Bittersweet nightshade uses. “Potato vine” - bittersweet nightshade blooms

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Nightshade bittersweet(lat. Solanum dulcamara) - plant; species of the genus Nightshade ( Solanum) family Solanaceae ( Solanaceae).
The specific name of the plant is associated with its fruits - berries, which are first green, then yellow, and as they ripen they become red, and if you bite into them, the taste is first sweet and then bitter.

Botanical description

The plant is shade-tolerant.

Chemical composition

The aerial part of the plant contains tigonenin and alkaloids. IN stems steroids were found - cholesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, brassicasterol, isofucosterol.

Economic importance and application

The plant is decorative both during the flowering period and during the period of fruit ripening, suitable for vertical gardening in moist areas.

Medical use

Collection, processing and storage of medicinal raw materials

The herbaceous stem tips are collected at the beginning or during flowering. The raw materials are dried in the shade. Store separately in boxes lined with paper, like a poisonous plant.

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Notes

Literature

• Gubanov, I. A. et al. 1135. Solanum dulcamara L. - Bittersweet nightshade // . - M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. research, 2004. - T. 3. Angiosperms (dicotyledonous: dicotyledonous). - P. 168. - ISBN 5-87317-163-7.

Links

An excerpt characterizing Bittersweet Nightshade

"Depuis nos grands succes d"Austerlitz vous savez, mon cher Prince, wrote Bilibin, que je ne quitte plus les quartiers generaux. Decidement j"ai pris le gout de la guerre, et bien m"en a pris. Ce que j" ai vu ces trois mois, est incroyable.
“Je commence ab ovo. L'ennemi du genre humain, comme vous savez, s'attaque aux Prussiens. Les Prussiens sont nos fideles allies, qui ne nous ont trompes que trois fois depuis trois ans. Nous prenons fait et cause pour eux. Mais il se trouve que l "ennemi du genre humain ne fait nulle attention a nos beaux discours, et avec sa maniere impolie et sauvage se jette sur les Prussiens sans leur donner le temps de finir la parade commencee, en deux tours de main les rosse a plate couture et va s"installer au palais de Potsdam.
“J"ai le plus vif desir, ecrit le Roi de Prusse a Bonaparte, que V. M. soit accueillie et traitee dans mon palais d"une maniere, qui lui soit agreable et c"est avec empres sement, que j"ai pris a cet effet toutes les mesures que les circonstances me permettaient. Puisse je avoir reussi! Les generaux Prussiens se piquent de politesse envers les Francais et mettent bas les armes aux premieres sommations.
“Le chef de la garienison de Glogau avec dix mille hommes, demande au Roi de Prusse, ce qu"il doit faire s"il est somme de se rendre?... Tout cela est positif.
“Bref, esperant en imposer seulement par notre attitude militaire, il se trouve que nous voila en guerre pour tout de bon, et ce qui plus est, en guerre sur nos frontieres avec et pour le Roi de Prusse. Tout est au grand complet, il ne nous manque qu"une petite chose, c"est le general en chef. Comme il s"est trouve que les succes d"Austerlitz aurant pu etre plus decisifs si le general en chef eut ete moins jeune, on fait la revue des octogenaires et entre Prosorofsky et Kamensky, on donne la preference au derienier. Le general nous arrive en kibik a la maniere Souvoroff, et est accueilli avec des acclamations de joie et de triomphe.
“Le 4 arrive le premier courier de Petersbourg. On apporte les malles dans le cabinet du Mariechal, qui aime a faire tout par lui meme. On m"appelle pour aider a faire le triage des lettres et prendre celles qui nous sont destinees. Le Marieechal nous regarde faire et attend les paquets qui lui sont adresses. Nous cherchons – il n"y en a point. Le Marieechal deviant impatient, se met lui meme a la besogne et trouve des lettres de l"Empereur pour le comte T., pour le prince V. et autres. Alors le voila qui se met dans une de ses coleres bleues. Il jette feu et flamme contre tout le monde, s"empare des lettres, les decachete et lit cells de l"Empereur adressees a d"autres. Oh, that's what they do to me! I have no trust! Oh, they told me to keep an eye on me, that’s good; get out! Et il ecrit le fameux ordre du jour au general Benigsen
“I’m wounded, I can’t ride a horse, and therefore I can’t command an army. You brought your corps to Pultusk, broken up: here it is open, and without firewood, and without fodder, therefore it is necessary to help, and since yesterday we ourselves treated Count Buxhoeveden, we must think about a retreat to our border, which we must do today .
“From all my trips, ecrit il a l "Empereur, I received an abrasion from the saddle, which, in addition to my previous transportation, completely prevents me from riding and commanding such a vast army, and therefore I transferred the command of it to my senior general, Count Buxhoeveden, sending it to to him all duty and everything belonging to it, advising them, if there was no bread, to retreat closer to the interior of Prussia, because there was only enough bread left for one day, and other regiments had nothing, as division commanders Osterman and Sedmoretsky announced, and All the men were eaten; I myself, until I recover, remain in the hospital in Ostrolenka, about the number of which I most faithfully present, reporting that if the army stays in the current bivouac for another fifteen days, then in the spring there will not be a single healthy one left.
“Dismiss the old man to the village, who remains so disgraced that he could not fulfill the great and glorious lot to which he was chosen. I will await your most merciful permission here at the hospital, so as not to play the role of a clerk and not a commander in the army. Excommunicating me from the army will not make the slightest disclosure that the blind man has left the army. There are thousands of people like me in Russia.”
“Le Marieechal se fache contre l"Empereur et nous punit tous; n"est ce pas que with"est logique!
“Voila le premier acte. Aux suivants l"interet et le ridicule montent comme de raison. Apres le depart du Marieechal il se trouve que nous sommes en vue de l"ennemi, et qu"il faut livrer bataille. Boukshevden est general en chef par droit d"anciennete, mais le general Benigsen n"est pas de cet avis; d"autant plus qu"il est lui, avec son corps en vue de l"ennemi, et qu"il veut profiter de l"occasion d"une bataille „aus eigener Hand “ comme disent les Allemands. Il la donne. C"est la bataille de Poultousk qui est sensee etre une grande victoire, mais qui a mon avis ne l"est pas du tout, comme vous savez, une tres vilaine. habitude de decider du gain ou de la perte d"une bataille. Celui qui s"est retire apres la bataille, l"a perdu, voila ce que nous disons, et a ce titre nous avons perdu la bataille de Poultousk. Bref, nous nous retirons apres la bataille, mais nous envoyons un courrier a Petersbourg, qui porte les nouvelles d"une victoire, et le general ne cede pas le commandement en chef a Boukshevden, esperant recevoir de Petersbourg en reconnaissance de sa victoire le titre de general en chef. Pendant cet interregne, nous commencons un plan de man? uvres excessivement interessant et original. Boukshevden, qui par droit d"ancnnete serait notre chef. Nous poursuivons ce but avec tant d"energie, que meme en passant une riviere qui n"est ras gueable, nous brulons les ponts pour nous separer de notre ennemi, qui pour le moment, n"est pas Bonaparte, mais Boukshevden. Le general Boukshevden a manque etre attaque et pris par des forces ennemies superieures a cause d"une de nos belles man?uvres qui nous sauvait de lui. Boukshevden nous poursuit – nous filons. A peine passe t il de notre cote de la riviere, que nous repassons de l "autre. A la fin notre ennemi Boukshevden nous attrappe et s" attaque a nous. Les deux generaux se fachent. Il y a meme une provocation en duel de la part de Boukshevden et une attaque d "epilepsie de la part de Benigsen. Mais au moment critique le courrier, qui porte la nouvelle de notre victoire de Poultousk, nous apporte de Petersbourg notre nomination de general en chef, et le premier ennemi Boukshevden est enfonce: nous pouvons penser au second, a Bonaparte. Mais ne voila t il pas qu"a ce moment se leve devant nous un troisieme ennemi, c"est le Orthodox qui demande a grands cris du pain , de la viande, des souchary, du foin, – que sais je! Les magasins sont vides, les chemins impraticables. Le Orthodox se met a la Marieaude, et d"une maniere dont la derieniere campagne ne peut vous donner la moindre idee. La moitie des regiments forme des troupes libres, qui parcourent la contree en mettant tout a feu et a sang. Les habitants sont ruines de fond en comble, les hopitaux regorgent de malades, et la disette est partout. une de ces attaques on m"a importe ma malle vide et ma robe de chambre. L"Empereur veut donner le droit a tous les chefs de divisions de fusiller les Marieaudeurs, mais je crains fort que cela n"oblige une moitie de l"armee de fusiller l"autre.

Bittersweet nightshade is a plant that can often be found in the garden and in the wild. The perennial climbing bush produces red berries that taste bitter. This plant is poisonous, but at the same time has medicinal properties and has long been used to prepare ointments and infusions. Some types of nightshade are used for decorative purposes.

Description

Plants can be up to three meters high and have a climbing stem that can cling to various items. The leaves themselves are pointed and oblong, and the flowers are small and purple. Nightshade loves moist soil and usually grows along the banks of water bodies, in meadows or in ravines. Sometimes it is used for decorative purposes, and its natural habitat is the European part of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Moldova, America, etc.

Benefits and harms

The plant has a rich composition of microelements and includes:

• flavonoids;
• acids;
• tannins;
• carotenoids;
• steroids;
• glucosides and so on.

This plant has long been used in folk medicine, it has gained great popularity as it has a wide range of effects:

• diuretic effect;

• helps with infectious pathologies;
• excellent for stomach cramps;
• copes with dermatitis and so on.

Experts also note that nightshade contains substances that are dangerous to humans, and therefore when preparing various formulations from it, one must adhere to the accuracy of the dosage and dosage schedule. In case of an overdose of the substance, dizziness, nausea, excitability, etc. will occur.

It is forbidden to take this plant on your own if you have pancreatic or liver diseases, hypertension or pregnancy. Before any use of this product, you will need to consult a doctor who will determine the dosage depending on the person’s condition.

Symptoms of poisoning:

• labored breathing;
• vomit;
• arrhythmia;
• diarrhea;
• stomach ache.

If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to empty the stomach by taking drugs that cause vomiting. It is also necessary to urgently call an ambulance, otherwise the consequences may be irreversible.

Is it possible to eat it?

Nightshade is a poisonous berry and is most dangerous during the flowering period, as it attracts humans and animals with its appearance. But in folk medicine, decoctions are often prepared from it, compresses are made, and infusions are prepared for diarrhea or colds. Sometimes used for treatment Bladder. It is necessary to take remedies from this plant under the supervision of a doctor.

It should be noted that nightshade has red and black berries. Red is not recommended for consumption as it can cause negative effects. Black nightshade berries are often used as a filling for pies. But you must also remember that unripe berries contain alanine, which can cause intoxication of the body. Therefore, it is better to refrain from eating such berries if you are not sure that they are ripe.

Application options

Nightshade is often used in folk medicine; it is recommended to prepare only alcoholic or aqueous extracts from it yourself.

Alcohol tincture

You can prepare it yourself or buy it at the pharmacy. To do this, you need to take 100 grams of alcohol and place 10 grams of berries in it. You need to infuse the composition for a month, shaking it from time to time.

After this, you can use the product to cleanse blood vessels, normalize metabolic processes, etc.

Infusions

Mix thirty grams of nightshade with the same amount of St. John's wort and elderberry. Then fill it all with 1 liter of hot water. The remedy must be infused for an hour, and then this composition can be taken for expectoration and scrofula.

Powder

Sometimes they make powder from nightshade. To do this, collect the plant and dry it. Then the components are ground to dust. This composition is used to prepare ointments for skin diseases.

For rheumatism, it is recommended to take the powder of young stems and pour 200 grams of boiling water over them. This infusion should sit for 4 hours. You should take it one teaspoon every day before meals. When preparing such formulations, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosage, as negative side effects can be caused.

The peculiarity of this plant is that it can be taken to diagnose the presence of pancreatitis. To do this, nightshade powder is consumed in small quantities 10 minutes before meals. If the inflammatory process of the pancreas is strong, then the taste of sweetness can be felt in the mouth immediately. If the pancreas is in normal condition, then this will happen in 15 or more minutes. Some experts note that if you have inflammation of the pancreas, it is better not to take this plant orally without consulting your doctor.

All properties of nightshade are determined by its chemical composition, which varies for fruits, stems and leaves. And also other components are found in the roots. All these steroid substances belong to hormones, which is why nightshade is valued in pharmaceuticals. But to prepare various products from it, it is necessary to adhere to strict rules, dosages and use special devices, since some beneficial substances from nightshade can only be obtained synthetically.

Not so long ago, the antitumor properties of an extract from this plant were discovered. But at present, research is ongoing, and therefore it is impossible to say unequivocally whether it will help with cancer or not.

Growing

Before planting, the seeds must undergo stratification, and for this it is recommended to place them in cold water and keep them for 15-20 days. After this, the seeds need to be added to the soil in May. After such preparation, the seedlings will germinate quickly, but for this they need to be provided with moist soil.

Drop off point

It is recommended to choose open areas for planting where other types of crops do not grow. Nightshade prefers partial sun and requires moist soil. It is important to choose fertile soil, but if this is not possible, the bush will adapt to drier soils of various compositions.

Temperature

The plant will feel good at a temperature of +25 degrees summer period, and in the fall +15 degrees will be enough for him. If you comply with these requirements, the nightshade will bear fruit for a long time, but at the same time it must be protected from drafts and ensure the supply of fresh air.

Watering

From the beginning of planting until autumn, it is necessary to water the bush abundantly and regularly, and it is recommended to complete these activities at the end of autumn, when the dormant period begins. If the need arises, the bush can be sprayed, but do not add moisture under the root during these periods. The air humidity for it should be within 60%.

Transfer

Only mature plants are moved to another area, and this should be done in the spring. Shoots are harvested in the fall. Until spring, they should be stored in a cool place, with the roots wrapped in a damp cloth.

Pathologies and pests

Nightshade is susceptible to diseases, the most common being aphids and whiteflies. When they appear on the plants, they begin to suck the juices out of it, and therefore the nightshade quickly fades. To combat such pests, it is necessary to spray the bush with insecticides, and remove the affected leaves from the bush and burn it. Also used to control aphids soap solutions, which are used to treat the bush three to four times a week.

Feeding is carried out with the herbicide “Roundup” against pests and diseases. And when carrying out all these activities, it is recommended to wear gloves, since allergies or rashes from nightshade may appear on the skin.

Care

Since nightshade is an aggressive plant and can grow, destroying other inhabitants of the garden near it, it is recommended to fence it with a metal frame or wooden lattice so that the bush grows only within the confines of such a structure. It is recommended to periodically trim nightshade branches and burn them.

Collection and drying

In order not to harm your health, you must use nightshade berries, flowers and shoots correctly. Raw materials are harvested in the spring before the flowers bloom. Then the collected components must be dried in a shaded place so that the sun does not fall on them. You can use the attic for this.

Experts have mixed opinions about bittersweet nightshade. This plant is often found in life safety textbooks, which suggests that it is dangerous to human health. In any case, if you do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to use nightshade, it is recommended to refuse to eat it and not to make any medicinal preparations from it.

But you also shouldn’t grow it on your plot or in your house if there are small children or animals there.

For information on how to collect nightshade, see below.

Syn.: privet, wolf and crow berries, viper and bittersweet grass, dog, viper and magpie berries, viper nightshade, viper worm, glistovnik, glistnyak, zaplisa, zaplikha, scrofula, laziha, mother grass, bear berries, natynnik . A tall climbing subshrub (according to some sources, a perennial herbaceous vine) with ovate or lanceolate leaves. Medicinal, insecticidal, ornamental plant

. The medicinal properties of the plant are widely used in folk medicine.

The plant is poisonous!

Ask the experts a question

The formula of the bittersweet nightshade flower is: *H(5)L(5)T(5)P(5).

In medicine

Bittersweet nightshade has many beneficial properties, but is not currently used in official medicine for medicinal purposes.

Bittersweet nightshade was widely used for diathesis and other skin diseases, rheumatism, and padagre. For example, the herb bittersweet nightshade, together with tricolor violet and succession, made up the previously well-known herbal collection “Averin Tea,” which was recommended by scientific medicine for diathesis in children. The effectiveness of the therapeutic effect of tea has been tested; it has been proven that it is effective even for infants, and not only for diathesis, but also for diaper rash and scrofula. Currently, this collection has not passed state registration and is not produced by our enterprises.

Bittersweet nightshade is included in the German Pharmacopoeia. Commission E, on the development of the composition and recommendations for the use of medicinal plant raw materials, offers bittersweet nightshade as a remedy for eczema in the form of a ready-made pharmacy tincture (alcohol extract). In addition, nightshade is included in a number of other drugs: Arthrosetten, Arthrisan.

Currently, bittersweet nightshade is most valuable in homeopathy as a raw material (fresh shoots collected during flowering) for the production of essences. Homeopathic preparations based on bittersweet nightshade are used to treat a number of diseases, primarily the symptoms of Dulcamara (pressing or boring pain in the head with a feeling of heaviness and stupefaction, pain in the frontal and temporal parts, especially at noon and in the evening, dizziness, twitching of the lips, eyelids , pain in the upper extremities, sweaty palms, tearing pain in the joints of the lower extremities, feet, decreasing when walking, digestive disorders: heartburn, nausea, bloating, mucous diarrhea with abdominal cramps). In addition, Dulcamara D2-D3 is used for albuminuria.

Contraindications and side effects

Bittersweet nightshade is a poisonous plant! You can use drugs based on it for medicinal purposes only after consulting a doctor, as side effects are possible, including poisoning. It is not recommended to take the plant for pregnant, lactating women, children, as well as for diseases of the liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, flatulence, hypotension and dystonia. When taking bittersweet nightshade preparations, it is necessary to observe the dosage, since an overdose can cause poisoning, manifested in the appearance of a rash, increased excitability, palpitations, incoherent speech, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, difficulties in swallowing food, impaired movement, etc.

You should know! The use of Averin tea for the treatment of children is currently not recommended!

In dermatology

Infusions and decoctions based on bittersweet nightshade are used for itchy dermatoses (urticaria, neurodermatitis, eczema), lichen planus, blistering dermatoses, etc. At one time, S. A. Tomilin, an outstanding Soviet scientist, professor, doctor of medical sciences, a specialist in the field of herbal medicine recommended a decoction of young stems of bittersweet nightshade for joint diseases, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, exudative diathesis caused by metabolic disorders, asthma, as well as dropsy, whooping cough, jaundice, diarrhea and worms.

In cosmetology

IN last years Bittersweet nightshade is of interest to specialists in modern cosmetology as a promising product for caring for the skin of the face and neck with premature fading and aging.

In other areas

Bittersweet nightshade has an insecticidal effect. A decoction of stems and leaves is used for spraying against garden pests (caterpillars and larvae of various types of insects). In addition, due to the tannin content in the stem and leaves, it is used for tanning hides.

Bittersweet nightshade is very decorative both during the flowering period and during the period of fruit ripening; it is suitable for vertical gardening, especially in moist places.

Classification

Bittersweet nightshade (Latin Solanum dulcamara) is a representative of the very large subtropical genus Nightshade (Latin Solanum), the Solanaceae family (Latin Solanaceae). The genus, according to various sources, includes more than 1500 (1700) species of herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, and sometimes small trees (in the tropics), growing in addition to the subtropics also in tropical and temperate zones, but mostly in South America, in Russia and the CIS countries - about 20 species.

Botanical description

Perennial, with whip-like climbing stems up to 180-200 cm in length, woody in the lower part. Leaves are 5-8 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, alternate, petiolate, oblong-ovate, entire, pointed, usually heart-shaped at the base. The median leaves are often tripartite or lobed, with two small auricular lobes at the base. The flowers are bisexual, regular, lilac, violet, 8-15 mm in diameter, widely open, star-shaped, in paniculate, drooping inflorescences. The perianth is 5-membered. The calyx is fused-leaved, usually deeply divided, remaining with the fruit. The corolla is fused-petalled with a small tube and 5-lobed lobes bent back. There are 5 stamens, with short filaments attached to the corolla tube. The ovary is superior, of 2 carpels. The formula of the bittersweet nightshade flower is *H(5)L(5)T(5)P(5). The fruits are ovoid bright red berries. Blooms in June – September.

Spreading

In Russia it is distributed almost everywhere (except for the Far North). It grows mainly in damp places (damp bushes and forests, ravines, floodplains of rivers and streams, banks of reservoirs, edges of swamps, lowland swamps - shrubby).

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

The medicinal value is mainly of young shoots (stems and leaves), as well as fruits. Collect herbaceous shoot tips at the beginning or during flowering. The raw materials are dried in the shade under a canopy. Store finished raw materials for no more than 1 year, separately from others, in boxes or paper bags, since the plant is poisonous.

Chemical composition

Bittersweet nightshade is characterized by a rich chemical composition. It contains: the glycoalkaloid solanine and other alkaloids, steroidal saponins and triterpenoids, the glycoside dulcamarin, tannins and bitter substances, carbohydrates, carotenoids, fatty and phenolcarboxylic acids, citric and ascorbic acid, choline, phospholipids, flavonoids, tannins.

Pharmacological properties

Bittersweet nightshade has a wide range of medicinal effects, in particular antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant, laxative, astringent, and also insecticidal. The plant improves wound healing, gets rid of worms, calms the nervous system, and normalizes digestion.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, bittersweet nightshade is one of the most popular medicinal plants due to its wide range of actions. Preparations (infusions and decoctions) of young shoots of the plant traditional healers considered one of the best means in the treatment of a number of diseases: infectious and respiratory diseases of the respiratory system (catarrh, colds, flu, bronchitis, inflammation of the almond glands and middle ear, asthma), skin diseases (dermatitis, itchy eczema, psoriasis, diathesis, lichen, scabies, allergic manifestations and skin inflammation), metabolic disorders, lumbago, bladder diseases (cystourethritis), scanty irregular menstruation, gout, dropsy, jaundice, whooping cough, scrofula (externally), bone diseases, rheumatism, diarrhea, stomach cramps, tumors of various etiologies ( alcohol tincture), diseases of the oral cavity and teeth, conjunctivitis, and also as a wound-healing and anthelmintic. A decoction of bittersweet nightshade berries is recommended in folk medicine for epileptic seizures, migraines, dizziness, increased mental excitability, depression, neuralgia, paralysis of the facial and optic nerves, convulsions, and venereal diseases. A decoction of flowers - for pulmonary diseases. A paste of leaves and fruits of bittersweet nightshade is used as an external remedy for burns. The plant is also used for increased sexual excitability as an antiaphrodisiac. Averin tea (tricolored violet, tripartite string and bittersweet nightshade) is also a classic antiscrofulous remedy. Averin tea is also very well known as a remedy for allergies, in particular diathesis in young children.

Bittersweet nightshade is widely known and is also popular in folk medicine in a number of countries. For example, German folk medicine recommends a tincture of the plant’s herb as a “blood purifier” for urticaria, lichen, boils, ulcers, as well as diseases of the bladder and urinary tract. R.F. Weiss, a classic of German herbal medicine and the author of numerous textbooks, recommends nightshade as a strong remedy for “dyscrasia” and skin diseases associated with metabolic disorders. In French folk medicine, the plant was used for coughs, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and also as a diuretic.

Historical reference

Bittersweet nightshade has been used medicinally since the times of Hippocrates and Galen. Old recipes recommended the plant “for poor mixing of juices in the body.” In turn, Carl Linnaeus recommended it for rheumatism, gout, syphilis and other diseases. The famous Odessa doctor A. Nelyubin (1835) wrote about the use of bittersweet nightshade stems in the treatment of ulcers of scrofulous, scurvy and venereal origin, as well as nervous diseases (spleen, hysteria, convulsions). In Siberia, they drank an infusion of bittersweet nightshade and washed their faces with it from melancholy.

In the Middle Ages in Europe, bittersweet nightshade was considered a remedy for the evil elves of forests and meadows. For example, in old German herbalists the plant is called “Alfenrkraut” - the herb of the elves. J. Schroeder (1693) in his herbalist recommended putting the grass in the cradle of children against the evil eye (witchcraft), and H. Bock (1587) recommended that shepherds put a necklace made from this plant on cattle so that no harm would happen to the animals.

By historical information- from Latin species name plants, the charlatan doctor Dulcamara received his name from one of the characters in the opera “Elisir of Love” by the Italian composer G. Donizetti.

The specific name of the plant is associated with its fruits - berries, which are initially green, then yellow and, as they ripen, red, and if you bite into them, the taste is first sweet and then bitter.

Literature

1. Biological encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. M. S. Gilyarov) 2nd ed., corrected. M.: Sov. Encyclopedia. 1989.

2. Gubanov, I. A. et al. 1135. Solanum dulcamara L. – Bittersweet nightshade // Illustrated guide to plants of Central Russia. In 3 vols. M.: Scientific T. ed. KMK, Institute of Technology. issl., 2004. T. 3. Angiosperms (dicots: dioecytes). P. 168.

3. Elenevsky A.G., M.P. Solovyova, V.N. Tikhomirov // Botany. Systematics of higher or terrestrial plants. M. 2004. 420 p.

4. Plant life / Ed. A. L. Takhtajan. M.: Enlightenment. 1980. T. 5. Part 1. 539 p.

5. Peshkova G.I., Shreter A.I. Plants in home cosmetics and dermatology. M. 2001. 684 p.

6. Skvortsov V.E. Flora of Central Russia (educational atlas). M. 2004. 483 p.

7. Shantser I.A. plants of the middle zone European Russia(Field Atlas). M. Publishing house KMK. 2007. 470 p.

Poisonous herbaceous medicinal plant!

Nightshade bittersweet — folk remedy for skin diseases, especially itchy eczema and inflammation, bronchial asthma, colds, inflammation of the bladder, diarrhea, irregular menstruation, as a wound-healing and anthelmintic. The herb of the medicinal plant is used in traditional medicine recipes.

Latin name: Solanum dulcamara.

English names: Bittersweet, Bittersweet Nightshade, Bitter Nightshade, Blue Bindweed.

Family: Solanaceae - Solanaceae.

Common names: privet berries, wolf berries, crow berries, viper grass, viper nightshade, viper berries, glistovnik, glistovnik, glistnyak, zaplisa, zapliha, scrofula, laziha, mother grass, bear berries, natynnik, natynnik, nightshade, goaf, nightshade-glysnik , wattle grass, podgrass, dogs, bittersweet dogs, dog berries, magpie berries, magpie catkins, sweet grass, night shadow, loziga, cloudwort, bittersweet grass.

Pharmacy name: nightshade stems - Dulcamara stipes.

Parts of bittersweet nightshade used: young grassy shoots with leaves.

Photo of flowers of the medicinal poisonous plant Bittersweet Nightshade.

Botanical description: bittersweet nightshade is a climbing subshrub, woody below, herbaceous above. A stem with a hollow core, branching, bears alternate leaves. The leaves usually have 2 lobes at the base, heart-shaped or ovoid, pointed at the end. Bittersweet nightshade is an elegant plant with striking purple flowers with yellow conical anthers on the stamens. Beautiful juicy red berries are ovoid in shape. Blooms from June to August.

Habitat: Bittersweet nightshade is found mainly in bushes, hedges, along river banks, more often in damp and shaded places.

Collection and preparation: The herbaceous stem tips are collected at the beginning or during flowering. The raw materials are dried in the shade. Store separately in boxes lined with paper, like a poisonous plant.

Chemical composition: Steroids and alkaloids were found in the roots. The aerial part of the plant contains tigonenin and alkaloids. Steroids were found in the stems - cholesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, brassicasterol, isofucosterol. Bittersweet nightshade leaves contain triterpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenolcarboxylic acids, flavonoids, higher aliphatic hydrocarbons, higher fatty acids; flowers are steroids. Carotenoids (fitufluin, beta-carotene, carotene, zecarotene, lycopene, cryptoxanthin), steroids (cholesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, brassicasterol, isofucosterol) were found in the fruits. The seeds of bittersweet nightshade contain triterpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, fatty oil, higher fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmitic), phospholipids (0.12%)

Bittersweet nightshade - beneficial properties and uses

In folk medicine with therapeutic purpose young herbaceous shoots with leaves of bittersweet nightshade are used for skin diseases, especially itchy eczema and inflammation, for bronchial asthma, colds, inflammation of the bladder, diarrhea, irregular menstruation, as a wound-healing and anthelmintic. Bittersweet nightshade leaves are also used for dropsy, jaundice, and whooping cough; externally - for scrofula and rheumatism; berries - for sexually transmitted diseases, epilepsy, migraine attacks, a decoction of flowers - for pulmonary diseases and catarrh of the respiratory tract.

Photo of red berries of the medicinal poisonous plant Bittersweet Nightshade.

Powder recipe

• The drug is prepared from dried leaves of bittersweet nightshade and is prescribed in a dose of 0.5 g twice a day. The powder is prescribed for all diseases for which the use of bittersweet nightshade is appropriate.

Tincture recipe

• The preparation is prepared from fresh nightshade raw materials in a ratio of 1:5. 40% alcohol is used as an extractant. Infuse for a month. The drug is prescribed for acute respiratory viral infections and influenza three times a day, 10-30 drops per dose. The product also helps in the treatment of urticaria.

Decoction recipe

• For 400 ml of water - 1 tablespoon of bittersweet nightshade herb, soak in a water bath for an hour. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day.

Infusion recipes

• Prepared from dry raw materials (leaves, stems and fruits): 1 teaspoon per 300 ml of boiling water (infusion in a thermos for 2 hours). Take the infusion 4 times a day, 5-6 ml before meals. Often the infusion is prescribed in combination with (2-3 drops of tincture), apricot gum or starch. The drug has a radioprotective effect, promotes detoxification of the body and cleansing of radionuclides and toxins.
• For half a liter of boiling water - 1 teaspoon of fresh stems. Infusion time – 4 hours. The drug is prescribed 3-4 times a day, in a dosage of 1-2 tbsp. spoons The infusion is recommended for viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, influenza, inflammation of the tonsils and middle ear. The product is used for bronchial asthma, rheumatic and neuralgic pain. For inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract, diarrhea. In gynecological practice, the drug is prescribed for scanty menstruation. In dermatology, the infusion is used as a blood purifier (for example, for urticaria and other skin diseases).

Tea from bittersweet nightshade is drunk - not with sufficient justification - for catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, asthma, gout, rheumatism, dropsy, eczema and other skin diseases.

Treatment with bittersweet nightshade

Self-medication is dangerous! Before treating at home, consult your doctor.

1. Adenoids. 1 tsp of the plant crushed into powder, pour 100 ml of water at room temperature, heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, leave for 45 minutes, strain and bring the volume to 100 ml with boiled water. Drink 1 tsp. 2 times a day.
2. Angina(acute tonsillitis). 3 tbsp. Dilute nightshade juice in 1 liter of boiled, chilled water. For rinsing.
3. Bronchial asthma. Recipe 1. Pour 3 grams of crushed nightshade shoots with a glass of boiling water, wrap and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and add honey to taste. Drink 50 ml of decoction 3 times a day during treatment.
   Recipe 2. Pour a teaspoon of chopped herbs into 200 ml of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1 hour. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml throughout the day.
   Recipe 3. Pour a teaspoon of powdered herbs into 100 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 1 tbsp. 2 times a day.
4. Helminthiasis(worms), Viral hepatitis(Botkin's disease). 1 tsp chopped herbs, pour 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml throughout the day.
5. Haemorrhoids. 2 tbsp. pour 200 ml of boiled water over the fruit, close the lid and leave in the oven for 12 hours, heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 50 ml in 20 minutes. before meals. Follow the dosage strictly!
6. Flu. Pour 3 grams of shoots into 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Leave for 30 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 50 ml 3 times a day after meals, adding honey for taste.
7. Dermatitis. Recipe 1. Pour 3 grams of shoots with 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 50 ml 3 times a day after meals, adding honey for taste.
   Recipe 2. 1 tsp chopped bittersweet nightshade herb, pour 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml during the day for skin rashes.
8. Viral diarrhea. 1 tsp chopped herbs, pour 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml throughout the day.
9. Escudative diathesis. 1 tsp chopped herbs, pour 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml throughout the day.
10. Diphtheria. 1 tbsp. mixture (juice from the fruits of black nightshade - equally) pour 100 ml of boiling water. Gargle every 2 hours.
11. Constipation. 2 tbsp. pour 200 ml of boiled water over the fruit, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 50 ml in 20 minutes. before meals. Follow the dosage strictly - the plant is poisonous!
12. Whooping cough. Pour 3 grams of crushed nightshade shoots with a glass of boiling water, wrap and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and add honey for taste. Drink no more than 3 times a day, 50 ml.
13. Neurodermatitis, eczema. Powder from the herb bittersweet nightshade - 0.1 grams 3 times a day before meals.
14. Benign tumors. Apply a medicinal bandage from the grassy tops of nightshade for tumors of the meninges.
15. Otitis(for ear pain and partial hearing loss). 1 teaspoon of crushed bittersweet nightshade herb per glass of water, boil for 5 minutes, then leave for 20 minutes, strain and take 1 tbsp of infusion. spoon 2-3 times a day before meals.
16. Gout. 1 tsp pour 200 ml of boiling water over the grassy tops, cover with a lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml per day.
17. Cold. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over a teaspoon of the grassy tops of bittersweet nightshade, cover and leave for 30 minutes, strain and top up to the original volume. Drink 70 ml 2-4 times a day as an expectorant.
18. Psoriasis. 1 tsp crushed herbs, pour 200 ml of boiling water, cover with a lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 100 ml throughout the day.
19. Acute pharyngitis. For rinsing, use the juice of ripe berries or the grassy tops of stems with nightshade leaves diluted with water (1:5).
20. Eczema. Recipe 1. Pour a teaspoon of chopped bittersweet nightshade herb into 100 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Use as a lotion for itching. At the same time, take the herb crushed into powder orally on the tip of a knife (0.1 grams) for a week.
    Recipe 2. Mix a glass of celandine juice with protein chicken egg, add 2 tbsp. juice from nightshade berries. Use as a lotion for dry eczema.
    Recipe 3. Pour 3 grams of shoots into 200 ml of boiled water, close the lid and heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Leave for 45 minutes. Strain and top up to original volume. Drink 50 ml 3 times a day after meals.

Although nightshade is not as poisonous as its relatives belladonna, henbane and datura, it does require careful handling. Therefore, no self-medication with this medicinal plant must not be!

Side effects. Taking more than necessary amounts of bittersweet nightshade leads to overexcitation and speech disorders. Difficulty swallowing, nausea, and dizziness may occur.

Be careful! Berries, especially unripe ones, are poisonous and can pose a great danger to children.

This plant often comes across our path. We can also see it near houses and in flower beds. It is called wolf berries, bear berries, privet berries, viper grass, helminthic grass, scrofula, mother grass, natynnik, dog thunderstorm, podzhivotnik, magpie earrings, night shadow, sweetweed, etc. But the most common name is bittersweet nightshade.

Appearance and place of growth

Bittersweet nightshade is a perennial plant with a height of 30 centimeters to 3 meters. Creeping root. The branched climbing stem clings to surrounding objects. The leaves are oblong, pointed, heart-shaped and have smooth edges. The purple flowers grow in small, medium-sized drooping inflorescences and resemble potato flowers. The fruits are round, multi-seeded, red berries with a bitter-sweet taste. The plant has a slight but unpleasant odor.

The plant loves moist soil. You can find nightshade along the banks of reservoirs, in ravines and vegetable gardens, in meadows, next to bushes, and in heaps of garbage. It is often used for decorative purposes, because it looks good on a vertical surface. In its natural environment it grows in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Eastern and Western Siberia, in Europe and Far East, in Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, North America, East and West Asia, North Africa.

Chemical composition of nightshade

Bittersweet nightshade is rich in various microelements. It includes:

• Tannins and bitter substances
• Carotenoids and hydrocarbons
• Fatty acid
• Fixed oils
• Phenolcarboxylic acids
• Phospholipids
• Flavonoids
• Spirosolans
• Steroids and triterpenoids
• Glucoalkaloid solanine and other alkaloids
• Dulcamarin glycoside

Medical properties of nightshade

Nightshade is one of the most popular plants in folk medicine. It has earned great popularity due to its wide spectrum of action.

• Bittersweet nightshade has diuretic, diuretic, choleretic, diaphoretic, sedative, laxative, expectorant and astringent properties. It perfectly relieves pain and improves wound healing, fights inflammation, cleanses the blood, gets rid of worms and soothes. By taking preparations with nightshade, digestion in the body is normalized.
• For infectious and respiratory diseases, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, use an infusion of nightshade stems. It also treats inflammation of the tonsils and middle ear, neurological disorders and bone diseases.
• The plant is an excellent remedy for stomach cramps and catarrh of the respiratory tract. If you suffer from migraines or dizziness, you should also turn to nightshade. And an alcohol tincture can help in the presence of a tumor.
• Nightshade is able to cope with dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, diathesis, lichen, scabies and allergic manifestations. The plant helps with rheumatism, cramps, itching. It helps with scanty, irregular menstruation and high libido.

Nightshade cures diseases such as:

• Conjunctivitis
• Facial and optic nerve palsy
• Diseases of the mouth and teeth
• Bladder diseases and inflammations
• Epilepsy
• Gout
• Jaundice
• Dropsy
• Scrofula
• Increased mental excitability
• Depression
• Venereal diseases.

Nightshade is the most valuable in homeopathy. A medicine is prepared from it to treat, for example, the symptoms of Dulcamara.

Medicinal nightshade recipes

For the manufacture of medicines use the ground part: stems, flowers, fruits and leaves.

• Decoction for pleurisy. Pour 1 tablespoon of nightshade leaves into 2 glasses of water and cook for an hour over low heat. Strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day
• Infusion of herbal mixture as an expectorant. Mix 30 grams of nightshade, 40 grams of nightshade leaves, 40 grams of flowers, 30 grams of wild poppy flowers, 20 grams of flowers, 20 grams of linden flowers, 20 grams of primrose, 40 grams of lungwort, 40 grams of St. John's wort, 30 grams of buckwheat flowers, 40 grams of flowers mallows. Pour 4 dessert spoons of the resulting mixture with a liter of boiling water and leave for 1 hour. Drink the infusion 4 times a day, 1 tablespoon.
• Tea for scrofula. Mix 4 teaspoons of tricolor violet with 4 teaspoons of string and 1 teaspoon of nightshade. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water and leave for 2 hours. Strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
• Ointment for burns. Grind nightshade leaves and berries to a pulp and spread on the affected area.
• Powder for skin diseases. Grind the tops of nightshade to a powder and take 3 times a day before meals on the tip of a knife. Each time, wash down the powder with 1/3 glass of water.
• Leaf powder. Grind dry nightshade leaves and eat 0.5 grams 2 times a day.
• Alcohol infusion. Mix crushed nightshade stems with moonshine or alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Drink 3 times a day 10 drops of infusion, diluted in 1/3 glass of water.
• Infusion of nightshade tops. Pour 1 teaspoon of crushed tops into 500 ml of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour and strain. Drink 30 ml 3 times a day before meals.
• Nightshade infusion. Pour 1 teaspoon of crushed stems, leaves and flowers into 2 cups of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.

Contraindications and side properties

• Nightshade is a poisonous plant; you need to carefully adhere to the dosage and schedule of administration. Otherwise, a rash and skin inflammation may occur.
• With an overdose of nightshade preparations, you may experience increased excitability, incoherent speech, dizziness, nausea and difficulty swallowing food.
• The consumption of nightshade should be limited in case of diseases of the liver and pancreas.
• You should categorically refuse the plant if you have hypotension and dystonia, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and flatulence. You should not eat it during pregnancy.

Before using the plant for self-treatment, be sure to talk with your doctor, who will correctly determine the dosage in accordance with the condition of your body.

Nightshade poisoning

The plant is poisonous, so the most important thing when consuming nightshade is to be careful: do not overdo the dosage, otherwise you may get poisoned.
Symptoms of poisoning appear quickly:

• state of shock
• lack of coordination
• difficulty breathing
• dilated pupils
• arrhythmia
• pain in the gastrointestinal tract
• vomit
• diarrhea.

The consequences of diarrhea are very unpleasant: convulsions, paralysis and death. How to avoid this?

First of all, you should clear the stomach of the eaten plant by inducing vomiting. You can do this yourself, before the ambulance arrives, which should definitely be called, since the situation will be serious.