Nowadays, many plants are used in medicine, including the periwinkle. This is an evergreen herbal plant that is a symbol of life and unquenchable love. You can find it in the territories of Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Caucasus. The herbaceous plant belongs to the Kutrovy family and has other names: Rowing grass, Ivan da Marya and Zelenka.
Description and chemical composition
Lesser periwinkle refers to small shrubs. Its branchy, erect and recumbent stems are always pressed to the ground, thus creating a kind of carpet. The leaves reach a length of 3-5 cm and have a unique sheen. They have a sharp, elliptical shape. The plant grows horizontally up to 70 cm. The main advantage of the medicinal herb is the beautiful axillary, single flowers of an azure or lilac shade, each of which has its own stem.
The medicinal plant blooms from April to September. As a result, fruits appear (cylindrical two-leaves) with a pointed and sickle-curved shape. A medicinal herb can grow and delight others for a long period of time.
Lesser periwinkle consists of various alkaloids, namely: minorine, vincamine, vinyl, devinkan, pubiscin and other elements, the sum of which exceeds 20 species. In addition, the plant contains components such as flavonoids, ursolic acid, tannins, vitamins and saponins.
The healing properties of the plant
It has long been believed that the periwinkle has protective properties. Due to the unique composition, preparations based on the medicinal plant help to lower blood pressure, lower vascular tone and provide resistance to peripheral vessels. The medicinal plant has a calming, vasodilating, hypotensive, hemostatic, astringent and antimicrobial effect.
Lesser periwinkle is able to affect cell division and is used for the manufacture of immunosuppressants and anticancer drugs. An infusion of plant flowers is used to enhance sexual activity. The use of periwinkle is also indicated for such diseases:
- diarrhea;
- tuberculosis;
- bleeding;
- cinga;
- skin diseases and wounds;
- dizziness and headaches.
The use of drugs from periwinkle helps to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and is useful for lymphogranulomatosis, hematosarcomas.
The herbal infusion is an astringent and antimicrobial agent. It is used to stop bleeding of varying severity. The herbal tincture helps to heal uterine fibroids and polyps, infertility, endometriosis, and prostatitis.
With the help of a decoction of periwinkle small, sore throat and toothache are eliminated, bleeding stops and various skin diseases are treated.
Contraindications
Despite the mass of medicinal properties, periwinkle is a poisonous plant. Therefore, before use, you should carefully study the contraindications and avoid the possibility of overdose. It is not recommended to use drugs in the following cases:
- children under 12 years old;
- during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- if an allergic reaction occurs (rash, itching, skin redness or swelling).
In case of an overdose, the cardiovascular system may be depressed, which will negatively affect the functioning of the body as a whole. It is recommended to take medications containing medicinal herbs only after consulting your doctor. The dosage of the drug should also be determined by the doctor.
