Alpine sorrel (Rumex alpinus); alpine sorrel
A perennial mountain herbaceous plant of the buckwheat family. It has a thick and large rhizome. The stem is straight, 50-150 cm tall. Leaves are simple, entire, alternate, obtuse, finely pubescent below along the veins; the lower ones are round-ovate, long-petioled. The flowers are bisexual, actinomorphic, with a simple cup-shaped green perianth, in rings forming a panicle-like inflorescence. The fruit is a nut. Blooms in July – September.
Spread. It grows in the Carpathians on meadows, near cattle camps, on over-fertilized places.
Procurement and storage . The roots of sorrel (Radix Rumicis conferti), which are harvested in spring or autumn, are used to make medicines. The excavated roots are shaken off the ground, freed from the stems, washed in cold water, dried in the open air, cleaned of rotten and dead parts, split, if necessary, lengthwise and dried, spreading out a thin layer in the shade. Artificial drying is carried out at a temperature of 50-60°. 30-35% of dry roots are obtained. The finished raw materials are stored in a dry room that must be ventilated. The shelf life is 3 years. Raw materials are not released by pharmacies.
Chemical composition . Sorrel roots contain 8-12% of tannins of the pyrocatechin and pyrogal groups, up to 4% of anthraquinone derivatives, which include chrysophanic acid and emodin, nepodine flavonoid, essential oil, caffeic acid, calcium oxalate (up to 9%), iron in the form of organic compounds
Pharmacological properties and use. The biological effect of sorrel depends on the dose: in large doses, it acts as a laxative (the effect occurs after 10-12 hours), with small doses, an antidiarrheal effect is observed. Galenic sorrel products also have hemostatic, anthelmintic, choleretic and cholekinetic properties. The main indications for prescribing sorrel drugs are colitis, enterocolitis, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, worm infestation, hyperpolymenorrhea, hemoptysis, bleeding stomach ulcers, etc. A certain therapeutic effect is also observed in hepatocholecystitis, cholecystitis and cholangitis. Experimentally and in clinical conditions, the effectiveness of sorrel root tincture in the treatment of hypertension has been proven. They also use sorrel as an external remedy (rinsing and douching for inflammatory diseases of the oropharynx, vagina and vulva, for baldness).
Medicinal forms and applications.
Internally – a decoction (5 g, or 2 tablespoons of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water) for a third of a glass 2-3 times a day for 30 minutes before meals as an astringent, firming, anti-helminthic and hemostatic agent or for half a glass at night – as laxative;
root powder 0.25 g 3 times a day as an astringent, or 0.5-1 g at night as a laxative;
tincture (made with strong vodka in a ratio of 1:10) 50-60 drops 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks.
Externally – rinsing with decoction (prepared as in the previous prescription);
1 tablespoon of raw material is poured with 1 liter of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes, filtered and the infusion obtained in this way is used for one douching.