Siberian Barberry

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Siberian barberry is part of a family called barberry. In Latin, the name of this plant is as follows: Berberis sibirica Pall.

Description of Siberian barberry

Siberian barberry is a low shrub, the height of which will not exceed one meter. This shrub will be highly branched, as well as prickly, which has brownish twigs that are covered with thorns. The leaves of this plant are rather small, leathery and oblong-ovate, along the edge of these leaves are subulate-toothed. The flowers of Siberian barberry are yellow in color, most often they are drooping, while the flowers are located separately on short peduncles. The fruit of the plant is a wide and oval berry, the length of which can reach nine millimeters. These fruits are red in color.

The flowering of Siberian barberry occurs in the period from June to July, and the ripening of the fruits occurs at the end of August. Plant propagation occurs through seeds. Under natural conditions, this plant is found on the territory of Western Siberia, as well as Eastern Siberia: Daursky and Angara-Sayan regions, as well as in Central Asia: Dzhungar-Tarbagataisky region.

The medicinal properties of Siberian barberry

For medicinal purposes, roots, root bark, branch bark, fruits, leaves and wood are used. The fruits should be harvested immediately after ripening; during harvesting, care should be taken not to damage the branches of the Siberian barberry. It is important to leave half of the fruit intact, and next time harvesting can only be done after five or even ten years. The shelf life of the roots of Siberian barberry is three years.

Leaves should be harvested in the budding and flowering phase: the leaves are picked by hand. At the same time, you can not collect those leaves that will be covered with rust or have previously been attacked by pests. These leaves can be stored for up to three years.

Siberian barberry contains the alkaloid berberine, and the roots of the plant contain alkanoids acanthine, leontin, berberine, palmitine, jatrorricin and columbamine. The fruits of the Siberian barberry contain the following acids: anthocyanins, citric, tartaric and malic. Also in the fruits are also carotene, pectin substances, and flavonoids, glycosides of isorhamnetin and luteolin were found in the leaves and fruits.

In Tibet, the stems of this plant are used for jaundice, in the treatment of conjunctivitis and pulmonary tuberculosis as an antipyretic agent. In addition, the stems of Siberian barberry are also used for joint pain, as well as for acute and chronic bronchitis. And the infusion of the leaves is considered a very effective remedy for uterine bleeding.

The infusion made from the fruits of Siberian barberry is used for tuberculosis and peptic ulcer diseases as a general tonic. In Tibetan and Mongolian medicine, this remedy is also used for joint diseases, in the treatment of wounds, ulcers and conjunctivitis as a fixing and antipyretic agent.

As a prophylaxis for the occurrence of tumors and metastasis, take an infusion of one or two tablespoons two or even three times a day before meals. This infusion is prepared as follows: a little more than a teaspoon of bark and roots is taken, this mixture is poured with one glass of boiling water, after which the resulting mixture must be infused in a water bath for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then this mixture should be cooled and then filtered.

With dyskinesia of the biliary tract, it is necessary to take an infusion of half a glass three or four times a day before meals. To prepare such an infusion, a little more than two teaspoons of chopped fruits are taken, which are poured with one glass of boiling water.