Purslane Ogorodny: use in food and medicine
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is an annual herbaceous plant of the purslane family, which is widely used as a herb and vitamin plant. It is a low plant, 10 to 30 cm in height, with a spindle-shaped, branched root and a fleshy, fistulous, branched brown stem. The leaves are green, fleshy, oval, reminiscent of a flattened egg. Purslane blooms from June to September; the flowers are white, yellow, sometimes dark brown, located two or three in the branches of the stem.
Purslane is cultivated in the south of the European part of Russia, in the Far East, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. It grows wild on sandbanks, weedy places, along river banks, near villages, in gardens and along the edges of fields.
Young leaves and stems of purslane are eaten raw and cooked. They are used to prepare salads with vegetables and olive oil. Systematic use of this salad reduces cholesterol levels and reduces the symptoms of atherosclerosis. Purslane is used to prepare soups and seasonings for meat dishes. For the winter, purslane greens are salted and pickled.
However, purslane is not only tasty, but also has many beneficial properties. The leaves and stems of purslane are used as medicinal raw materials, and sometimes as seeds. The aerial part of the plant contains organic acids (malonic, succinic and citric), alkaloids, proteins, carbohydrates (glucose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and raffinose), carotene, saponins, phenolcarboxylic acids (cinnamic, ferulic and sinapic), vitamins C, E, PP and K, dopamine, norepinephrine, mucous and resinous substances. Fatty oil was found in the seeds.
The fresh plant and preparations made from it have anti-inflammatory, diuretic, choleretic, and mild hypoglycemic effects. The presence of norepinephrine increases blood pressure during hypotension.
Fresh purslane juice is indicated for inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, liver and bladder mucosa. It is used for gonorrhea, trichomonas colpitis, syphilitic joint lesions and bacterial dysentery. It is an antitoxic agent against the venoms of snakes and insects.
Pounded purslane leaves have wound-healing properties. Purslane seeds are used to treat lichen planus. To prepare a decoction of seeds, pour two teaspoons of raw material into one glass of hot water, boil in a closed enamel container in a water bath for 10 minutes, cool and filter. This decoction is used to wash the affected areas of the skin 4-5 times a day.
Juice is also prepared from purslane. It can be prepared either from a fresh plant or from stems and leaves salted for future use, after soaking them in cold boiled water. Fresh purslane juice contains high amounts of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and helps strengthen the immune system. In addition, purslane juice contains antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals and slow down the aging process.
Thus, purslane is not only a tasty and healthy spicy plant, but also has many valuable medicinal properties. It can be used as food in the form of salads, soups and seasonings for meat dishes, as well as as a medicinal raw material for the treatment of various diseases. Fresh purslane juice is a great way to strengthen the immune system and slow down the aging process.