Drying Of Medicinal Plants
Drying of medicinal plants has the task to stop the destructive activities of enzymes ('fermentation') and thereby prevent a long time in plants began operating from their changes. Drying of the collected material is usually in attics or under the shingles or metal roof, or in special drying sheds, and, finally, in drying, but not in the sun. When drying of the plants evaporates much of the water, and because plants lose the weight around so much: Grass – 70% of the leaves – 80%, flowers – 75%, roots – 65%, bark – 45%. The collected material was dried to preserve it contains active therapeutic substances. Such substances or organic compounds are alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, essential oils, vitamins, flavonoids, etc. The optimum temperature for drying of raw materials depends on the strength and other properties of the prisoners in it active drugs. Parts of plants containing essential oils (herb St. John's wort, peppermint, thyme, etc.), dried slowly, laying a thick layer at a temperature of 25 – 30 degrees C.
The amount of essential oil in them increases in raw-dried it will be larger than the fresh plant. Vitamin raw materials (rose hips, leaves, primrose, strawberry) are dried quickly at a temperature of 70-90 degrees C to prevent oxidation of ascorbic acid. However, in cases where a plant there, along with vitamins and essential oils (blackcurrant fruit), drying temperature should not exceed 50 – 60 degrees C. The well is drying material in the open air in good weather, especially in the wind. Under direct sunlight can dry mainly fruits, seeds and underground organs of many plants (rhizomes erect cinquefoil, mountaineer snake, rhizomes with roots burnet, etc.). With so most of the medicinal plants and especially their flowers, leaves and stems to dry in these conditions is impossible. In the light leaves turn yellow, the flowers fade, losing the natural color. Only in the shade should be dry raw materials containing essential oil (thyme herb, Oregano, etc.), glycosides (herb centaury zotichnogo, Leonurus heart, lily of the valley flowers, leaves, cranberries, etc.), vitamins (the leaves of wild strawberry, primrose and others) and other substances unstable to intense light.
Tags: medicine, Traditional medicine
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