Butterbur
Petasites hybridus L.

Bastard edema

   

Butterbur is a perennial plant with a thick and long taproot. The stem is up to 60 cm tall and up to 2 cm in diameter. The plant is hairy, the hair resembles a spider's web. After flowering, a rosette of leaves is formed. Rhizome leaves on long stems (<120cm), rounded heart-shaped, deeply split at the base, margin double-serrated. The underside of the leaves are grayish hairy, huge, up to 70-80 cm in diameter. The plant forms a dense clustered inflorescence at the top of the stem. Flowers in a dirty purple color. The plant blooms in April-May, the fruits ripen in May-June.

Leaves and rhizome with roots are collected for medicinal purposes. The leaves are collected in June-July, until rust-colored spots appear on them. The leaves are collected without stems. Dry in a place protected from the sun. Roots are dug in autumn, dried in any convenient way. Forced drying can be used for drying the plant, observing the temperature regime of 45-50C.

The plant contains essential oils (<0.1%), alkaloids, saponins (<7.6%), glycosides, resins, tannins (~5%), complex ester petazin, sesquiterpene alcohol, petazol, vitamin C and organic acids. The plant is rich in manganese salts, especially in the leaves.

Medicinal significance

In official medicine, the Butterbur plant is used as a plant with hypotensive, anticoagulant, antispasmodic and expectorant properties. However, the effectiveness of the plant does not end with the listed properties. In many countries, scientists prepare high-quality, pure extracts of the edematous valve and prepare antihistamines from them. This extract is also used to combat migraines.

Butterbur has disinfectant, analgesic, expectorant, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antispasmodic and sedative properties.

In folk medicine, Butterbur is basically used as an antiperspirant. It is also often used as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic agent to treat acute upper respiratory tract diseases - bronchitis, bronchial asthma, accompanied by excruciating cough. It is also used to treat acute and chronic laryngitis, hypersthenic type neurasthenia and hypertonia in the early stages.

Plant infusions and decoctions have a calming effect, they are recommended for use in cases of astheno-neurotic reactions and hysteria.

Compresses are made from the leaves of the plant to relieve pain in areas affected by rheumatism and gout. Because the plant has disinfectant and wound-healing properties, it can be used to treat wounds, abscesses, and boils.

Not recommended for use

In the last century, it was found that the oedematous tissue contains carcinogenic pyrrolizide alcohols, which are toxic to the liver and capable of causing veno-occlusive disease and cancer. The maximum permissible daily dose is 1mkg of these alkaloids.

In any case, the plant should not be used on children, during pregnancy and lactation and people with severe kidney and liver diseases.

The plant is poisonous and can cause digestive tract disorders.