Not every medicinal plant can boast of the same power of healing potential as Icelandic Cetraria, popularly known as "Icelandic moss".
Knowing and skillfully using the healing properties and contraindications of Icelandic moss, you can almost completely restore the functionality of the respiratory system - with any form of damage.
The unique possibilities of Icelandic moss do not end there - there are many more ways to use its healing properties if you need to restore human health.
Icelandic cetraria is not considered a moss in the generally accepted sense of the word, since it is a symbiosis of two plant forms - a fungus and algae.
The properties of each of the forms are absolutely opposite. We can say that their community is built on the mutual complementarity of each other with the qualities necessary for development. Algae have the ability to synthesize organic substances that the fungus needs for nutrition. In turn, the fungus supplies the alga with valuable trace elements.
Each new true lichen is formed only after the cells of a certain type of algae have combined with the spores of cetraria.
Despite the geographical reference indicated in the name of the plant, Icelandic moss can be found not only in Iceland. Its habitat is tundra, forest-tundra and swamps, pine forests and moorlands.
Therefore, Icelandic Cetraria is considered "their" plant not only by the inhabitants of Europe, but also by Asia, Australia and even Africa. However, the first to determine the medicinal properties of lichen were the Icelanders, who used the plant as a dietary supplement.
Official medicine became interested in the therapeutic effects of cetraria only in the 18th century.
Using Icelandic moss for medicinal purposes, there is no doubt about its environmental friendliness. The main condition, without which the growth of a plant is impossible, is clean air, unpolluted by industrial waste.
The healing properties of Icelandic moss
The healing power of Icelandic moss is due to its composition, which, without exaggeration, can be called unique:
- lichenin and isolichenin are polysaccharides, the main carbohydrate component, which determines the high nutritional value of the plant and its gelling properties;
- lichen acids are the main "secret" ingredient of the plant, produced by its mycobiont. Usnic acid is a specific substance, a product of lichen metabolism. Provides antibiotic, analgesic, antiviral, anti-tuberculosis and insecticidal action;
- trace elements - zinc, tin, lead, cadmium and silicon, iodine, iron, copper, manganese and titanium;
- glucose and galactose;
- organic matter, lipids - proteins, fats, wax, gum;
- vitamins A, C and B12.
The substances in lichen have a powerful healing effect for burns, ulcers and rashes, chronic rhinitis, overweight, chest lumps, impotence, anorexia and dystrophy, dental problems, insomnia, constipation and diarrhea.
Usnic acid in Icelandic moss is capable of not only suppressing, but also destroying the main causative agent of tuberculosis - Koch's bacillus.
Indications for use
The immunomodulatory, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic and absorbing qualities of Icelandic moss are used in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems, as well as to eliminate dermatological problems.
Means from cetraria help to cleanse the blood and lymph, and are recommended for admission as an antidiabetic and oncoprotective medicine.
The use of moss allows you to successfully fight staphylococci and streptococci, eliminate cough and hoarse throat, prevent the development of infections and protect the intestinal mucous membranes from damage by pathogenic microorganisms.
In addition, Icelandic moss has the ability to accumulate iodine, getting it from the environment, therefore, the use of the plant is effective in the treatment of diseases of the endocrine system.
Against cough
Due to its unique healing properties and antibiotic activity, Icelandic moss for coughs is in the greatest demand. The mucus, which is formed when the lichen is brewed from polysaccharides, provides an enveloping effect on the inflamed areas and effectively protects the lining of the respiratory tract from irritations.
Cetraric acid has a powerful antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effect. And usnic acid kills gram-positive bacteria.
Decoctions of Icelandic moss relieve inflammation, heal damage to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and provide a soothing, softening and expectorant effect.
The main indications for the use of cetraria in pathologies of the respiratory system:
- bronchitis;
- whooping cough;
- asthma;
- tuberculosis;
- pneumonia.
Icelandic moss is no less effective in the treatment of diseases associated with damage to the ENT organs - viral infections, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis and common colds.
The optimal therapeutic result in the fight against cough is achieved by ingestion of lichen syrup. For its preparation, a tablespoon of finely chopped lichen is steamed with boiling water and insisted. They drink, adding milk, sugar or honey to taste, several large sips three times a day.
The unique substances in lichen have an antibiotic power that exceeds the capabilities of pharmaceuticals.
For allergies
The use of Cetraria Icelandic allows you to get rid of attacks of seasonal allergies in a few days. The therapeutic effect is achieved not only by ingesting a decoction from the plant, but also using medicinal baths with the addition of cetraria extract.
For constipation
Stool normalization is one of the expected effects provided by Icelandic moss. To eliminate constipation, an infusion from the plant is used. For this, a glass of finely chopped lichen is poured with two liters of boiled water and kept for a day. Take three times a day in a glass of infusion.
Slimming
Due to the ability of Icelandic moss to influence metabolic processes, it can be used to regulate weight even with obesity. The recipe for using the plant is simple - it is enough to replace one of the meals with lichen jelly.
To do this, one part of the lichen is mixed with three parts of water and boiled for three hours until the plant is completely boiled. Then the broth is filtered and cooled. The resulting jelly can be mixed with berries or added to dishes - soups, dough, meat or fish.
In its natural form, the plant has a pronounced bitter taste. To get rid of the bitterness, the lichen is soaked in water with the addition of soda for 12 hours. For 10 liters of water, take 7 tablespoons of soda.
The use of Icelandic moss for medicinal purposes
For the treatment of various diseases, various forms of drugs made from cetraria are used - decoctions, syrups, jelly, teas, extracts and fees. The most common treatment is with a decoction. If you brew Icelandic moss correctly, its valuable properties will be transferred into a decoction.
How to brew Icelandic moss properly?
The standard proportion for preparing a decoction of cetraria is a spoonful of moss in half a liter of boiling water. For five minutes, the product is boiled in a water bath, then left alone for half an hour. After the specified time, the broth is filtered.
For oral administration, you can take milk instead of water. For the treatment of external surfaces, it is more convenient to use a water decoction.
Traditional medicine recipes
Traditional medicine recipes are distinguished by a large selection of methods for using moss.
Due to the high concentration of medicinal components, the extract from the plant is especially effective.
To obtain an extract from cetraria, a liter of cold water is added to 100 g of the plant and kept for a day. Then it is boiled in a water bath until half of the original volume remains. Used as needed - added to drinks or food, or as a bath additive.
You can also make tea from Icelandic moss. The proportions, preparation method and reception do not differ from those used for brewing ordinary tea.
Pharmacy medicines
Icelandic moss is a plant officially recognized by traditional medicine.
On its basis, several types of cough medicines have been created:
- Pectolvan Fito- liquid alcoholic extract of cetraria. It has an expectorant, thinning and antispasmodic effect;
- Isla moos- lozenges. Indicated for admission for diseases of the throat and upper respiratory tract;
- Herbion- Icelandic moss syrup. Provides an antitussive, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect in case of lesions of the respiratory system;
- Isla mint- gel lozenges with the addition of peppermint oil. Indicated for throat infections.
Contraindications for use
The healing power of Icelandic moss is immense. And its use has no contraindications or age restrictions. Lichen is successfully used to treat pregnant women, young children and the elderly.
Moreover, Icelandic moss is recommended for use in case of exhaustion and to restore tone in case of extreme weakening of the body.
The unique Icelandic moss deserves to be in every home medicine cabinet - after all, one plant can replace dozens of pharmaceutical medicines.
The healing properties of Icelandic moss, recipes, reviews on the use were first described in the folk herbalists of Sweden, Norway, Iceland. The Scandinavian peoples used cetraria for colds, indigestion, to strengthen the body after exhaustion. Also, infusions were used to treat skin for burns, cracks, wounds. In the twentieth century, the antibacterial properties and anti-tuberculosis effect of lichen were discovered. It is included in the pharmacopoeia of many countries, including Russia. It is used to prepare syrup, lozenges, creams and balms for external use.
Features of Icelandic moss
What is Icelandic lichen? How to procure it correctly and where to collect it? What are the beneficial substances and pharmacological properties of this plant? Does he have any contraindications?
Botanical characteristic
Icelandic cetraria. Botanical illustration from the book "Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen", 1887.
From a botanical point of view, the correct name for this plant is lichen, not moss. In fact, it is a living organism that consists of green algae and mushroom filaments. It is a small bush no more than 15 cm high - fork-branched, with leaf thallus, curved, grooved blades resembling deer antlers. The color of the thallus can be different: olive green, brown, greenish gray, brown, light brown, with white blotches. It depends on weather conditions and area. Thallus are attached to tree trunks, old stumps or the ground with special hairs (rhizoids). Refers to polymorphic species, that is, its color, the size of the blades depends on light and humidity.
Cetraria moss grows slowly and only in an ecologically clean area. Lichen reacts to contaminated soil, water, air. This is a kind of indicator of environmental cleanliness. If the natural ecosystem is disturbed, Icelandic moss does not grow and gradually dies out.
Area
What is the distribution area of reindeer moss? He loves high-mountain tundra, forest-tundra, peat bogs, swamps, coniferous forests with open sunny areas. It takes root on rocky soil. In addition to the Eurasian continent, it is found in Africa, Australia and North America. Where does it grow in Russia? Most often it can be seen in the forest-tundra zone of Siberia, in the tundra of the Far North, in the Far East, in the highlands of Altai and Sayan. In the European part, lichen can be found in the Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma and Bryansk regions (Russian Polesie), in the forests of Karelia.
Blank
Icelandic cetraria forms thickets, often grows with other lichens. Due to the fact that this valuable species is slowly growing and dying out due to unfavorable ecology, a sparing collection is recommended. How to carry it out?
- Time . Best harvested in summer or autumn. It is important that the weather is dry. Wet lichen is extremely difficult to dry. Some healers believe that the plant can be harvested all year round.
- Way . It is necessary to choose dense thickets (layers) of lichen, but you should not remove everything completely. Moss is picked by hand, it breaks off quite easily from the soil or stump, then it is well cleaned of sand and earth. Do not wash before drying!
- Drying. Dry moss must be dried quickly in order to preserve useful substances in it as much as possible. Healers advise drying the lichen in the wind and open space. However, excess sunlight negatively affects the medicinal properties of the plant. Dry in verandas and attics in humid weather.
Raw materials are laid out in linen bags, protected from sunlight and dampness, stored for 2 years.
pharmachologic effect
The healing properties of Icelandic moss:
- antibacterial;
- enveloping;
- expectorant;
- calming;
- emollient;
- choleretic;
- fortifying;
- tonic;
- appetizing;
- wound healing;
- immunostimulating;
- cleansing.
Useful material:
- carbohydrates;
- mineral salts and trace elements;
- mucus (lichenin, isolichenin);
- bitterness;
- fats;
- wax;
- volatiles;
- organic acids.
The nutritional properties of lichen are attributed to its high glucose and galactose content. It is not only a medicine, but also an energetically valuable food that can save you from hunger in the tundra. In addition, the plant is famous for its high content of enzymes, vitamins B and A, iodine. Usnic organic acid in its composition is a natural antibiotic.
Indications
When is Icelandic moss treatment most effective? For what diseases is it most often prescribed?
- Icelandic cough moss... This is the main use of lichen, recognized not only in folk but also in scientific medicine. Usnic lichen acid prevents the growth of tubercle bacilli, therefore it is the most effective herbal remedy for tuberculosis. It can also be taken for chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough. Tsetraria softens obsessive cough, relieves its attacks. In addition, it can suppress staphylococcal, streptococcal activity, helps with a cold of a viral and bacterial nature.
- For digestive disorders... Icelandic cetraria contains a lot of mucus, which has an enveloping, soothing effect. Therefore, it is useful to drink it with inflammation of the digestive tract, indigestion. An effective remedy for stomach ulcers, infectious diarrhea. Acts as a choleretic agent, improves digestion due to the high content of enzymes and bitterness, increases appetite, stimulates intestinal motility.
- External use of Icelandic lichen... For sore throat (sore throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis) and oral mucosa (stomatitis, gingivitis), rinse procedures are prescribed. Also, decoctions and infusions are used to treat purulent wounds, burns, cracks, cuts, boils, skin rashes with allergies.
- Benefits for men... In folk medicine, lichen is drunk to increase potency. They are also treated for bacterial prostatitis and other bacterial infections of the genitourinary tract.
- For women . The folk remedy is not widely used in gynecology, however, with bacterial colpitis, it can be included in complex therapy. Also, the remedy is taken with mastopathy.
- For kids . It is useful to drink for bronchitis, whooping cough, to relieve attacks of severe coughing. However, a doctor's consultation is required before use. It can also be used for local treatment - skin treatment for atopic dermatitis, wounds, burns.
- General tonic... Laboratory studies have shown that usnic acid also has immunostimulating properties. The tool strengthens the immune system, it is prescribed after operations and serious illnesses to restore the body and fast tissue regeneration.
What are the contraindications for Icelandic moss? These include autoimmune diseases, individual intolerance. Although children's age, pregnancy and lactation are not included in the list of contraindications, mandatory medical advice is required before use. It is also important to remember that usnic acid is a toxic substance. In case of an overdose, a long course, digestive disorders, pain in the liver are possible.
Preparation of home remedies and pharmaceutical preparations
What is the use of Icelandic cetraria at home? What medicines can be bought at the pharmacy? What dosage forms can you prepare yourself?
Pharmacy preparations
Decoction
Used internally and externally. They drink for all of the above diseases. For external use, more concentrated decoctions are acceptable.
Preparation
- Take 1 tbsp. l. dry raw materials.
- Pour 2 cups boiling water over.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Strain.
Take warm in the form of 1 tbsp. spoon 3 to 5 times a day. Also, the broth is taken for weight loss.
How to brew Icelandic moss for a cough
- Take 2 tsp. raw materials.
- Fill with a glass of cold water.
- Bring to a boil over low heat.
- Strain.
You can drink 1 glass 2-3 times a day. It is useful to take this tea with honey or prepare it in milk instead of water. Also, when coughing, it is recommended to drink a mixture of herbs in equal parts: Icelandic moss and coltsfoot. It is especially useful to drink in the morning: it relieves coughing attacks, promotes the discharge of stagnant sputum. For whooping cough, it is recommended to prepare tea from cetraria and thyme (1: 1); for stomach ulcers - with flax seeds (1: 1); with impotence - with lemon balm, orchis, toadflax; for joint diseases - with melissa, linden, birch, lemon balm in equal proportions.
Infusion
How to prepare Icelandic cough moss without boiling it? For this, the raw materials are poured with cold water and only brought to a boil. Infusions are recommended to be taken for diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. They are also drunk as a tonic, tonic and sedative.
Infusion recipe
- Take 4 tbsp. l. raw materials.
- Pour in ½ liter of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Insist 10 minutes.
- Strain.
You can take 1 tbsp. l. 3-5 times a day. When cooled, the infusions and broth turn into a jelly-like mass (jelly).
Tincture
It can be used internally for diarrhea, gastrointestinal diseases, severe coughing fits, to strengthen immunity and normalize appetite. Topically used as an antiseptic for the oral cavity and skin.
Preparation
- Take 50 g of dry crushed raw materials.
- Pour a glass of alcohol 60 or 70%.
- Insist in a dark place for 7 days.
- Strain.
You can take 15 drops, 3 times a day. Alcohol tincture is contraindicated for children.
Cosmetology
What is the use of Icelandic moss in cosmetology? This remedy is prescribed internally in the form of decoctions or infusions for problem skin of the face: acne, acne, boils. Cetraria is prized for its antiseptic, tonic, emollient and antibacterial properties. Water infusions for problem skin can be used as a lotion. The lichen contains a huge supply of vitamins and minerals - vitamins of group B, A, iron, nickel, manganese, zinc, boron, molybdenum, copper. Therefore, it is useful to drink tsetraria decoctions to strengthen hair.
Cetraria (Icelandic moss) is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic. It is most often prescribed for respiratory diseases - bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, whooping cough. In addition, the remedy helps with inflammation of the digestive tract, quickly recovers strength after a serious illness, and strengthens the immune system.
Icelandic moss - Cetraria islandica, lichen. Thallus bushy, up to 10 cm high, brown or greenish brown above, lighter below. Grows in large clumps in pine forests, heaths, tundra and forest-tundra. Contains usninovy, lichesterol and protolichesteric to-you, which have high antimicrobial activity; used in medicine. In the north, it serves as food for deer. Due to the slow regrowth (1-2 mm per year) of natures. reserves are being depleted.
The Parmeliyev family.
The genus of Tsetraria.
Latin name Cetraria islandica
Icelandic moss
Description
Icelandic moss or Cetraria - leafy-bushy lichen of the Parmelia family with a greenish-brown, brown or gray thallus with an erect or ascending thallus 10-15 cm high.
Its blades have recesses at the edges and are slightly curved upward. Below, the thallus is light brown, dotted with white spots.
It is attached to the soil by thin, short rhizoids. Fruiting bodies, in which spores are located, develop along the edges of the strongly expanded blades.
Dry thallus is brown, yellow, and after rain - greenish-gray, soft-skinned.
Spreading
Icelandic moss or Cetraria distributed in all regions of Russia located north of the steppe zone, in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Grows singly or in large clumps in pine forests, along the dunes, on sandy wastelands, alpine and subalpine meadows.
Growing
Reproduction
Propagated by spores and vegetatively.
Chemical composition
Active ingredients
Thallus contains 70-80% carbohydrates, which are mainly represented by lichenin, isolichenin, cetrarin, ascorbic and folic acids, proteins, fats, vitamin B12, wax, gum, the bitter substance cetrarin, lichen acids and a large amount of trace elements.
Application
Serves as an indicator of the purity of the atmosphere.
Medicinal use
A decoction of the thallus enhances appetite, restores the body's strength after serious illnesses, and is used in the treatment of the upper respiratory tract, including tuberculosis. It has anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.
Collection and processing of medicinal raw materials
The thallus serves as a medicinal raw material.
Collect it in the summer by hand or with a rake, clean it from the earth, adhering needles and impurities. Dried in the sun or in a dryer and re-cleaned from impurities.
Store in bags or wooden containers for 2 years.
Icelandic moss Cetraria medicinal properties
Icelandic moss preparations have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, laxative, choleretic and wound healing effects.
Application in official and traditional medicine
From the crushed raw materials during cooking, a thick mucous broth is obtained, which, when taken orally, increases the secretion of gastric juice, regulates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, has a good enveloping effect, therefore it is used for diarrhea and chronic constipation. Chronic constipation will be more effective if the moss is not soaked.
Bitterness is used as a laxative. To obtain it, 100-200 g of crushed moss is poured over 1-2 liters of cold water and infused for 1 day, filtered and evaporated to 3/4 / g 3/4 of the volume. Take 3 times a day before meals in such an amount that provides a sufficient effect. With an excessive laxative effect, the portion of the infusion is reduced. The course of treatment is 10-15 days.
Thallus of Icelandic moss is used for tuberculosis and pneumonia, whooping cough and chronic bronchitis. To prepare the broth, 20 g of well-crushed raw materials are poured into 0.5 liters of hot water or milk, boiled over low heat for 5 minutes and insisted for 30 minutes. Take 1 / s-1/2 glass 3 times a day before meals.
For external use, the broth is prepared only in water and filtered before use. With purulent wounds, microbial skin lesions, pustular rash, burns and boils, lotions and washing are made. The bandage is changed 3 4 times
Prescriptions for various diseases
Pour 1 glass of milk into an enamel bowl and place 1 tablespoon (no top) of finely crushed Icelandic moss. Cover the pan with a saucer or non-metallic plate and simmer for 30 minutes, then strain. Drink the broth hot before bed. There should be no drafts in the apartment where the patient is.
BRONCHITIS, WHOLE
Pour 1 tablespoon of Icelandic moss with 2 cups of cold water, bring to a boil, drain, cool. Take during the day in sips in 10-12 receptions.
PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS
Pour 2 tablespoons of Icelandic moss with 1 glass of cold water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and strain. The cooled broth should be taken several sips 2-3 times a day.
STOMACH AND DUAL PURPOSE
Take equal parts Icelandic moss, flax seed, marshmallow root. Pour 2 tablespoons of the collection with 2 glasses of cold water, stand for 5 hours, cook for 5-7 minutes, insist, strain. Take 1/3 cup 30 minutes before meals 5-6 times a day.
Use the same prescription as for bronchitis and whooping cough (see above).
Contraindications
Cetraria Icelandic moss folk medicine
Icelandic moss - (Cetraria islandica L.), Parmelia family.
Tsetraria is a lichen (a perennial plant of a fungal nature, which together with a microscopic alga forms a kind of complex organism) with a bushy, erect, less often randomly spread thallus up to 10-15 cm high, having rather compact vertical blades. The lobes are irregularly ribbon-like, leathery-cartilaginous, narrow, flat, with short dark cilia, greenish-brown or different shades of brown (depending on the light), at the base with blood-red spots, matte or slightly shiny, the underside is dotted with white spots of various shapes. The edges of the blades are slightly curved upward. When dry, the plant is dark brown. Fruiting bodies are formed at the ends of strongly widened lobes, they are saucer-shaped, brown, almost the same color as the thallus, with a flat or slightly concave disc up to 1.5 cm in diameter and a solid or slightly toothed edge. In bodies, bags filled with spores, visible only under a microscope, develop.
Medicinal raw materials are thalli of Icelandic cetraria. Cetraria lives in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. It grows directly on the soil or on the bark of old stumps. Thallus is harvested in summer. They are torn from the substrate (soil or tree bark) and cleaned of impurities (other lichens, mosses, sand, etc.).
The dry raw material of cetraria soaked in water greatly increases in size and becomes flexible. After cooling, its broth becomes gelatinous. Dried thallus of Icelandic cetraria is used as an appetite-stimulating bitterness. As a mucus enveloping mucous membranes, a decoction of cetraria is used for inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for diarrhea, stomach atony, chronic constipation. For a long time, Icelandic cetraria has been used to treat various diseases of the respiratory system, including as a symptomatic remedy for pulmonary tuberculosis. Cetraria is of interest as a food product for patients with diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis and for those recovering from debilitating diseases.
Syn .: Icelandic lichen, thistle, dry moss, lobe, pulmonary moss, komashnik, hazel grouse, Icelandic lobe.
Icelandic cetraria (Icelandic moss) is a unique medicinal plant, the name of which has nothing to do with real mosses. This lichen is an indicator of the ecological purity of the area. It is used in medicine, national economy, and cooking.
Ask the experts
In medicine
Icelandic cetraria has found its application in official and folk medicine. The plant contains usnic acid, which has a strong antibiotic activity, therefore Icelandic moss is successfully used in the treatment of colds, inflammation of the abdominal cavity and intestines. The beneficial properties of cetraria have been known to mankind for a long time. Back in the 9th century, this lichen was recognized by official medicine. Its second name sounded like "pulmonary moss", since its effect on colds and coughs has been proven.
Tsetraria is indicated for the treatment of emaciated patients, with anemia, diaper rash and burns, ulcers and gastritis. The plant has powerful antibacterial, wound healing, immunostimulating properties. Therefore, it is successfully used for healing wounds, treating skin diseases, infectious ailments, and coughing.
The nutritional value of cetraria is high: 80% of the mass is carbohydrates, 2% is fats, 3% is proteins. Moss is easily absorbed by the body, there is no waste of energy for this process. It is indicated for malnourished patients and after severe infectious diseases.
The lichen contains astringent active ingredients, starch. Jellies are prepared from the plant and used for diarrhea. The tannins of Icelandic moss help to heal the body from poisoning with plant poisons and heavy metals.
In cooking
Some peoples use lichens in cooking. In the composition of Icelandic moss, pectin substances have been found that have a high ability to form a sticky mass - jelly. Therefore, the plant is used for the preparation of jelly, jelly. Icelandic moss makes a good beer. Northern residents add crushed dried moss to flour and bake bread.
In other areas
In the past, lichens, including cetraria, were used as a dyeing raw material. Today, synthetic aniline dyes have supplanted the artisanal production of dyes from these plants.
In the 20th century, a high-quality adhesive substance resembling gelatin was produced from creeping Icelandic moss.
Lichen grows only in an ecologically clean environment. Icelandic moss is an excellent food for deer and pigs.
Classification
Cetraria Icelandic or Icelandic moss (Latin Cetraria islandica) belongs to the genus Cetraria, the Parmelia family.
Botanical description
Icelandic moss is a small, branched shrub with a leafy thallus (thallus). A perennial plant belongs to ordinary lichens, it is painted in a brown-green hue with white spots. It usually reaches a height of 12-15 cm. The thallus consists of flat, curled-up blades. This branchy shrub is attached to the substrate (soil, bark of trees or old stumps) by rhizoids. The moss thallus is of various colors: from light brown to greenish brown. There are holes on the bottom of the thallus that are designed for air to enter. The blades are slightly curved at the edges, shiny.
Tsetraria reproduces by spores. The fruit bodies of Icelandic moss are saucer-shaped, flat or slightly concave, formed at the ends of the thallus lobes. Under favorable conditions, moss grows well and multiplies. If a drought sets in, the plant dries up and changes its color from green to whitish-silver. In such a state of suspended animation, it can spend up to several years, after which, with sufficient moisture, the substrate revives again in a few hours.
Spreading
Icelandic cetraria as a representative of lichens is widespread in all regions of Russia, it is found on the Crimean Peninsula, the Caucasus, as well as in Australia, Asia, Africa. Prefers climatic conditions of temperate latitudes, tundra and forest-tundra. Icelandic moss grows in pine forests, attaching by rhizoids to the soil or to the bark of large old stumps; it feels great in sandy unshaded places, in swamps and highlands. It grows well in ecologically clean conditions, grows in colonies in well-lit areas.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Icelandic moss is harvested in late summer or early fall. To preserve the medicinal properties of the plant, the raw materials are carefully dried and stored for no more than two to three years. Lichens collected by hand or with the help of a rake are cleaned of soil residues, needles, finely cut and dried in a well-ventilated room. It is advisable that direct rays do not fall on the lichen thallus, since many useful components are destroyed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The raw materials are turned over and dried again. Store in bags, wooden barrels or glass jars in a dark place at room temperature.
Chemical composition
More than 10 useful microelements were found in the plant: the active component lichenin, isolichenin, sugar, wax, gum, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, titanium, pigments, lichen acids (usnic, lichesteric, protolichesteric, fumarprotocenter and others). The presence of acids gives the plant bitterness, and also determines its antiseptic and tonic properties. The rich composition of trace elements, the presence of polysaccharides help to strengthen the defenses of the human body.
Pharmacological properties
Preparations from Icelandic moss have an immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory effect, have antimicrobial, antioxidant, absorbing, oncoprotective effect on the human body. The mucous substance eliminates irritation, envelops the inflamed stomach, mouth, larynx, and intestines.
The sodium salt of usnic acid, which has antibacterial properties, is successfully used in the composition of cetraria preparations. Lichesteric, as well as proto-cholesteric acids are especially active against streptococci, staphylococci and other resistant microbes. Usninat sodium is used externally for the treatment of trophic ulcers, infected wounds, and burns.
Due to its unique composition, Icelandic moss is considered a natural antibiotic, the strength of which often prevails over conventional antibiotics. Lichen acids, in particular usnic acid, effectively affect pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi.
A group of German pharmaceutical companies have developed preparations based on Icelandic moss: Isla-Moos and Isla-Mint, Bronchical Plus for children, Bronchialtee 400, Salus Bronchial-Tee No. 8, which have been on the market for many years. This speaks of their relevance and the uniqueness of the constituent components of the lichen. These drugs successfully cure diseases of the upper respiratory tract, are indicated for dry "barking" coughs, for pathological conditions from laryngitis to asthma, with hoarseness and complete loss of voice. The active components of the drugs not only treat, but also perfectly protect, prevent the development of various colds infections in the cold season.
The use of cetraria in the form of medicines has a beneficial effect on the work of the intestines, stomach, activating its secretory function and thereby increasing appetite.
Biologically active substances of cetraria have anti-inflammatory, emollient and expectorant effects.
Icelandic moss polysaccharides have the ability to protect the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract from the effects of various chemical factors.
It was found that some lichen acids exhibit pronounced antimicrobial activity. Usnic acid, which has strong antibiotic activity, is especially valuable. Its sodium salt inhibits the growth of mycobacterium tuberculosis and other gram-positive microorganisms (staphylococci, streptococci). In terms of antibacterial activity, usnic acid is about 3 times inferior to streptomycin. It was found that lichen extracts act mainly on gram-positive acid-resistant bacteria. And only some, as an exception - for certain gram-negative species. In the process of studying the technology of medicines that are made from cetraria, it was found that when making a decoction, only cetraric acid passes into the water, and usnic acid does not.
Usnic acid in small doses has the ability to kill tuberculosis pathogens and some other gram-positive bacteria.
Of great importance is fumarprotocentric acid, which is considered one of the most active antimicrobial factors in cetraria. In addition to the above, German scientists consider protocetraric acid, isolated from the water extract of cetraria, to be a strong immunomodulator that helps to activate the immune system.
In a free state and in the form of salts, D-protolichesteric acid is active against Helicobacter pylori. Obviously, this action is at least partially associated with the therapeutic efficacy of Icelandic moss in gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Application in traditional medicine
Lichen has been used in folk medicine for many centuries. Healing decoctions and infusions are used for tuberculosis, asthma, coughs, chronic constipation, spasms in the intestines and stomach. Moss is used for inflammation of the tonsils, bronchitis, whooping cough, pneumonia, to relieve toothache. Extracts of cetraria in alcohol or oil are especially effective for purulent wounds, burns and ulcers.
Icelandic moss has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hemostatic and mild sedative properties. Cetraria is noted as a tonic, immunomodulatory, general tonic. In some European countries, lichen is used for the production of drugs against HIV infection. Japanese researchers have discovered the special properties of moss that heal cancer and various infections.
History reference
The Latin name for Icelandic moss comes from the word cetra in the translation for "shield". The first written mention of the use of Icelandic moss as a medicinal raw material appeared in the 17th century. The second half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century were the period of the most widespread use of Icelandic moss as a remedy. Among all the known lichens, some of the then authors especially highly appreciated the Icelandic cetraria. In particular, in 1809 Luiken wrote that this moss is in the first place among medicines. Pointing to the possibility of the therapeutic use of cetraria, including for tuberculosis, Luiken noted that for the antiseptic effect, drugs with cetraria stand out among all drugs known at that time. In the 18th and 19th centuries, cetraria was a well-known traditional remedy for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, and its thallus was included in most European pharmacopoeias at that time.
At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, due to the intensive development of scientific and practical medicine, doctors began to use drugs with cetraria less often.
In 1919, A. A. Elenkin and V. E. Tishchenko wrote the first scientific monograph "Icelandic moss and other useful lichens of the Russian flora." The book was put in print to the publishing house of the Petrograd branch of the Russian Food Science and Technology Institute. However, this book was not published in connection with the liquidation of this institution. In the same year, V.N.Lyubimenko, on the basis of the above manuscript, published an article "Icelandic moss as a food product", and later A.A. ... During the period of intervention and civil war in the USSR in the 1920s, which caused famine in certain regions of the country, the peoples of the Russian north used the Icelandic moss thallus as an additional food product. Removing bitter substances from the cetraria with the help of soda or alkali and drying the peeled thallus, they mixed it into flour and baked bread. Among many northerners, tsetraria was known as breadmoss. In medical sources of past years, cetraria is recalled as an effective remedy against mucus from the intestinal canal, for the treatment of the bladder, kidneys, and prolonged diarrhea.
Literature
1. Plant life. In 6 volumes. V. 3. Algae and lichens / Ed. A. L. Takhtadzhyan. - M .: Education, 1981
2. Medicinal plants and their use. - 5th ed., Rev. and. add. - M., Science and Technology, 1974.
Cetraria Icelandic or Icelandic moss belongs to the perennial lichen of the Parmelia family.
Description
Icelandic cetraria is a symbiosis of algae and mushrooms. They are a holistic single organism due to the close relationship between these microorganisms.
Perennial foliate lichen, the external form is erect bushes with characteristic irregularly ribbon-like lobes (less common), narrow and flat, leathery-cartilaginous, reaching a height of 10 cm, width - 0.3-0.5 cm, having short dark cilia , color - greenish-brown, there are shades of brown, it all depends on the lighting, at the base there are reddish spots, shiny or matte on the underside, sometimes of the same color or lighter on both sides.
The underside of the plant is covered with abundant white spots (pseudocyphelams) - their shape is different. The edges of the blades are slightly curved towards the top. Apothecia (fruiting bodies) sometimes sprout at the ends of the blades - they have a brownish tint, plate-shaped with a weakly pronounced jagged edge. Bags with spores develop directly in apothecia. Epileptic spores, unicellular, colorless, each bag contains 8 pieces.
Icelandic cetraria, like most members of the genus Cetraria, is characterized by too slow growth in comparison with other lichen species. It is quite difficult to create favorable conditions that satisfy algae and fungi alike.
Lichens of the genus Cetraria are distinguished by intercalary growth, which makes Icelandic Cetraria resistant and capable of survival, because almost all parts of the lichen are quite capable of giving development to new individuals.
Cetraria moss is found in America, Australia, Asia and Europe, in some places in Central and Northern Europe, in the Carpathians in the Ukraine, in the forest zone of Siberia, in the tundra, in principle, throughout the entire northern hemisphere up to the Arctic belt.
Tsetraria loves unshaded sandy areas, often forming clean thickets, but it also grows in the highlands, on rocky and grassy areas, in mountain forests, on peat bogs. It comes across in small groups and in heather thickets, in marshy areas.
Icelandic Cetraria develops exclusively in ecologically clean regions. It is, in a way, an indicator of cleanliness for industrial industrial areas, which can be used in solving environmental problems of a global scale.
Chemical composition
To date, the chemical composition of cetraria has been studied quite well, since
they began to study it hundreds of years ago. A large number of biologically active substances are synthesized in Icelandic cetraria.
The thallus contains mainly carbohydrates: lichenin, mannitol galactomannate, isolichenin, erythritol, chitin, sucrose, umbilicin, hemicellulose and others. Among the capabilities of Icelandic moss thallus is the accumulation of up to 50 - 80% of polysaccharides, endowed with the ability to dissolve during extraction with hot water, while forming a mass of thick consistency.
Lichenin is a linear polysaccharide, gives glucose upon hydrolysis, does not turn blue from iodine, dissolves in hot water.
Isolichenine has a similar chemical structure, tends to dissolve in cold water, turns blue from iodine.
Tsetraria moss contains organic acids called lichen. It is to them that Icelandic Cetraria owes its bitter taste, and it is they who determine its tonic and antibiotic properties.
In addition to acids, the thallus contains: gum, proteins, ascorbic acid, fats, wax, pentacyclic triterpene Fridelin, vitamin B12, minerals, pigments and naphthoquinone (juglone). Cetraria moss contains antiscorbutic vitamin C, and in an easily assimilated form, which remains unchanged in the dried plant for 3 years. The discovery of such a fact was made by the doctor Granatik, of Russian origin, who had worked for several years in the north of the Far East.
Pharmacological properties
Icelandic cetraria is characterized by biologically active substances that have a softening, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect.
Icelandic moss polysaccharides are endowed with the ability to protect the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract from the adverse effects of chemical factors.
The majority of microbiological researchers at that time focused only on individual isolated lichen acids and only later discovered the manifestation of a pronounced antimicrobial activity of individual lichen acids. This is especially true of usnic acid, which has strong antibiotic activity. Moreover, its sodium salt in the case of a dilution of 1: 2,000,000 significantly suppresses the spread of mycobacterium tuberculosis and gram-positive microorganisms (streptococci, staphylococci).
Usnic acid is about 3 times inferior in its antibacterial activity to streptomycin. The effect of lichen extracts on gram-positive acid-resistant bacteria has been proven. And only a few - for certain gram-negative species.
When studying medicines made from cetraria, pharmacists found that in the case of a decoction, cetraric acid passes into water, while usnic acid does not pass. In small doses, usnic acid is quite capable of killing tuberculosis pathogens and individual gram-positive bacteria.
The active antimicrobial factor of cetraria is fumaro-protocetraric acid. German scientists consider it a strong immunomodulator that activates the immune system.
D-protolichesteric acid in the form of salts and in the free state is active on Helicobacter pylori (at 16 - 64 μg / ml). This factor explains
therapeutic efficacy of Icelandic moss in the treatment of duodenal ulcer and stomach ulcer.
Naphthoquinones, contained in small amounts in Icelandic cetraria, exhibit high antifungal and antibacterial activity.
The sedative effect is shown by mucus and acids, as components of moss.
Protolichesteric acid and pentacyclic triterpene Fridelin exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, protolichesteric acid is an inhibitor of arachidonic acid 5-lipoxygenase, as a result of which the synthesis of leukotrienes is suppressed, namely, they are important mediators of inflammation.
Clinical application
The first pharmaceutical product was produced in Germany in the distant 50s. It was made on the basis of lichen acids and was called Evozin. Thanks to usnic and severnic acids, it had a pronounced antimicrobial activity. They were treated clinically for lupus erythematosus and diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
German scientists for the treatment of tuberculosis created the drug Eosin-2, which included, in addition to usnic and severnic acids, lichen acids: physodic, atronaric, caperatic.
A mixture of streptomycin and usnic acid was used to treat skin diseases and tuberculosis.
For the treatment of actinomycosis, an antibiotic drug from lichens was created in Japan.
Icelandic moss, due to its expectorant and emollient properties, is an excellent remedy for diagnoses and debilitating coughs.
The drug sodium usninat, developed on the basis of usnic acid, is an effective antimicrobial agent in the treatment of burns, wounds, cracks. Presented in the form of oil and alcohol solutions. It should be noted that the bacterial flora present on the surface of the wound decreases and disappears rather slowly, despite the beneficial effect of usnic acid directly on the regeneration process of infected wounds and is observed until the end of complete epithelialization.
The drug Binan showed activity on different strains of hemolytic staphylococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. Stable during storage, had a high bacterial activity, but was quite toxic.
Recommended for the treatment of infected wounds (especially large surfaces) as an external agent. But, despite its effectiveness, the Binan drug never found its application in medical practice.
When considered to be quite promising for local use, the crushed thallus of cetraria, designed in the form of tablets. After the operation on the nasal cavity on days 1-5, the patients were treated with the application of tablets made from moss. In patients, when using 10 tablets (0.48 g) per day, drying of the mucous membrane, traces of plaque on it, symptoms of inflammation of the oral mucosa, tongue and lymph nodes, hoarseness and pain were reduced. No side effects were observed with this treatment.
A decoction of lichen is often used as a soothing, enveloping and wound healing agent. In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it demonstrates a pronounced therapeutic effect, including in case of indigestion, diarrhea, stomach and duodenal ulcers. The alcoholic extract of cetraria relieves pain in patients with a diagnosis of gastric ulcer, directly related to food intake, as established in clinical studies. This effect is explained by the enveloping property of the drug. Before preparing the broth, the thallus of cetraria should be soaked in cold water to get rid of the bitterness. Then pour 2 teaspoons of chopped thallus with 2 glasses of cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, strain and drink the whole broth during the day.
The bitterness present in the Icelandic moss broth normalizes digestion and stimulates the appetite. Therefore, in the rehabilitation period, after serious illnesses, a decoction of cetraria is used as a general tonic. True, in gastroenterology, the bitterness of Icelandic moss was not widely used due to problems with the raw material base.
Previously, there was an opinion about the nutritional properties of cetraria broth, since the carbohydrates contained in it (isolichenan, lichenan) are easily absorbed by the body, but further research did not confirm this assumption.
Contraindications for use
Icelandic cetraria is contraindicated for:
- gastritis with high acidity;
- stomach ulcer;
- pregnancy;
- lactation period.
Collection and procurement of medicinal raw materials
For medicinal purposes, you need a dried thallus of cetraria, with a faint peculiar smell and a bitter-slimy taste. Procurement of raw materials is carried out, as a rule, in the summer or autumn. When harvesting, the thallus of cetraria is torn from the substrate, cleaned of impurities, then dried in the sun or in the shade, laid out in a thin layer on paper or fabric.
For long-term storage, use boxes with paper lining or tightly closed cans, which are placed in a dark, cool and dry place. Dry thallus of cetraria, soaked in water, should acquire a slimy consistency, and the broth itself should turn into jelly after cooling.
Medicines
As a syrup with Icelandic moss, vitamin C and chamomile and vitamin C.
In 5 ml (equivalent to 6.5 g) of syrup: ascorbic acid, liquid extract of chamomile flowers, liquid extract of Cetraria Icelandic.
It is indicated for colds and flu, for bronchitis - acute and chronic, for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract with cough, dosage - three times a day, 1 tbsp. spoon, before meals.
The syrup is packaged in 100 ml vials.
Bronchialtee 400 - Tea Granulate
100 g contains: 7 g of sage leaves, 10 g of thyme herb, 5 g of marshmallow, linden flowers and Icelandic moss, 5.4 g of thick aqueous extracts with 10 g of fennel fruits.
It is indicated for acute and chronic bronchitis, colds, it is recommended two to three times a day, one cup of tea.
Isla-Mint Pastillen - Cough Lozenges
In the composition - 100 mg or 160 mg of an aqueous extract of Icelandic moss.
Indicated for dry mucous membranes, hoarseness, irritating cough, for maintenance therapy of bronchial asthma, bronchial catarrh, recommended - repeatedly a day for 1-2 lozenges, while slowly dissolving.
Salus Bronchial-Tee - Tea
In 100 g of tea: 11 g of Icelandic moss, 15 g of fennel fruits, 12 g of linden flowers and knotweed herb, 4 g of flowers of mullein, deaf nettle and marigold, 6 g of primrose flowers, 13 g of thyme herb, 19 g of raspberry leaves.
It is indicated for the relief of cough in case of inflammation of the respiratory system and catarrh, for thinning mucus. Recommended a day - 4-5 times one glass of hot tea.
Toxicology
The daily introduction of 0.1-1.0 sodium usninate did not have a harmful effect on the human body. But in the case of a daily dose of 3 g, pain appeared in the liver area,
which stops with decreasing dose.
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