Barberry Common.

Shrub of the barberry family, 1.5–2.5 m high. The branches are studded with thorns. The leaves are small, elongated, with jagged edges, growing from the base of the thorns.

Blooms in May - June. The flowers are light yellow with a peculiar smell, collected in a raceme. The fruit is bright red, oval, with brown seeds, tastes sour, and is poisonous when unripe. Ripens in August - September.

Common barberry grows in river valleys, forest edges, on sandy hills and rocky mountain slopes.

Photophilous, drought- and frost-resistant. In the national economy, lemon-yellow wood is used as an ornamental material. The bark is used to dye wool and skin yellow and yellow-red.

The juice of ripe berries with the addition of alum gives wool, linen and cotton fabrics a pink tint. Ripe berries are edible, they are widely used as a seasoning for meat dishes, for making drinks, compotes and jellies, dried, pickled and salted, and prepared for the needs of the food industry.

Leaves, roots and berries serve as medicinal raw materials. Leaves are collected during the budding and flowering phase of the plant, discarding those that are sick and damaged by pests. Dry in the shade or under a canopy.

The raw material has a peculiar smell and tastes sour. Store in bags in a ventilated area for 3 years. The roots are harvested in spring or autumn by cutting down or digging up the bush.

The root system should not be completely used; it is necessary to leave a root cutting 10-15 cm long. For every 10 m square of barberry thickets, one untouched bush should be preserved.

The harvested raw materials are chopped into pieces 10-20 cm long, thoroughly shaken off the soil and rotten and blackened parts are removed. The bark peels off very easily, so it is necessary to lay a tarpaulin or other material so that the raw material does not get lost. Berberine contained in the raw material is highly soluble in water, for this reason the roots are not washed, but dried in a ventilated room or in a dryer at a temperature of 45-50°C, turning over periodically. Store in bags, protecting from dampness, for 3 years.

The roots contain alkaloids (berberine, palmitine, etc.), tannins, essential oil, carotene and vitamins C and E. The berries contain large amounts of vitamin C, organic acids (malic, tartaric and citric), pectins and carotenoids.

Barberry has anti-inflammatory, diuretic, choleretic, antimicrobial, astringent, hemostatic and antispastic effects.

Barberry preparations are used for chronic diseases of the liver and gallbladder, peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, tuberculosis and uterine bleeding in the postpartum period. They are used in the complex treatment of tumor diseases and morphinism.

Barberry is an integral part of preparations used to treat the liver.

A decoction of the root, an infusion and a tincture of the leaves are used internally and externally in the form of lotions and rinses.

The tincture is prepared with 40% alcohol or vodka. To do this, pour 20 g of leaves into 100 ml of alcohol and leave in a warm place for 10-15 days until a clear dark yellow liquid with a slightly sour taste is formed. Take 30-40 drops 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.

To prepare the infusion, pour 1 tablespoon of crushed dry leaves into 1 glass of hot water, boil in a closed enamel container in a water bath for 5-10 minutes, filter through two or three layers of gauze, squeeze and bring the volume with boiled water to the original volume. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals or use for rinsing and lotions.