a medicinal plant crop, which has beneficial properties. For example, the antibacterial effect is most pronounced. It is often used for medical purposes and in cosmetic procedures. It has many names, one of them is “butcher’s broom”, because in ancient times butchers used it to clean their cutting boards. Bacterial action reduced the risk of infection of the meat, and the thorns on the plant cleaned the work surface well.

Features of the impact on the human body

This plant was known in ancient times and was successfully used as follows:

• prepared on its basis medicines, which had a positive effect on blood vessels;
• it can increase tone and strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
• acts as a blood thinner, therefore it is used as a prophylaxis against blood clots;
• used as a complex therapy for varicose veins and hemorrhoids;
• helps in metabolic processes;
• cleanses the body of toxic substances that can cause a lot of harm;
• restores blood flow;
• stabilizes water balance.

It also helps with inflammatory processes, can narrow dilated blood vessels, and is used as a diuretic. But it is also capable of removing sand and stones from the body. Therefore, people with this problem should not use it.

Use of the plant in cosmetology

Butcher's broom is used in cosmetology only as an external remedy. It helps reduce puffiness and remove dark circles under the eyes. But for this it must be combined with other medicinal plants (ivy, chamomile and others). Using a cream based on it, you can remove harmful substances from tissues.

This is very good remedy in the treatment of rosacea. After all, it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antimicrobial effects. If such a disease occurs due to impaired blood flow, then this therapy will be most effective. Because it will help you cope with external and internal problems.

Butcher's broom is often used as a venotonic substance. It helps to cope with blood stagnation in the vessels of the legs. It also stops the further development of diseases.

In cosmetology it is used in the fight against cellulite and stretch marks. It is usually included in cosmetic creams. It will restore blood flow and metabolic processes. It will remove toxins from the body and give cells a boost to regeneration.

Butcher's broom is a perennial plant that belongs to the Asparagus family.

The shrub can grow up to one meter in height. The flowers of the butcher's broom are small in size, located in the axil of the lanceolate bract. The fruits are considered to be berries on small stalks, which are colored red and grow up to 20 mm in diameter.

The plant begins to bloom from February to April, and the first berries appear in early November.

The subshrub grows in Krasnodar region, also on the coasts of Turkey and the Republic of Crimea.

Useful properties

The beneficial properties of the evergreen half-shrub have been known since Ancient times. Useful properties Only the root has it, which is widely used in medicine. On its basis, medicinal extracts are made, which are used as medicine. After harvesting, the roots are dried and made into powder, which is added to tablets, ointments, solutions and gelatin capsules.

IN chemical composition Plants contain saponosides, which have a positive effect on blood vessels.

Application

Butcher's broom is used in the form of alcoholic extracts, which help normalize venous and peripheral blood circulation. An extract made from butcher root and alcohol is used to reduce the formation of blood clots, reduce permeability, and strengthen the walls of venous and capillary vessels. It is also used for respiratory disorders.

Butcher's broom root is used for Alzheimer's disease. Tests have shown that a medicine based on this plant improves the condition of patients with this disease.

Traditional healers use an extract from the rhizome of the plant to treat edema, gout, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, gangrene, jaundice and thrombosis.

In addition to the extract, you can find a cream in the pharmacy that contains butcher's broom. It helps with swelling.

Contraindications

During long-term clinical trials, it was found that medications made from butcher's broom are non-toxic, and therefore, long-term use will not cause serious damage to human health. Despite this, it is strictly forbidden for pregnant women to take preparations of butcher's broom, especially those whose pregnancy is in the last stage, as well as people who have high blood pressure or have an individual intolerance to this plant.

At first appointment medicine from of this plant possible gastrointestinal

intestinal discomfort.

If the disease cannot be cured with the help of butcher's broom preparations, we recommend that you consult a doctor and also stop taking these medications.

Butcher's broom or prickly broom - medicinal plant, used to improve blood circulation, increase the elasticity of blood vessels, treatment cardiovascular diseases. It was once eaten as a vegetable in Europe.

What it looks like and where it grows

Prickly evergreen Butcher's broom is native to the Mediterranean. Grows in northern Africa, Asia, France, England. We are distributed throughout the Black Sea coast Krasnodar region, in the south of Crimea.

Drought resistant. It forms entire thorny thickets on rocky mountain slopes.

Belongs to the Asparagus family. Scientific name in Latin is Rúscus aculeatus. In translation, the first word means butcher's broom, the second - prickly.

In Europe and the USA they often call it that - a butcher's broom, because... butchers used to use it to clean their cutting tables.

It comes in two forms: male and female. The height of the bush can vary from 25 centimeters to one meter. Both species have smooth, dark green stems.

What are mistaken for leaves are actually phyllocladies, modified shoots ovoid length from 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters. The leaves themselves are inconspicuous small scales that easily fall off.

It blooms with greenish flowers in late winter and early spring (February-April), depending on the region of growth.

The fruits are cone-shaped round red berries that ripen in November-December. After ripening, the shrub looks very decorative. Often used for landscaping by landscape designers.

Used to decorate rooms and festive tables for Christmas.

Why is it useful?

WITH therapeutic purpose rhizomes and young shoots are used. The following are highlighted:

Ruscogenin;

Fatty acids;

Flavonoids;

Triterpenes;

The leaves contain:

Chlorophyll;

Ascorbic acid;

Vitamin PP;

Minerals: aluminum, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and others.

Medicinal properties

The main properties include:

Diuretics;

Blood thinners;

Vasodotonic;

Sweatshops;

Anti-inflammatory.

It is believed that it helps tighten the veins of the circulatory system, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and capillaries.

Flavonoids increase blood circulation. They improve its delivery to the brain, limbs, and heart muscle.

Its use as a tonic was recorded in manuscripts by the ancient Greeks.

In addition to improving blood flow, it helps maintain water balance in the body, thereby reducing swelling.

The flavonoid hesperidin has positive influence on the ratio of testosterone and estrogen. Availability high content estrogen can lead to blood clots and ultimately heart attacks.

Indications for use are:

Haemorrhoids;

Gallstones;

Atherosclerosis;

Poor circulation;

Swelling of the legs and arms;

Varicose veins;

Obesity.

It is used as a mild laxative.

Included in the ointment can be used for arthritis and rheumatism.

Use in folk medicine

The aerial part along with the rhizome is used for medicinal purposes. Decoctions, infusions, and ointments are prepared from them.

Infusion

To prepare, take a tablespoon of dried, powdered herb and brew it with 1 liter of boiling water. Wrap and leave for 3 hours. Strain and drink in small sips throughout the day.

The infusion helps:

For symptoms of premenstrual syndrome;

For pain caused by varicose veins;

Decoction

To prepare, take 60 grams of crushed parts of the plant and add 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil and simmer at low simmer for 15-20 minutes.

After straining, bring to the original volume. Take 2 tablespoons before meals.

The decoction relieves night leg cramps, symptoms of menopause, and swelling. Eliminates blood stagnation.

In addition, at the pharmacy you can buy preparations with butcher's broom in the form of:

Tablets;

The procedure and dosage are indicated on the packaging. Generally daily norm should not exceed 10 grams of ruscogenin, the main active ingredient.

Take medications before meals or with food.

Ointment for relieving pain from varicose veins is applied with light massage movements once a day.

Contraindications for use

Reception is prohibited:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women;

Children and adolescents under 14 years of age;

Hypertension;

Diseases of the urinary system.

Possible side effects which include:

Contraction of the uterus;

Stomach irritation;

Diarrhea and more frequent bowel movements.

Since it is an anticoagulant, it may interact with:

Blood thinners;

Anticoagulants;

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors;

With medications for low pressure(butcher's broom raises low blood pressure).

Before use, be sure to consult your doctor. Its effectiveness in treating circulatory disorders is enhanced when used in combination with other herbs:

Hawthorn;

Witch hazel;

Ginkgo biloba;

Cayenne pepper;

Horse chestnut.

Their synergistic effect reduces permeability, improving the strength and elasticity of blood vessels.

Butcher's broom is harvested at the end of summer. The young stems can be eaten like asparagus.

Butcher's broom has been used in Europe for many centuries as a diuretic and laxative.

Some cultures insisted on wine for stomach pain.

There is evidence that the plant was used as a remedy for kidney stones dating back to the first century.

Nicholas Culpeper, an English herbalist who lived in the 16th century, prescribed the plant to treat broken bones, either orally or as a poultice applied to the fracture.

One of useful plants, which can be grown at home, will be prickly broom (prickly). It can also be called Pontian broom or ruscus. Latin name– ruscus aculeatus. It belongs to rare and endangered species. It is subject to mass extermination, as it is often plucked as a basis for bouquets in winter and for making panicles.

The habitat of the Ruskus is Crimea and Transcaucasia. It grows in mountainous areas among rocks. It can be found between rocks in places up to 1000 meters above sea level. The plant can also grow in undergrowth and mixed forests.

Description of the plant

Butcher's broom is a relict shrub. It grows in natural conditions to an average height of 50 centimeters, but can be higher. It got its original name due to appearance, as it is covered with needles.

Ruscus leaves have lanceolate scales that are hardly noticeable. What everyone takes for leaves - cladodes - are not such. These are flat twigs or just leaflets. They have a pointed end in the form of a thorn. On their lower part, greenish buds with purple stamens form. Flowering lasts from February to April.

Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) has both male and female leaves on the bush. female flowers, which can be pollinated in rain or with dew. After this, fruits appear - red balls with two to three seeds inside. The berries ripen between August and September. They are edible. Previously, a coffee surrogate was prepared from them. Ruskus is used to treat various diseases.

Features of care

Butcher's broom grows well indoors if climatic conditions don't allow her to settle down garden plots. In order for her to feel good in the room, you need to provide her good care at home. The most important thing is the correct selection of the place for growth. In summer, the plant is taken out to the balcony or personal plot, and when it gets colder, they are brought indoors and protected from direct sunlight. It is better if it is diffused light. It will also feel good in a shaded place.

The bush grows well with normal room temperature, but it should not fall below 13 degrees.

In the warm season, the prickly broom loves good watering which is performed up to three times a week. In winter, it is reduced to once a week, to a maximum of two. In order for the bush to be pollinated in a timely manner, it should be sprayed periodically, using settled water for this purpose. This procedure will also repel pests from it.

But be careful! Excessive watering will threaten the ruscus aculeatus with rotting of the roots, but its lack will lead to drying out of the bush.

Ruscus pruning is carried out as necessary. In general, the bush grown in a pot is compact. Dried shoots from the plant should be removed promptly, as they will spoil decorative look. If you want to shape the bush as you wish, then it is important not to overdo it. It is not recommended to remove more than 30% of the branches from the bush.

An annual transplant of butcher's broom is not necessary, only if there is a need for it. The procedure is usually performed in the spring months. During it, soil is used, which includes sand, humus, peat and turf soil. It is possible to purchase special soil for lemons. The pot must contain a drainage layer and have holes, since the broom does not need stagnant moisture, it does not like it and may suffer.

Among possible pests that can attack the ruscus will be scale insects and spider mite. Treating the plant with insecticide solutions will help cope with them. Repeated spraying will give a lasting result and protect the bush.

Reproduction

Butcher's broom can be propagated using seeds. This method will be the most difficult and time-consuming. Before sowing, the seeds are kept in the freezer for up to 7 days. Then 8 centimeters of soil is poured into the planting container and the seeds are laid out. They are sprinkled with sand up to one centimeter. The container is covered with glass and kept at a temperature of 20-21 degrees. From time to time, the seeds are ventilated and sprayed. Germination of seedlings occurs very slowly. Sometimes this can take up to 12 months. After the sprouts appear, which have reached eight centimeters, they are planted into separate pots.

But the best way reproduction will always remain division of the bush. For this purpose, mature shrubs that have grown are used. The division process is carried out in spring period during the transplant.

Useful properties

Butcher's broom has medicinal properties. But you should not use it yourself without consulting a doctor. Especially pregnant and nursing mothers.

Butcher's broom is mainly used for treatment inflammatory process in joints, it restores metabolism and strengthens blood vessels, preventing the formation of blood clots.

Butcher's broom extract has an anti-inflammatory and vasoconstrictor effect, improves blood supply and metabolic processes of the skin.

With the help of butcher's broom, they improve cell metabolism and remove toxins from muscle tissue.

Ruscus, also known as Ruscus, is an evergreen small shrub with decorative and medicinal properties. It grows wild in countries with warm climates. The genus Ruscus belongs to the Asparagus family.

There are five species of this plant known in nature. Each has its own characteristics and is distinguished by its growing area.

Butcher's broom

This is a relict species that dates back seventy million years. The growing area is limited. It is found in the Astara and Lenkoran regions of Azerbaijan, in the south of Crimea and in the north of Iran. Grows in lowlands and lower mountain zones.

It prefers shade, so it hides under the canopy of trees. Likes to grow in boxwood groves and in the shade of chestnut-leaved oaks and ironwood trees, where it forms the lower shrub layer. Can form a continuous cover. When cutting down forests, it remains without protection from the sun and dries out quickly. There are fewer and fewer wild butcher's broom, so measures have been taken to protect it. It is listed in the Red Book of Azerbaijan and is protected in the Hyrkan National Park.

Butcher's broom

Biological features of butcher's broom:

• perennial subshrub, not growing above forty centimeters;
• due to the constant lack of moisture in its habitat, the leaves of the Hyrcanian broom have become very small, they are difficult to see with the naked eye;
• has grooved stems and from three to six lateral shoots of equal length;
• what many people think are leaves is called cladodium or phyllocladium and is a modified shoot; in ruscus it performs the function of a leaf;
• The size of the phyllocladium in Hyrcanian broom is up to twenty-five millimeters long and up to thirteen wide, each cladodes ends with a two-millimeter pointed tip, which, like the stem, has a prominent midrib;
• the shape of the phyllocladium is elongated, ovoid or elliptical, sometimes it can be broadly lanceolate;
• each stem ends with a whorl of lateral shoots, one of which, the central one, is responsible for further growth of the stem;
• in April or May, in the center of the median line of the cladode, a membranous bract is formed, in the axil of which small, slightly greenish flowers appear, numbering from one to five;
• the plant is dioecious, has female and male flowers, in nature pollinated by crawling insects;
• the main decoration of Hyrcanian broom is large, up to two centimeters in diameter, bright red berries, they ripen by the end of September or October;
• can be grown as houseplant, requires diffused light in summer and a southern window sill in winter;
• propagation by seeds and division.

Gallery: Ruscus (25 photos)

Characteristics of butcher's broom (video)

Butcher's broom

This is a relict species that originated in the Tertiary period. Other names for the plant are butcher's broom, butcher's broom. It has a fairly wide distribution area. It grows not only in Western and Southern Europe, but also in Turkey, northern Africa, Transcaucasia. She was acclimatized in such European countries, like Western France, Belgium and even England. In Russia it is found in the south of Crimea and along the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.

It prefers to grow in clearings or forest edges, in hornbeam, oak and sparse juniper forests, among pine trees, and can settle on rocks. Butcher's broom is sometimes called butcher's broom. Once upon a time, butchers used brooms made of butchers to clean their boards. Not only the sharp spines, but also the antibacterial properties allowed her to successfully cope with this work. Valuable medicinal plant.

Biological features of butcher's broom:

• evergreen subshrub, grows up to sixty centimeters;
• leaves are inconspicuous, have the shape of scales;
• shoots - phylloclades play the role of leaves, have an elongated ovoid shape, end with spines, are hard;
• the flowers are small, white with a greenish tint, located on the underside of the cladodes and have the shape of a brush; dioecious plant;
• flowering from February to April;
• fruit - red edible berry about a centimeter in diameter, ripens from November to December;
• requirements for light – light-loving;
• moisture requirements – average, tolerates lack of moisture;
• to soil fertility special requirements does not have;
• can be grown indoors;
• propagated by seeds, which require stratification and division;
• in nature it can tolerate light frosts.

Butcher's broom

Butcher's broom

This type of ruscus grows in the Iberian Peninsula and in some countries North Africa. Likes to grow under the canopy of trees in shady and damp areas. This is a small shrub, no more than 55 centimeters high.

Cladodia, unlike other ruscus, are not hard and do not have spines. Their shape is oblong-lanceolate, and their size is quite large - up to eleven centimeters in length and up to four in width. The peculiarity of butcher's broom is the arrangement of flowers: they are located on the underside of the cladode in the amount of up to six pieces, the stipule, in the axil of which the flowers are located, small size. The flowers are white with a pale blue tint. Flowering from April to May. The fruits are large, red berries up to one centimeter in diameter. They ripen early - in August or September.

Butcher's broom

Butcher's broom

In Russia, this type of butcher's broom grows only in a small area in the south of Crimea, but it can be found quite often in Central Europe, Asia Minor, the Balkans and the Western Mediterranean. Prefers shady damp forests, wet rocks, loves to grow among stones. Does not form large clumps. Sometimes it even grows singly. In Russia it is listed in the Red Book.

This is an erect bush that is only forty centimeters tall. Moreover, its cladodes are quite large - about two centimeters wide and up to seven centimeters long. They are leathery and have an oblong-lanceolate shape.

The bract, unlike other types of ruscus, is large - almost 2.5 centimeters and has the shape of a tongue, from under which three to five small white and purple flowers peek out. This ruscus blooms in May, and by the end of July, large, up to two centimeters, berries are already turning red.

Butcher's broom

Ruscus colchis

This is a relict species with a fairly limited habitat. Grows in Georgia, northeast Turkey, Russia - found on Black Sea coast Krasnodar region. Belongs to an endangered species. Listed in the Red Book.

It can rise up to 2000 meters above sea level, prefers to grow in large clumps, and can be the lower tier of coniferous and deciduous forests. Loves clay or loamy soil with sufficient lime content. One of the most shade-tolerant species.

This type of ruscus grows up to sixty centimeters and has the appearance of a subshrub. The cladodes are quite large - up to four centimeters wide and up to ten centimeters long, they are leathery. The stem practically does not branch. The leaves are small, subulate. Small whitish flowers are located on the lower part of the cladode. A special feature of this particular type of ruscus is its almost continuous flowering. It begins in autumn and winter months, the time for large red berries to ripen is in the spring. But the plant continues to bloom in summer. Pollinated by crawling insects.

Ruscus colchis

Medicinal properties and contraindications of butcher's broom

Of all the types of butcher's broom, only Ruscus prickly or Pontic has medicinal properties. Iglitsa is the strongest energy drink. Butcher's broom has the strongest effect on circulatory system and connective tissues and tendons. She is capable of:

• narrow venous vessels and strengthen their walls;
• make capillaries and other vessels less fragile and permeable;
• increase venous tone;
• improve cellular metabolism, including in the skin, due to which toxins are removed from the tissues;
• improve blood circulation;
• normalize water-salt metabolism;
• inhibit the formation of kidney stones;
• constrict skin blood vessels;
• inhibit the process of blood clot formation.

Ruscus is a mild diuretic and mild anti-inflammatory agent.

Ruscus - a mild diuretic, mild anti-inflammatory agent

Thanks to such outstanding properties, Butcher's broom will be useful in the treatment of the following diseases:

• atherosclerosis;
• circulatory disorders, both peripheral and venous;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• lymphatic insufficiency;
• swelling of different nature, blood clots;
• gangrene;
• jaundice;
• respiratory disorders;
• premenstrual syndrome;
• haemorrhoids;
• uterine prolapse;
• gout;
• arthritis and arthrosis;
• orthostatic hypotension.

There are no contraindications for taking butcher's broom. Should be used with caution during pregnancy and reduce the dosage by half if you have hypertension.

Side effects may include mild intestinal discomfort and nausea, which soon disappear.

There are no contraindications for taking butcher's broom.

Chemical composition, collection and storage of medicinal raw materials

The main active ingredients of butcher's broom are ruscogenin heterosides, which are classified as saponizids. There are more of them in the rhizome than in the roots. Ruskus contains the following vitamins: ascorbic acid, rutin, riboflavin, beta-carotene, nicotinic acid. Butcher's broom has a rich mineral composition. It consists of: selenium, calcium, manganese, zinc, chromium, magnesium, tin. Ruscus contains the alkaloid sparteine, which can reduce hemorrhoids.

Medicinal raw materials are roots and rhizomes, as well as seeds, which are edible in this species. The raw materials are dried, ground into powder and stored in a dry place. It is used to make gelatin capsules, tablets, ointments, powders, alcohol extracts, decoctions, and infusions.

Options for using butcher's broom

The use of butcher's broom as a medicine has a long history. It has been used for treatment since ancient times. The first to describe medicinal properties of this plant by Pliny the Elder. They are still treated with butcher's broom preparations.