Basic research. Astringents for students. Blueberry fruits fructus myrtilli Blueberry shoots cormus vaccinii myrtilli Blueberries chemical composition and nutritional value
1A pharmacognostic study of air-dry shoots, fresh and air-dry fruits of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) was carried out. Biologically active substances of fruits (cyanidin-3-glucoside) and shoots (quercetin-3-xylopyranoside) were isolated by liquid column chromatography. In order to confirm the authenticity of raw materials, qualitative analysis methods have been developed using thin-layer chromatography and spectroscopy in the UV and visible spectral regions. Taking into account the physicochemical characteristics of the isolated compounds, methods were developed for the quantitative determination of the total content of anthocyanins in fruits (in terms of cyanidin-3-glucoside) and flavonoids in shoots (in terms of rutin). The error of a single determination of the amount of anthocyanins in air-dry blueberries with a confidence probability of 95% is ± 3.52%, in fresh fruits ± 4.54%. The error of a single determination of the sum of flavonoids in blueberry shoots with a confidence probability of 95% is ± 3.56%. The developed methods are included in draft pharmacopoeial articles for fresh and air-dry fruits and blueberry shoots.
common blueberry
Vaccinium myrtillus L.
anthocyanins
flavonoids
standardization
cyanidin-3-O-glucoside
quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside
1. State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR: Issue. 2. General methods of analysis. Medicinal plant raw materials / Ministry of Health of the USSR. - 11th ed., add. – M.: Medicine, 1990. – 400 p.
2. State register of medicines. Official publication as of April 1, 2009: in 2 volumes. V.1. - M .: Publishing House "Medical Council", 2009. - 1359 p.
3. Kurkin V.A. Pharmacognosy: Textbook for students of pharmaceutical universities (faculties). - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - Samara: LLC "Ofort", GOU VPO "SamGMU Roszdrav", 2007. - 1239 p.
4. On state standards for the quality of medicines: order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation of 01.11.2001 N 388 (together with "OST 91500.05.001-00. Industry standard. Quality standards for medicines. Basic provisions") [Electronic resource] // reference - legal system "ConsultantPlus". – URL: http://base.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req = doc; base = LAW; n = 34097 (date of access: 04/30/13).
5. Bilberry shoots: FSP 42-8635-07 (JSC Krasnogorskleksredstva).
6. Shilova I.V. Chemical composition and nootropic activity of Siberian plants / I.V. Shilova, N.I. Suslov, I.A. Samylin. - Tomsk: Publishing House Vol. un-ta, 2010. - 236 p.
7. European Pharmacopoeia. 6th Ed. / Rockville: United States Pharmacopoeial Convention. Inc. - 2008. - P. 738-739.
8. Anthocyanins in medicine / E. Kowalczyk, P. Krzesiñski, M. Kura, B. Szmigiel, J. Blaszczyk // Pol. J Pharmacol. - 2003. - Vol. 55. – P. 699–702.
9. Zushang Su. Anthocyanins and Flavonoids of Vaccinium L. // Pharmaceutical Crops. - 2012. - Vol. 3. - R. 7-37.
Common blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the valuable plant sources of phenolic compounds with pharmacological activity. Pharmacopoeia raw materials are air-dry fruits and shoots. Currently, the widespread use of preparations based on blueberries for various eye diseases is associated with the anthocyanins contained in them, a subclass of flavonoids. Blueberry shoots are part of the Arfazetin-E antidiabetic collection. However, the issues of standardization of fruits and shoots of blueberries still remain unresolved. The pharmacopoeial monograph for air-dry blueberries used in the Russian Federation does not contain all the quality indicators required in accordance with OST 91500.05.001-00 “Quality standards for medicines. Basic Provisions” to regulatory documents for medicinal plant raw materials (there is no section “Microscopy”, there is no provision for quantitative determination of active substances, qualitative analysis is represented by test-tube reactions). In our opinion, it is advisable to carry out the standardization of blueberries in terms of the content of anthocyanins as the most vulnerable group of biologically active compounds (BAS). It should be noted that in the European Pharmacopoeia, in addition to air-dry, the quality of fresh fruits, which are a more promising source of anthocyanins, is regulated. Standardization of blueberry shoots is currently carried out according to the content of tannins. However, from our point of view, the hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, capillary-strengthening, cardioprotective, antiplatelet effect, as well as the recently revealed nootropic activity of the shoots can also be due to another group of BAS - flavonoids.
In this regard, the purpose of this study was to conduct a pharmacognostic study of shoots and fruits of blueberry and develop methods for their analysis.
Materials and methods of research
The study used thin layer chromatography (TLC), adsorption liquid column chromatography and spectroscopic methods. When using the TLC method, the separation of substances was carried out on Sorbfil PTSH-AF-A-UF plates. The spectra were recorded using a Specord 40 spectrophotometer (Analytik Jena) in the wavelength range of 190–700 nm.
The object of the study was common blueberry shoots harvested in the Penza region and the Republic of Mari El in 2010-2011, as well as fresh frozen common blueberry fruits (CJSC Zapadny Khladokombinatny, Moscow Region, Odintsovo, TU 9165-002-47569210-00 ); fruit samples from different regions of the Russian Federation (Altai Territory, Republic of Tatarstan); air-dry blueberries (PKF Fitopharm LLC (Anapa, Krasnodar Territory), Ivan-Tea CJSC (Moscow).
Research results and discussion
At the initial stage, we carried out work on the isolation of active substances from the fruits and shoots of blueberries using the method of adsorption liquid column chromatography.
In the phytochemical study of fruits, the juice of fresh blueberries previously evaporated under vacuum was applied to the sorbent (silica gel L 40/100) and dried in air. The resulting powder was applied to a layer of silica gel formed in chloroform. The chromatographic column was eluted with chloroform and a mixture of chloroform-ethanol (0.1% HCl) in various ratios (97:1; 97:2; 97:3; 95:5; 93:7; 90:10; 85:15; 80: 20; 70:30, 60:40, 50:50; 40:60; 20:80, ethanol). The elution progress was monitored by TLC analysis in the n-butanol-glacial acetic acid-water (4:1:2) system.
As a result, we have isolated a number of fractions containing substances of anthocyanin nature. After their purification by rechromatography on polyamide (Woelm) using a mixture of chloroform and ethanol (0.01% HCl), 3 dominant anthocyanins with Rf about 0.51 were isolated in a gradient mode; 0.36 and 0.20 in the n-butanol-glacial acetic acid-water (4:1:2) system (Fig. 1). The study of electronic spectra showed that the absorption curves of isolated anthocyanins have characteristic maxima at 281 ± 2 nm and in the visible region in the range of 538 ± 2 - 551 ± 2 nm. For a substance with Rf 0.51, the absorption maximum corresponded to 538 ± 2 nm; for a substance with Rf 0.36 - 546 ± 2 nm; the substance with Rf 0.20 corresponded to the wavelength at the absorption maximum of 551 ± 2 nm. Based on UV and 1H-NMR data, the compound with an Rf of about 0.36 was identified as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside.
Extraction was obtained from the shoots of common blueberry by the method of fractional modified maceration in 70% ethanol. The resulting extract was evaporated under vacuum and silica gel L 40/100 was applied to the sorbent. Chromatography was carried out in the same way as described for fruits, but without the addition of hydrochloric acid. The eluates were divided into fractions of approximately equal volume (200 ml), which were then evaporated under vacuum. Subsequently, to isolate individual substances, individual fractions were rechromatographed on polyamide (Woelm) and silica gel L 40/100. Additional purification was carried out by recrystallization from alcohol and water. The progress of chromatographic separation and purification of substances was monitored by TLC in the system n-butanol-glacial acetic acid-water (4:1:2) and ethyl acetate-anhydrous formic acid-water (80:8:12) (Fig. 2). Spots on the plate were detected by luminescence in UV light at a wavelength of 254 and 366 nm and by color after treatment of chromatograms with an alkaline solution of diazobenzenesulfonic acid.
The isolated substances were studied using UV, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, various chemical transformations, and TLC. Acid hydrolysis of the isolated dominant flavonoid was carried out by heating the substance with a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid in a boiling water bath for 2.5 hours. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out using emulsion at a temperature of 37 ± 2 °C. As a result, substances were isolated that were previously identified as quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, caffeic acid, daukosterol, mentioned in the literature.
In our opinion, the spectroscopic method is appropriate for identifying and confirming the good quality of raw materials.
Extraction from blueberries in the wavelength range of 190-700 nm has absorption maxima in the visible (546 ± 2 nm) and UV regions of the spectrum (281 ± 2 nm). The ratio of optical densities in the UV region and in the visible region of the spectrum (A282/A546) is an indicator of the safety of anthocyanins in raw materials. For anthocyanins and extract from fresh fruits, this ratio is approximately 1:1.5-1.8 (Fig. 3). For air-dry fruits, this ratio changes in favor of a short-wave maximum and is 1.0:0.10-0.15 (Fig. 3). This difference is probably due to a change in the chemical composition of blueberries as a result of drying in favor of polyphenolic compounds.
Rice. 1. TLC analysis of fruits: solvent system n-butanol - glacial acetic acid - water (4:1:2). Designations: 1 - alcohol extract from air-dried blueberries; 2 - alcohol extract from fresh blueberries; 3 - malvidin-3-O-glucoside; 4 - cyanidin-3-O-glucoside; 5 - delphinidin-3-O-glucoside
Rice. 2. TLC analysis of shoots: solvent system ethyl acetate - anhydrous formic acid - water (80:8:12). Designations: 1 - RSO solution of rutin; 2 - extraction from the shoots of common blueberries in 70% ethanol; 3 - solution of quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside; 4 - caffeic acid solution
Rice. Fig. 3. Absorption spectra of hydroalcoholic extract from fresh blueberries (1), air-dried blueberries (2) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (3) in 95% ethanol containing 1% HCl
Extract from blueberry shoots has absorption maxima at wavelengths of 292 ± 2 and 331 ± 2 nm. Contribution to the absorption curve can be made by quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, caffeic acid, and other phenolic compounds present in the raw material (Fig. 4, 5).
To confirm the good quality of medicinal plant raw materials of fruits and shoots of blueberries, we have developed methods for the quantitative determination of active compounds in raw materials.
Due to the fact that anthocyanins are a more biologically active and at the same time more labile group of compounds, we propose to standardize both fresh and air-dry fruits by the content of anthocyanins (in contrast to the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia). For the purposes of standardization, the specific absorption index of the isolated cyanidin-3-O-glucoside in 1% hydrochloric acid solution in 95% ethanol was determined at an analytical wavelength of 546 nm, which was 100 ± 4.3. The obtained value of the specific absorption index was used in the development of a method for the quantitative determination of anthocyanins in blueberries. The extraction ability of alcohols of various concentrations, the influence of pH, temperature, the ratio of "raw material - extractant" and the extraction time were compared. It has been determined that the highest yield of anthocyanins from quick-frozen blueberries is observed when using 95% ethyl alcohol containing 1% hydrochloric acid solution as an extractant, the ratio of "raw material - extractant" is 1:50; extraction time - 30 min in a boiling water bath. For air-dry fruits of blueberry, respectively: extractant - 60% ethyl alcohol containing 1% hydrochloric acid; ratio "raw material - extractant" - 1:50; extraction time in a water bath at a temperature of 85-90 ° C for 90 minutes. The content of the sum of anthocyanins in the studied samples of fresh fruits was 3.80-4.10%, for samples of air-dry fruits, this figure varied from 4.04 to 4.79%.
Rice. Fig. 4. Absorption spectra of the extract in 70% alcohol from the shoots of blueberry (1), the solution of quercetin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (2)
Rice. Fig. 5. Absorption spectra of extraction in 70% alcohol from blueberry shoots (1) and caffeic acid solution (2)
We propose to analyze the shoots by the content of flavonoids, which can also make a significant contribution to the pharmacological action of drugs and are more susceptible to various environmental factors, in contrast to the currently analyzed group of tannins. When developing a method for the quantitative determination of flavonoids in shoots, due to the similarity in the structure and chemical properties of the dominant flavonoid and rutin, the BAS content was calculated in terms of rutin. The analysis was carried out by differential spectrophotometry with aluminum chloride at an analytical wavelength of 420 nm, corresponding to the maximum difference in the optical density of the extraction after the addition of aluminum chloride and the initial extraction. During the study, it was found that the optimal extractant is 70% ethyl alcohol, which allows the most complete extraction of flavonoids from raw materials compared to other concentrations; the optimal ratio is "raw material - extractant" - 1:50; extraction time - 30 minutes after boiling the extractant in a boiling water bath. The content of flavonoids in the studied samples varied from 0.62 to 1.62%.
All results were statistically processed. The error of a single determination of the amount of anthocyanins in air-dry blueberries with a confidence probability of 95% is ± 3.52%; in fresh fruits ± 4.54%. The error of a single determination of the amount of flavonoids in blueberry shoots with a confidence probability of 95% is ± 3.56%.
Thus, during the study:
A phytochemical study of the aerial organs of blueberry was carried out.
Techniques for the qualitative analysis of active substances in the used types of pharmacopoeial raw materials of blueberry (fruits and shoots) (thin-layer chromatography and electron spectroscopy methods) have been developed.
Techniques for the quantitative analysis of active substances in fruits and shoots have been developed.
The developed methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis are included in draft pharmacopoeial articles for the studied types of raw materials.
Reviewers:
Shatalaev I.F., Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Samara State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Samara;
Pravdivtseva O.E., Doctor of Pharmacy, Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacognosy with Botany and the Basics of Herbal Medicine, Samara State Medical University, Samara.
The work was received by the editors on July 11, 2013.
Bibliographic link
Ryazanova T.K. PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF BLUEBERRY FRUIT AND SHOOTS // Fundamental Research. - 2013. - No. 8-5. - S. 1136-1140;URL: http://fundamental-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=32097 (date of access: 07/15/2019). We bring to your attention the journals published by the publishing house "Academy of Natural History"
Blueberries are a berry that grows on small shrubs. Most often it is harvested in the forest, however, some farms are engaged in self-cultivation of the crop. Fruits on shrubs usually do not reach large sizes, their average diameter is 8 mm. Taking such a berry in the forest is a painstaking, troublesome business. However, given its vitamin and mineral composition, it is also important and useful.
Vitamins are not the only elements found in blueberries. It also contains key nutrients, which include:
- proteins - 1.1 g;
- fats - 0.6 g;
- carbohydrates - 7.6 g;
- water - 86 g;
- food-type fibers - 3.1 g.
Vitamin and mineral composition
Vitamins in small berries are represented by substances belonging to groups such as:
Due to the predominance of vitamins in berries, they began to be used as a medicine in the distant past. Currently, blueberry extracts are added to certain medical preparations, as well as cosmetics, which allows the body to stay young and healthy longer.
Beneficial features
What vitamins and other substances are present in blueberries determines its positive effect on the human body. It is a natural source of antioxidants, the use of which allows you to cleanse the body of deposits of harmful substances, especially free radicals. In addition to their removal, the use of blueberries neutralizes the negative consequences that appear after their long stay in the body.
Other beneficial properties of the fruits of small shrubs include:
- prevention of premature aging of the skin, improvement of their condition;
- improving the circulation of genetic material through cells and tissues;
- reducing the risk of developing varicose veins;
- homeostasis, restoration of the cornea of the eye;
- reducing the risk of eye pathologies, especially those that appear with age;
- preventing the accumulation of cholesterol plaques;
- strengthening of the vascular walls;
- memory improvement;
- normalization of digestive processes;
- improvement of the state of the body with the development of hemorrhoid bleeding;
- providing an inhibitory effect on various pathogens that cause intestinal and other infectious diseases;
- reducing the risk of developing diabetes;
- protection of the liver from the adverse effects of free radicals from the environment;
- normalization of creatinine and other substances, which determine the level of kidney performance;
- prevent the development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases;
- improvement of metabolic processes, which contributes to the rapid burning of subcutaneous fat deposits.
Contraindications for use
Despite information about which vitamins and other substances predominate in blueberries, there are certain groups of people who are prohibited from eating blueberries. These include those who suffer from the following ailments:
- oxalaturia;
- intolerance to salicylates;
- diseases of the pancreas;
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- biliary dyskinesia;
- pancreatitis;
- cholecystitis;
- cholangitis;
- allergic reactions to food.
It is important not to use fruits together with drugs that help thin the human genetic material. Berry picking should be done only in ecologically clean areas, since all free radicals and toxins present in the soil will be contained in them. In addition, you should not introduce fruits, jam from them into the children's diet, if the child has persistent allergic reactions to various foods that are bright in color.
Preservation of the nutrients of the berry when frozen
Information about what vitamins and microelements blueberries contain makes many people think about preserving its beneficial properties in the winter. The free sale of berries at this time is practically not carried out, and if it is, then its cost is too high. For this reason, many housewives turn to the old proven method of storing berries in winter - freezing. In order for the berry to retain all the nutrients for a long time, it is necessary:
- sort it out, clearing it of forest debris;
- lay out neatly in containers without wrinkling the lower layers;
- use the fast freeze mode;
- set the temperature to at least -18 ° C.
It is important to remember that when preparing a berry for freezing, it cannot be washed or even moistened with water.
Considering that bush berries were interested in ancient times, many interesting facts have been discovered about them since then. The following are not common among them:
- production of delicious, nutritious honey of a reddish hue from berries;
- the use of blueberry juice as one of the constituents of food ink;
- celebration in many small towns located in wooded areas, "blueberry days";
- the use of plant parts for the tanning process of hides, and the use of berry juice for dyeing skins before obtaining fur or fabric fibers from them;
- the presence of a monument to the berry in the Russian city of Krasnovishersk in the Perm Territory and the Transcarpathian village of Huklivy in Ukraine;
- the use of the image of a berry on a stamp issued in the USSR in a small circulation, which is currently of great value;
- the use of large quantities of blueberries by soldiers taking part in World War II to sharpen the ability to see clearly at night (a legend that covered the beginning of the use of radar by Soviet soldiers).
BLUEBERRY FRUITS - FRUCTUS MYRTILLI
BLUEBERRY SHOOTS -CORMUS VACCINII MYRTILLI
Common Blueberry - Vaccinium myrtillus
Sem. heather - Ericaceae
Other names: blueberry, blackberry, blackberry, blueberry, blackberry
Spreading: Northern and middle parts of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Siberia. Another type of blueberry grows in the Caucasus.
Habitat: In spruce, pine and mixed forests, on raised bogs, mainly in moist places, it often forms large thickets that are convenient for harvesting.
Life Form: undersized shrub growing in the Sverdlovsk region.
Workpiece:Fruits - inperiod of full maturation in the morning or evening. When harvesting, do not take greenish and spoiled fruits, branches, leaves. It is not allowed to wash the fruits and transfer from one container to another. In the flowering phase before fruiting, blueberry shoots are collected, trying not to damage the flowers, fruits.
Security measures: When planning harvesting, the frequency of blueberry fruiting should be taken into account. It is necessary to alternate arrays of blanks.
Drying: The fruits are dried in dryers with preliminary drying at a temperature of 35-40 degrees for 2-3 hours, and dried at a temperature of 55-60 degrees. Dry until the fruits stop getting their hands dirty and sticking together in lumps. Natural drying (air-shadow and air-solar).
External signs: ( GF XI) Fruits - a false berry, 3-6 mm in diameter, shapeless, strongly wrinkled, spherical when soaked. At the top of the fruit, the remnant of the calyx is visible in the form of a small annular rim surrounding the swollen disk with the remnant of the column in the center or with a slight depression after it has fallen off. The pulp of the fruit contains numerous (up to 30) ovoid seeds. At the base of the fruit sometimes there is a short stalk.
The color of the fruit from the surface is black with a bluish bloom, matte or slightly shiny; pulp - red-violet; seeds - red-brown. The smell is weak. The taste is sweet and sour, slightly astringent.
Chemical composition:
Fruit:
tannins
macro and micro elements (iron)
vitamins
Sahara
flavonoids
organic acids
pectin substances
flavonoids (neomyrtillin)
Fruit:
astringent
with anemia
wound healing effect
improve visual acuity (especially twilight)
reduce blood sugar levels
Fruit: Decoction. "Strix" table for adults, "Mirtilene forte". Dietary supplements to improve vision.
Shoots: Fees "Arfazetin", "Arfazetin E", "Mirfazin".
ALDER GROUNDS (ALDER CONES) - FRUCTUS ALNI
Alder gray - Alnus incana
Black alder (sticky) - Alnus glutinosa
Sem. birch - Betulaceae
Other names: oleshina, volkha, wilkha, elokha, elshina, leshinnik, oleshnik
Spreading: The sticky alder has a wider range. It grows in the steppe, forest-steppe zones of the European part of the country, Western Siberia and the Caucasus.Habitat: Along the banks of rivers, streams, ravines, swamps, "black alders" are found. Gray alder forms shrub thickets. Grows in the undergrowth of damp mixed spruce forests, damp meadows, along river banks. Both species are moisture-loving plants.
Life Form: tree, grows in the Sverdlovsk region.
Workpiece: Raw materials are harvested in autumn or winter (November to March). Fallen items cannot be collected. The lower short branches, together with the fruit, are cut with secateurs or shake off the trees; seedlings are clearly visible in the snow.
Security measures: It is not allowed to break the branches and cut off the alder fruit from them.
Drying: Natural, artificial (more often they do not resort) 50-60 degrees. Raw materials are laid out in a thin layer, stirring occasionally.
External signs:(SP XI) Alder seedlings (“cones”) ovoid or oblong, arranged in several pieces on a common stalk or single, with or without stalks, scales and fruits. Numerous fan-shaped scales with a thickened, slightly lobed outer edge are located on the hard axis of the infructescence. In the axils of the scales there are one-seeded dipteran oblate fruits-nuts. The length of the common stalk to the lower infructescence is up to 15 mm, the length of the infructescence is up to 20 mm, and the diameter is up to 13 mm.
The color of the fruit and twigs is dark brown or dark brown. The smell is weak. The taste is astringent.
Chemical composition:
tannins
gallic acid.
astringent
anti-inflammatory action.
RHIZOMATA BERGENIAE RHIZOMATA BERGENIAE
Badan thick-leaved - Bergenia cras si folia
Sem. saxifrageous - Saxifragaceae
Spreading: Siberia (Altai, Sayans, Baikal, Transbaikalia). Plant of limited range. As an ornamental plant, it is used for landscaping settlements.Spreading: It grows in the mountain forest belt at an altitude of 300 to 2600 m above sea level on stony, rocky soils. Forms dense thickets sometimes on hundreds of hectares. The plant is introduced into industrial culture, it develops slowly.
Habitat: The rhizome is located almost at the surface of the earth.
Life Form: A perennial herbaceous plant that does not grow in the Sverdlovsk region.
Workpiece: Harvest during the summer until the end of the growing season. They dig or pull out of the soil, clear the earth and roots, cut into pieces of various lengths.
Security measures: To ensure seed reproduction in the thicket, 10-15% of the most developed individuals are left intact. Re-harvesting should be carried out in the same place after 10 years.
Drying: Drying is natural and slow. The raw material dries within 3 weeks.
External signs:(GF-XI) Cylindrical pieces of rhizomes up to 20 cm long, 1-3.5 cm thick. Transverse traces of dead leaves and peduncles are visible on the upper side of the rhizome, and small rounded traces of cut roots are visible on the lower side. The color of the rhizome and scales covering the rhizome is dark brown or almost black. At a break, the rhizome is granular, light pink or light brown; under a magnifying glass, vascular bundles arranged in a discontinuous ring are visible. There is no smell. The taste is strongly astringent.
Chemical composition:
tannins
starch
flavonoids
isocoumarin (bergenine).
astringent
anti-inflammatory
antimicrobial
hemostatic
wound healing action.
The composition of blueberries from sugars includes glucose and fructose, which quantitatively predominate over sucrose, the latter is contained in a small amount or completely absent.
Organic acids are represented by citric and malic acids (the former predominates). According to some studies, small amounts of maleic acid are found in blueberries, and oxalic acid in unripe fruits; mature berries do not contain oxalic acid.
Blueberries contain a significant amount of tannins and dyes, which determines their widespread use for medicinal purposes, in folk and scientific medicine. Blueberries are also used as a natural dye in the technical processing of fruits and berries.
The coloring matter found in blueberries, which has not yet been sufficiently studied, is called myrtillin (C 22 H 22 O 11). It is a glucoside - a compound of myrtillidine (C 16 H 12 O 7) and an unexplored sugar. Blueberry juice has a dark red color. Berries contain a sufficient amount of pectin, so blueberries are successfully used in boiled-jelly production and other food and flavor industries.
Blueberries contain a small amount of nitrogenous substances.
100 ml of blueberry juice contains (in%): extract 9.45, invert sugar 5.46, sucrose 0, free acids (according to citric acid) 1.23, citric acid 0.912, malic acid 0.130, tannins and dyes 0.182, ash 0.31.
Blueberries from Eastern Siberia (according to Sai-Moiseeva) in dry form contain (in%): moisture 14.2, ash 2.3, protein nitrogen 3.3, fiber 1.98, fat 7.8, pectin (Ca -pectate) 1.28, tannins 0.6.
According to other data, dried blueberries have the following chemical composition (in%): water 9.4, invert sugar 20.13, free acids (tartaric) 7.02, ash 2.48.
There is a small amount of vitamin C and provitamin A (carotene) in blueberries. Research by Vernadsky and Brunovsky found that blueberries contain radium (10-11%). Fresh blueberries have a pleasant, sour-sweet taste. The yield of juice from berries is from 80 to 94%. Calories in 1 liter of blueberry juice 306 cal.
Dried blueberries have a very wrinkled appearance. In terms of taste, they are significantly inferior to fresh and have a slightly astringent, less pleasant taste. They contain a significant amount of tannins, while the pyrocatechin group is about 7%. Dry blueberries are also rich in pectin.
The seed skin of blueberries is reddish-yellow; the seeds are very small in size (3500-3800 per 1 g), they contain from 25.0 to 31% fatty oil. The specific gravity of the oil at 15 ° 0.9331, refraction at 25 ° 79.8, iodine number 167.2, saponification number 190.4, acid number 6.8, Reichert-Meisl number 0.66. Blueberry seed oil is a highly drying oil.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
From the first days of his existence on earth, man, like any other creature, is subject to serious illnesses. Burdened with infirmities, he seeks relief from his suffering. Searches and finds it in the surrounding nature: flora and fauna. Centuries, millennia passed, and man did not part with plants, watched them, often cultivated them and diligently studied their healing properties. The centuries-old experience of the peoples formed the basis of scientific medical medicine, which to this day uses substances from medicinal plants, the properties of which were discovered first of all by the people.
Each nation, depending on the geographical conditions in which it lives, has its own medicinal plants, and among all nations the total number of plants that enjoyed the fame of medicinal reached three thousand.
One of the most famous medicinal plants is blueberry, the properties and application of which will be discussed in this paper.
1. Plant name
Bilberry ordinary-Vaccinium myrtillys
Family. Cowberry-Vacciniaceae
1.1 Origin of the name
For the first time, a plant called Vaccinium is found in the Bucolica by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Its origin is associated with the Latin word bassa - berry, which eventually turned into Vaccinium.
The specific name myrtillus is a diminutive form of myrtos (myrtle, myrtle branch): the plant looks like a bush of a small myrtle. The Russian "bilberry" is associated with the color of the berries.
2. Brief description of the plant
Deciduous shrub. Stems strongly branched, 8-40 cm high, erect or ascending. Young branches are green, sharply ribbed. Leaves 10-25 mm long, 8-20 mm wide, on short petioles, thin, smooth, ovate, elliptical or almost round, finely serrated along the edge. Rhizomes long, creeping. The flowers are small, drooping, arranged one by one on short pedicels in the axils of the leaves. Corolla pitcher-spherical with a limb of 4-5 short teeth. The fruit is a juicy black-blue with a bluish bloom, 6-13 mm in diameter, a spherical berry with a flattened top and the remains of a calyx in the form of an annular rim. The pulp of the berry is red-violet; seeds numerous, small, ovoid. Blooms in May. The fruits ripen in July-September.
Blueberries can be propagated by seeds. To do this, fresh berries are kneaded with hands or pounded with a wooden pestle. The resulting slurry is poured with a large amount of water (1:10) and mixed. Floated skin, pulp, empty seeds are drained. Mature, germinating seeds settle to the bottom. They need to be collected on a sieve or filter paper, slightly dried and immediately sown in a container filled with high-moor peat. Seedlings will appear in 2-3 weeks. For the winter, the container with young seedlings should be removed to a bright room with a temperature of 5-10 degrees or covered with several layers of spunbond and left outside. In the spring, after the soil thaws, the shelter is removed, the seedlings dive into boxes and put in a place protected from wind and direct sunlight for growing. The following year, seedlings are planted in a permanent place or in containers. You can also propagate blueberries with the help of partial bushes, which are separated from the mother plant in autumn and planted in ridges or containers. Blueberry plants can be cuttings. To do this, in the summer, at the end of fruiting, branches about 5 cm long are harvested on the bushes, which are planted in a film greenhouse on beds filled with high-moor peat. After rooting, young plants are transplanted into shkolku. Blueberries love high humidity. Therefore, it is better to plant it in partial shade, under the canopy of trees. Before transplanting shrubs, they need to prepare the soil. Blueberries are planted in loose, acidic (pH 4-5) soil (you can also use slightly acidic soil, the pH of which is 6). As such, you can use high-moor peat or a mixture of peat with sand, sawdust, bark, fallen needles and foliage (arbitrary ratio). As for other heathers, it is advisable to add 2-3 g (about a quarter of a teaspoon) of sulfur for acidification per 1 bucket of the mixture. Before planting, it is advisable to water the soil with water to which food acid (citric, oxalic, malic, acetic) is added. Regular water is watered regularly, so that the topsoil (10-15 cm deep) is always wet (but not wet!). To better retain moisture, the surface can be mulched with sawdust, bark, fallen needles or leaves.
3. Geographic distributione
Blueberries are ubiquitous in the forest belt of Belarus, mainly in the middle and northern zones. Often it forms a continuous cover in clarified coniferous and mixed forests. It is also found in the European part of Russia, Eastern and Western Siberia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the Middle East, East Asia, and the northern part of North America.
3.1 Habitat
As a rule, blueberries grow in broad-leaved and coniferous forests, in the tundra, forest-tundra, sphagnum bogs, in the mountains up to 2000 m sea level. Often dominates the vegetation cover, forming extensive thickets. Protected in nature reserves.
4. Rational methods of collection
Fruits and shoots are used as medicinal raw materials. Berries are harvested during the period of full ripening in the morning or evening. Recently, when harvesting berries, small-scale mechanization tools are used - a bucket with teeth, but often after using the bucket for harvesting, leaf and fruiting buds are severely damaged, which contributes to a sharp reduction in yield. When harvesting, do not take greenish and spoiled fruits, branches, leaves. Hand-picked fruits are placed in baskets or buckets. It is not allowed to wash the berries and transfer from one container to another. Dried blueberries are stored in boxes lined with paper. In the flowering phase, blueberry shoots are collected, trying not to damage the flowers and fruits.
6. Storage
7. Chemical composition
Several types of pharmacological properties have been isolated from blueberries.
active substances. Blueberries contain sugars: glucose, fructose, sucrose (5.3-7.4% of fresh fruit mass); organic acids: citric, malic, succinic, quinic, oxalic and lactic (0.90-1.28%); pectins (0.14-0.69%), tannins (up to 12% of the mass of dry fruits). Vitamins were found in the fruits: α-carotene (0.75-1.6 mg per 100 g of fresh fruits), riboflavin (0.08 mg), nicotinic acid (2.1 mg), ascorbic acid. Blueberries contain easily digestible compounds of manganese and iron, phenol carboxylic acids.
Bilberry fruits are rich in flavonoids (460-600 mg per 100 g of fruit weight), represented mainly by quercitrin, isoquercitrin, rutin, hyperin and astragalin.
The most important from a pharmacotherapeutic point of view are anthocyanosin flavonoids (anthocyanidins), which give the fruit a blue-black color. The main blueberry anthocyanidins are flavonoids, the sugar part of which is formed by glucose, galactose or arabinose residues, and the aglycone part is represented by delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin and malvidin. A mixture of delphinidin and malvidin esters forms a coloring pigment - myrtillin. The level of anthocyanidins in fresh blueberries is 0.1-0.25% and slightly increases when they are dried. All commercial preparations of blueberry extract currently used in medical practice must be standardized for anthocyanidins, the content of which in the extract is less than 25% is unacceptable.
ascorbic acid Rutin
riboflavin
8. Authenticity
Authenticity is the correspondence of the object under study to the name under which it was received for analysis. Authenticity is established by macro-, microscopic signs and qualitative chemical reactions.
8.1 Macroscopic features
Spherical wrinkled berries with a diameter of about 5 mm. On the lower part there is a scar or (rarely) a fragment of the peduncle. At the apex one can see the remnant of the calyx in the form of a small annular rim surrounding the swollen disc with the remnant of the style in the center or with a slight depression after it fell off. The fruit pulp contains 4-5 nests containing numerous small ovoid seeds. The color of the fruit is dark blue, the pulp is reddish-violet, the seeds are red-brown. The smell is weak. Sweet and sour taste
8.2 Microscopic indication And
Examine the crushed raw materials. Color violet brown. Violet-pink sclereids from the endocarp and mesocarp are visible, usually collected in groups, with strongly thickened walls pierced by narrow pores; reddish-brown exocarp fragments consisting of dense layers of polyhedral cells with moderately thickened walls; brownish-yellow seed fragments, consisting of elongated cells with U-shaped thickened walls; druses and prisms of crystals of various sizes of calcium oxalate.
9. Benign
This is the compliance of medicinal plant materials with the requirements of regulatory documentation. The quality of medicinal plant raw materials is determined by the amount of active ingredients, the purity of raw materials, the natural degree of grinding (for whole raw materials), humidity and ash content.
Fruit. Numerical indicators.
Permissible impurities. The amount of admissible impurity: no more than 2%.
Loss on drying. Not more than 12.0%. 1,000 g of crushed raw materials are dried at a temperature from 100 ° C to 105 ° C for 2 hours.
10. Pharmacological properties
Water infusions and decoctions, alcoholic tinctures and blueberry leaf extracts have been studied in many countries. Preparations of blueberry leaves have a cardiotonic, diuretic, choleretic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect.
Leaf preparations in an animal experiment lower blood sugar levels. The alcoholic extracts of the leaves prevent the death of dogs with a removed pancreas (animals that do not receive these drugs die).
Alcoholic extract and infusion of blueberry leaves reduce blood sugar in rabbits with alimentary and adrenaline hyperglycemia by 30-40%.
Blueberries have astringent, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. There are reports that anthocyanins from blueberries reduce the aggregation capacity of erythrocytes in vitro. Bilberry carotenoids improve night vision and the function of the visual apparatus.
11.1 In folk and scientific medicine
Berries and leaves are widely used in folk medicine in various countries. Berries, their water infusion and decoction regulate the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate metabolism and have astringent, fixative, diuretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and hemostatic effects.
An infusion of berries is used for catarrhs of the stomach and intestines with low acidity of gastric juice, for indigestion, diarrhea and chronic constipation, spasms and pains in the stomach and intestines, for stones in the kidneys and bladder, for gout and rheumatism. For diarrhea, an aqueous infusion of berries, blueberry jelly, and less often fresh berries are used.
In folk medicine of the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Region, an infusion of branches with leaves and roots is taken for colds.
In German folk medicine, an infusion of the leaves is used for chronic intestinal catarrh, colitis, vomiting, spasms of the stomach and intestines, dropsy, bladder diseases and kidney stones.
One of the French ophthalmological laboratories found that blueberries significantly improve vision at dusk and at night, helping the eyes adjust to poor visibility. Blueberries enhance visual acuity, provide a larger field of view and reduce eye fatigue resulting from prolonged work in artificial light. Long and numerous studies have proven that blueberries accelerate the renewal of the retina, which is sensitive to light. During the Second World War, British pilots ate blueberries and used blueberry jam to improve vision at night and at dusk. Blueberries are included in the menu of Soviet and American astronauts.
In scientific medicine, an infusion of berries is used as a gentle astringent and dietary remedy for acute and chronic disorders of the stomach and intestines, especially for childhood diarrhea and acute enterocolitis in adults. Blueberry leaves increase the acidity of gastric juice, have astringent, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and diuretic effects.
An infusion of the leaves lowers the blood and urine sugar levels in diabetics and promotes the dissolution of stones in nephrolithiasis. A water infusion of the leaves has been found by clinical studies to be a good remedy for diabetes. Enemas from the infusion of leaves are used for hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Outwardly, a decoction and infusion of berries are used for rinsing with inflammatory processes in the mouth and throat. Boiled crushed berries are used for compresses for burns, skin diseases, especially for scaly lichen and eczema.
Blueberries are part of fixing gastric preparations.
11.2 In cosmetology
Blueberries are also widely used in cosmetology and dermatology. For the treatment of dry eczema, as well as psoriasis, neurodermatitis, ulcers and burns, applications are made under a bandage on lesions from crushed blueberries scalded with boiling water. For the treatment of eczema, skin rashes, necrotic ulcers, burnt body surfaces, briefly boiled fresh fruits are used. They are applied in a thick layer to the affected areas, covered with gauze and tied with a bandage. This procedure is repeated daily. Dried gauze is soaked with warm, clean whey.
In case of inflammation of the oral mucosa and diseased gums, fresh juice or decoction of fresh or dried fruits is used. Fresh juice is useful for warts and fungal skin diseases. In dermatology, a decoction of 10 g of blueberry leaves in 1 liter of boiling water is used orally for psoriasis and viral skin diseases. Blueberry leaves are part of the fees used for eczema and neurodermatitis, as well as for pyoderma (including furunculosis, acne vulgaris and rosacea).
A decoction of blueberry leaves reduces sweating of the hands and feet. Bilberry fruits and leaves are used in bath infusions to reduce general perspiration.
12. Dosage forms, route of administration and doses
Blueberry shoots ( Vaccinii myrtilli cormi )
Vegetable raw materials - powder 1 pack.
Clinical and pharmacological group
Antidiarrheal phytopreparation.
pharmachologic effect
Means of plant origin. Contains tannins, organic acids (citric, malic, succinic, lactic, oxalic, quinic), anthocyanins, myrtillin, sugar, ascorbic acid (6 mg%), carotene (up to 1.5 mg%). It has an astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, hypoglycemic effect. and hemostatic action.
Indications for the use of the drug
diarrhea
gout
· rheumatism;
· diabetes;
· weak twilight vision;
hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Dosing regimen
1 teaspoon (2 g) pour 1 cup (200 ml) boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, strain.
Take adults inside 1 glass of infusion 2 during meals.
« Blueberry-F»
Dietary supplement Bilberry-F is an original product developed by the specialists of PTF Farmakom LLC.
Compound
Berries and shoots of blueberries, eyebright, vitamin premix (vit. E, vit B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, nicotinamide, D-biotin).
Indications for the use of the dietary supplement "Bilberry-F" are:
dystrophy and degeneration of the retina (can be used in combination with other medications and as an independent remedy);
diabetic angiopathy (for the prevention of eye diseases), diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of various origins;
Violation of twilight vision and mechanisms of adaptation of vision in the dark;
Increased, including light, loads on the visual apparatus (to protect the retina from solar, computer and other types of radiation);
Reduced visual acuity, visual fatigue, eye strain, asthenia of the eye muscles;
myopia, farsightedness;
conditions after injuries and inflammatory diseases of the eyes, to accelerate healing after eye surgery;
Age-related changes in the structure of the eye associated with aging processes (destruction of the vitreous body, subatrophy of the iris, etc.);
windsurfing, skiing, mountaineering (large snow and water surfaces almost completely reflect ultraviolet rays).
Mode of application
Adults: 1-2 tablets three times a day during meals, drink water. The course of taking the dietary supplement CHERNIKA-F is one month. Repeat the course in 2-3 months.
"Blueberry-MIK"
Release form, composition and packaging
Capsules are soft gelatinous, oval, with a seam, elastic, dark purple; the contents of the capsules are an oily suspension of dark purple color, sour taste. 1 capsule contains blueberry extract dry standardized 177 mg, in terms of anthocyanidins 44.25 mg
Excipients: refined sunflower oil, purified lecithin, beeswax.
Indications for use
As a means of non-specific antioxidant therapy for prevention and complex treatment:
myopia;
diabetic retinopathy;
hypertensive retinopathy;
Violations of the mechanisms of adaptation of vision to the dark, both at night and at twilight vision;
dystrophic diseases of the retina;
· cataracts;
occlusion of retinal vessels;
Visual asthenopia (including in children from 7 years of age).
Bilberry-MIC is used to prevent visual impairment during high visual load, work with a computer, to eliminate signs of visual fatigue, as well as in complex rehabilitation therapy in conditions after surgery (PRK, with retinal detachment).
Dosing regimen
Assign 1 capsule 1-3 The course of treatment is 7-21 days.
Collection of Arfasetin (Species "Arfasetinum")
Compound
Bilberry shoots, common bean fruit leaves, Manchurian aralia roots or rhizome with lure roots, rose hips, horsetail grass, St. John's wort grass and chamomile flowers.
pharmachologic effect
It has a mild hypoglycemic effect.
Indications for use
Diabetes mellitus of mild to moderate severity. The collection is used both independently and in combination with sulfonylurea derivatives and insulin preparations. A good effect is observed in patients with type II diabetes.
Dosage and administration
Assign inside as a prepared infusion (South: 400 ml of water) 30 minutes before meals 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day for 20-30 days.
Release form
10 g in plastic bags, 10 bags in a package, as well as in the form of round 8 g briquettes, 6 pieces in a package.
Blueberry forte ( Billberry - Forte ) - A complex of vitamins for vision
Compound
Blueberry extract, vitamin C, zinc, rutin, vitamins B2, B6, B1, sugar (as part of tablets No. 150 instead of sugar - fructose), MCC.
Properties
Protects eyes from fatigue, irritation and weakening of vision; improves adaptation of vision in the dark;
strengthens eye capillaries; supports the organs of vision with essential nutrients - vitamins and trace elements;
It is a natural product and has a general strengthening effect.
Dietary supplement "Bilberry-Forte" is recommended as a general tonic for the prevention and at the first signs of eye diseases, improving daytime and twilight vision, as well as an additional source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, P and the trace element zinc, the content of which is in the recommended dosage corresponds to the daily intake.
Mode of application
Adults and children over 12 years old, 2 tablets. 2 times a day with meals. Can be taken for a long time (2-4 months). A 10-day break is allowed.
Release form
Tablets of 0.25 g, 50, 100 and 150 pcs. in blisters.
Additional information about active ingredients.
Bilberry anthocyanosides promote the regeneration of the light-sensitive pigment of the retina, increasing its sensitivity to changes in light intensity, improving visual acuity in low light. The active substances in blueberries improve the flexibility of cell membranes and help increase blood flow to the retina.
Bilberry extract and vitamin C with bioflavonoids stimulate blood circulation in the organs of vision, reduce intraocular pressure and have pronounced antioxidant properties, i.e. prevent damage to the tissues of the eye by free radicals. In addition, they have an antimicrobial effect and promote healing of lesions.
A complex of B vitamins is necessary to maintain normal intracellular metabolism of eye tissues. Redness of the eyes (hyperemia) is observed with a deficiency of vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B6 (pyridoxine). Riboflavin reduces eye fatigue and its deficiency is often associated with cataracts.
Zinc protects against eye damage caused by bright light, participates in antioxidant reactions, maintains normal levels of vitamin A in the blood. Zinc deficiency in the body is associated with retinal detachment, the development of retrobulbar neuritis, blepharitis, a decrease in color discrimination, and the formation of cataracts. Supplementing the diet with zinc may help with visual impairment.
13. Traditional medicine recipes
Traditional medicine uses blueberries mixed with strawberries. To do this, the entire strawberry period, lasting about 3 weeks, patients with chronic indigestion, gastric catarrh and low acidity of gastric juice and patients with anemia, along with blueberries, eat strawberries.
Strawberries and blueberries separately, in a mixture and alternating are recommended for kidney stones, including very painful attacks.
With hemorrhoidal bleeding, enemas are made from blueberry leaves (60.0 g per 1 liter of boiling water).
Thickly boiled (do not cook for long) fresh blueberries are applied in a thick layer to the eczema-affected areas of the body, covered with gauze and tied. Such coverings are changed daily, and the dried gauze is soaked with warm pure whey from sour milk. Skin rashes, pimples, necrotic ulcers and burned or scalded places are lubricated with the same decoction and in the same way.
13. Contraindications and possible side effects
Conclusion
Medicinal plants contain a healing set of biologically active substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body, and above all, easily digestible carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts, organic acids.
Therefore, despite the emergence of new highly effective drugs, medicinal plants play a significant role in the fight against disease. Unfortunately, much has been forgotten from the rich heritage left to us by our ancestors, especially with regard to the properties of medicinal plants, and now it has to be restored bit by bit.
Blueberries are a unique natural pantry of vitamins and microelements!
1. Strelnikov L.I., Murokh V.I. “Healing pantries of nature” M.n. Urajay, 1980-p.168
2. K. Shapiro N.I. Mantsivodo V.A. Mikhailovskaya. "Wild fruits and berries" - Minsk: "Urajay", 1989.-p.128
3. State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Belarus. In 3 volumes. V.2. Quality control of excipients and medicinal plant raw materials / Unitary Enterprise “Center for Expertise and Testing in Healthcare”; under total Ed. A.A. Sheryakova.- Molodechno: Printing House "Victory", 2008. -p.415
4. Grinkevich N.I., Ladygina E.A. Pharmacognosy. Atlas.-M: Medicine, 1989.-S.320.
5. Pharmacognosy. Textbook. - M.: Medicine, 1991 - p.560
6. Medicinal plants: Use in folk medicine and everyday life-Mn: "Traditional medicine", 1990 - P.380,384
7. Pharmacognosy. Textbook. / Under the general editorship of Professor
V.L. Shelyuto. - Vitebsk, VSMU, 2003-p.490
8. Instructions for the collection and drying of common blueberries. - In Sat: Instructive materials. Issue. 4. M., Ed. Vses. conjuncture-inform. Bureau of the USSR Ministry of Health, 1970.
9. G.G. Voronov, L.I. Pokachaylo, D.A. Rozhdestvensky, I.F. Yakimovich, E.K. Klyg "Drugs based on blueberries in modern ophthalmology". Medical News No. 4 2007. P.7-13
10. Vidal's Handbook "Drugs in Belarus 2009"
11. Electronic resource / Access mode: – Date of access: 11/23/2010
12. Electronic resource / Access mode: http://www.erecept.ru/- Access date: 11/07/2010
13. Electronic resource / Access mode: http://ru.Wikipedia.org/ wiki.- Access date: 07.11.2010
