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Motherwort is off Labiatae, lip flowered or Lamiaceae deaf nettles family, also known as suck bottle and heart herb. Motherwort is a perennial herbaceous plant, with tetrahedral upright powdered branchy stem. Leaves are oppositely growing, fingers like separated, dark green on the top and light green on the bottom. Blossoms are small and bilabiate, densely downward. Upper lip of corolla dark red, lower lip yellowish, with red specks. Blossoms are gathered in whorls in the axil of upper leaves. Motherwort's fruits are three edged beans. Height is up to 40-100 cm. It blossoms starting in June till August. Motherwort grows in many places, numerous regions of Europe, Western Siberia and Central Asia. It grows in wastelands, slopes, near roads and housing, in gardens, blue motherwort grows along the roads, between bushes, ravines, weeded areas. Motherwort is collected during its blooming period, mostly plants' stem top with leafs and flowers are used. Chemical composition: motherwort contains several alkaloids ( only in the beginning of florescence 0.35-0.40%), bitter leonurin and leonurinin, stachydrine, saponins, glucoside and tanning agents (about 2.14%), sugars, essential oils (about 0.05%), traces of vitamins A and C as long with other substances. As medicinal herb motherwort is known since middle ages. This plant is extensively used in folk medicine of many countries. Motherwort is used in Russian folk medicine since old times for heart ailments and persisting cough. Motherwort tea and tincture has good effect on cardio system, it slows heart rhythm, enhances heart beat, and lowers the high blood pressure. It has been stated that prescriptions containing motherwort has calming action on central nervous system, 3-4 times more than valerian. . Motherwort provides better urination, improves menstruation, and discharges gases, when accumulated in stomach and intestines, stops gastrointestinal colic, lessens and relieves pain, reduces and stops breath shortage and heartbeat, improves patients mood, it also relieves head aches and has light sedative effect. In folk medicine motherwort is used as heart ache reliever and tranquilizer. Tea made form motherwort roots is used as styptic in several bleeding types, it foments are good as pain reliever. In German folk medicine motherwort tincture and its tea is used for heart ailments, head aches, anemia, gastro intestinal colic, asthma, short breath, painful menstruation and its delay, and as diuretic. In scientific medicine motherwort is used at cardiovascular neurosis, severe nervous irritability, in initial stages of high blood pressure, cardio sclerosis, breast pang, myocarditis, heart and lung defects, Basedow's disease. Motherwort has good effect for heart weakness that occurs after flu and other infective diseases. During heart failure motherwort reduces swelling and improves urination, during high blood pressure it reduces the pressure and relieves headaches, improves sleep and general mood. Motherwort is also extensively used in foreign medical practice. In England motherwort is recommended for hysteria, neuralgia, heart weakness and short breath, in Rumania it is prescribed for Basedow's disease and epilepsy.
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