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Pharmacy laurel cherry (laurel cherry officinalis). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Pharmacy laurel cherry (laurel cherry officinalis), Prunus laurocerasus. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Prunus

Family: Pink (Rosaceae)

Origin: Laurel cherries, also known as laurel cherries, are native to Southwest Asia and Southern Europe.

Area: The plant is distributed in different parts of the world, including the Caucasus, Crimea, Iran, Turkey and China. It is currently cultivated in various temperate climates, including North America and Europe.

Chemical composition: The leaves and berries of laurel cherry contain many biologically active compounds, including cyanoglycosides, essential oils, flavonoids and tannins.

Economic value: Cherry laurel has numerous medicinal properties and is used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments, including colds, flu, coughs, asthma, and headaches. Also, the leaves and berries of laurel cherry are used in cooking as a seasoning for dishes, wines and tinctures. However, be aware that the plant is poisonous and can be dangerous to consume in large quantities.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In different cultures, cherry laurel has different legends and myths. For example, in ancient Egypt, this shrub was considered a symbol of immortality and was used in embalming bodies. In Greek mythology, cherry laurel was associated with the god Apollo, who turned his beloved, the nymph Daphne, into a laurel tree in order to save her from the persecution of the river god Peneus. Since then, the laurel tree has become a sacred symbol of Apollo and has been used in wreaths that adorned the winners of the Olympic Games. In other cultures, cherry laurel is associated with protection and protection from evil spirits. The symbolic meaning of laurel cherries includes protection, victory, longevity, health and immortality. In some cultures, it is used to create amulets and talismans that help ward off evil spirits and bring good luck and prosperity.

Pharmacy laurel cherry (laurel cherry officinalis), Prunus laurocerasus. Description, illustrations of the plant

Laurel cherry, Prunus laurocerasus L. var Laurocerasus officinalis M. Roem. Botanical description, distribution, chemical composition, features of use

The rose family is Rosaceae.

A small evergreen tree or shrub 1-3 (8) m tall with rough dark gray bark.

The leaves are alternate, short-petiolate, oblong-elliptical, shiny, dull below, at the base of the main vein with two to four glands.

Flowers about 8 mm in diameter, on short stalks, fragrant, collected in rather dense leafless racemes. Petals are white. Stamens about 20, pistil sitting at the bottom of the hypanthium. The fruit is a round-ovate drupe about 8 mm long with a fleshy, juicy black pericarp.

Blooms in April - May. The fruits ripen in July - August.

It grows in warm and temperate regions of Eurasia and America, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

The bark and leaves contain tannins (up to 10%); fruit pulp - angocyanins, carbohydrates, ascorbic acid. The seeds contain fatty oil and are poisonous due to the presence of hydrocyanic acid.

The pulp of the fruit is edible. The fruits are used fresh, for drying and making jams, fizzy refreshing drinks, as well as alcoholic drinks (for example, "Ratafia"). From the leaves and fruits, an oil is obtained, which is used in the alcoholic beverage industry.

From fresh leaves, cherry laurel water is obtained - a heart and pain reliever. It is also used to improve the taste of medicines. The bark and leaves are used in the leather industry.

Used as an ornamental plant.

Authors: Dudchenko L.G., Kozyakov A.S., Krivenko V.V.

Laurel cherry, Prunus laurocerasus. Botanical description of the plant, area, methods of application, cultivation

Most likely, the plant got its name because its leaves are similar to laurel leaves, and the fruits are similar to cherries.

Laurel cherry is a shrub or tree 2-6 (up to 12) m high with a smooth and flexible trunk and branches covered with grayish-brown bark. The leaves reach a length of 5-20 cm, a width of 4-6 cm, oblong-oval in shape, with a rounded base and an elongated-pointed apex, glossy and leathery above, entire-extreme or with sparse teeth along the edges. From above they are dark green in color, sit on small petioles.

The flowers are white, quite small, fragrant, arranged in erect racemes from 13 to 23 cm long, the calyx is five-parted, the corolla is five-petalled, there are a large number of stamens, 18-20. Cherry laurel begins to bloom in spring from April to May.

The fruits are drupes, similar to common cherries, but depending on the variety they differ in juiciness, skin color (from pinkish-white to black) and pulp color (from white to bluish). In the brush there are from 5 to 25 fruits. The taste of the fruit also depends on the variety, but most often they are tart. Inside the smooth, easily separating stone from the pulp is a grain with the smell of bitter almonds. Just like cherries, it contains hydrocyanic acid. The fruits ripen in late June - early July, it all depends on the variety and the height of the area above sea level. The crop yield usually exceeds 100 kg per tree.

The birthplace of common laurel is the Caucasus, Iran, Asia Minor, the Balkan Peninsula. In the wild, laurel cherry is now common in many regions of Eurasia and America with a mild or temperate climate, in particular, in the southeastern part of the Mediterranean (to Turkey), in the Balkans, in Asia Minor, in Iran, in the Caucasus (Black Sea coast, Ciscaucasia, Western and Eastern Transcaucasia). It is also common in China, Japan, the Himalayas, the island of Java, the USA (California and Florida), Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil.

The genus laurel cherry has about 25 species.

Common laurel grows in the wild in the undergrowth of mountain broad-leaved and coniferous forests, on the edges, at an altitude of up to 2400 m above sea level. In some places of the Caucasus, cherry laurel forms absolutely impenetrable thickets - it can grow so densely. This plant prefers sufficiently moist, fresh, humus-rich soils on lime-containing rocks.

Laurel cherry is quite shade-tolerant. It also tolerates urban conditions well, withstands short-term temperature drops to -15 ° C, therefore it is cultivated as a fruit and ornamental plant.

Common laurel leaves contain 0,5% essential oil, it contains benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, hydrocyanic acid and its derivatives; triterpenoids - 2,7% (ursolic acid - 1%); nitrogen-containing compounds (hydrocyanic acid - 0,4-5%, prunazine, amygdalin, prulaurazine), vitamin C, steroids (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, cholesterol); phenolcarboxylic acids (in the hydrolyzate: caffeic, p-coumaric); tannins; catechins (dimer and trimer of catechins and epicatechins, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin); flavonoids (3-beta-O-galactopyranosyl-6-beta-O-glucofuranoside kaempferol; 3-beta-O-galactopyranosyl-6-beta-O-xylofuranoside kaempferol, in hydrolyzate quercetin, cyanidin); proanthocyanidins; fats, wax

Nitrogen-containing compounds were found in the bark of common laurel cherry: hydrocyanic acid and its derivatives, tannins (10,15-15%). In the wood of the plant, gum was found, in its composition in the hydrolyzate carbohydrates: galactose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose. Hydrocyanic acid and its derivatives were found in the kidneys. Carbohydrates and related compounds (mannitol, sorbitol), anthocyanins (3-arabinofuranoside cyanidin, 3-arabinopyranoside cyanidin, 3-arabinofuranoside peonidin, 3-arabinopyranoside peonidin) were found in the fruit pulp.

Seeds of laurel cherry contain sucrose, essential oil (1%, it contains benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, benzaldehyde cyanohydrin), hydrocyanic acid, amygdalin, fatty oil, and it contains acids - oleic, linoleic.

Fruits of cherry laurel are edible, but the seeds are poisonous, because. contain hydrocyanic acid, as well as cherries. The poisonous substance amygdalin is found in the plant in seeds, leaves and bark. The fruits of garden forms of laurel cherry are eaten raw, they are used to make jam and fizzy tonic drinks. Fruits contain valuable sugars, carbohydrates and vitamins for humans, and also quench thirst well.

Juice from fresh fruits of wild laurel cherry is an excellent component for blending, it gives drinks a pleasant aroma, taste and color. Therefore, fruits and even leaves of laurel cherry are used in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Due to the presence of a large amount of essential oil in the leaves of laurel cherry, they are used as a surrogate for bay leaves and as a flavoring of dairy products, giving the smell of bitter almonds.

The medicinal value of the fruits of both wild and cultivated laurel cherry is determined by the content of glucosides, tannins and many other biologically active substances in them. Tinctures, infusions and extracts are made from fruits and leaves of laurel cherry.

Cherry laurel seeds contain hydrocyanic acid. Since hydrocyanic acid is the strongest poison, an overdose of which can lead to death, extreme caution should be exercised when prescribing and taking laurel cherry preparations. Reception of infusions, tinctures and extracts from laurel cherry is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation, in case of individual intolerance to the components, in childhood, in the presence of a history of chronic diseases. Signs of an overdose are hoarseness, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, a feeling of heaviness in the upper respiratory tract.

Various varieties of laurel cherry are used to collect edible fruits, grown for decorative purposes, as well as for extracting essential oil. Wild cherry laurel is widely used in hedgerows, as well as in mass planting on slopes to strengthen the soil. It is also used in folk medicine. Oil and cherry laurel water (Aqua Laurocerasi) is extracted from the leaves of laurel cherry, which is used as a sedative, and is also widely used in medicine, cosmetics and the food industry. Leaves and bark are used for tanning leather due to their high content of tannins.

Cherry laurel can be grown on soils of any type, even waterlogged, but still the best for it is light, saturated with nutrients. As a shade-tolerant plant, it can be successfully used for planting in a protective forest belt. An effective method of breeding large-fruited and sweet forms of laurel cherry is vegetative (by cuttings), but it can be propagated both by seeds and by grafting (budding and layering). As a fruit plant, local large-fruited varieties of laurel cherry are of the greatest interest for breeding.

Laurel cherry officinalis. reference Information

Tree, sometimes shrub, 5-20 m high, rose family. The flowers are white, in narrow racemes. The fruit is a one-seeded oval-shaped drupe, smooth, with a fleshy pericarp from white-pink to black.

The pulp is edible. The seeds are poisonous due to the presence of hydrocyanic acid. The bark and leaves contain up to 10% tannins.

The fruits are used to make jams, fizzy refreshing drinks. Cherry laurel water was obtained from fresh leaves - a heart and pain reliever, as well as a means to improve the taste of medicines.

Authors: Dudnichenko L.G., Krivenko V.V.

Pharmacy laurel cherry (laurel cherry officinalis), Prunus laurocerasus. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• For coughs and colds: take 10 g of fresh laurel leaves and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Infuse for 10 minutes, strain and drink 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
• For indigestion: take 1 tablespoon of chopped laurel leaves and pour 200 ml of boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes, strain and drink 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
• For rheumatism: take 2 tablespoons of chopped laurel leaves and pour 500 ml of boiling water. Infuse for 2 hours, strain and drink 1/4 cup 3-4 times a day.
• For neuralgia: take 50 g of cherry laurel leaves, pour 500 ml of vodka and insist for 10 days. Strain and apply to affected areas of the skin in the form of compresses.

Cosmetology:

• The use of pharmacy laurel in cosmetology is not very common due to its toxicity and potential health hazards. However, sometimes oils from the leaves and berries can be used as fragrances and essential oils for skin care. Cherry laurel leaves can also be used as a natural dye for soaps and beauty products.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Pharmacy laurel cherry (laurel cherry officinalis), Prunus laurocerasus. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Cherry laurel, also known as medicinal laurel, is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can be grown as an ornamental plant or for culinary and medicinal uses.

Cultivation:

• Cherry laurel prefers a sunny to semi-shady location and moist but well-drained soil.
• Propagated by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings are recommended to be planted in spring or autumn in nutrient soil to a depth of about 5 cm.
• During the period of active growth, laurel cherry must be watered regularly, and in winter it tolerates drought.
• The shrub can be trimmed to maintain the desired shape and size.

Workpiece:

• For cooking, laurel cherry leaves are used, which can be harvested at any time of the year. Fresh leaves are best, but dried leaves can also be used.
• Harvested leaves should be dried at room temperature for several days, then stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Laurel cherries contain essential oils and other biologically active substances that may be beneficial to health. Cherry laurel leaves are used to make tinctures that can help with headaches, indigestion and other ailments. Bay leaf is also used in cosmetology as an antiseptic and antioxidant.

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