Crataegus oxyacantha is a thorny shrub, sometimes reaching a height of several meters. The leaves are 7 cm long, petiolate, arranges alternately, deeply divided into 3-7 lobed with toothed margin. The base of the leaves has small foliage called stipel. The flowers are small, with a diameter of approx. 15 mm, arranged several together in bunches. Each flower is placed on a coital 3-4 cm long, sometimes covered with sparse hairs. Sepals are 5 in number, have a triangular shape. The petals are 5-6 mm, longer than sepals, rounded at the top. They are white or pinkish white in color. Both sepals and petals are placed on a jug shaped hairy receptacle which becomes pulpy at maturity, forming the fruit. The fruit is red, 7-10 mm long, oval, sometimes globular, representing the remains of calyx on the upper part. Inside, it contains a single or 2-3 seeds. In early September, the fruit begins to ripen.
Chemical composition – Flowers and fruits contain oligomeric procyanidins, flavonoids, such as derivatives of flavones and flavonols, such as hyperoside, vitexine, rhamnoside routine, vitexine. Contains amines, catechins, phenols, carboxylic acids, purines, sterols, triterpenic acids, especially oleanolic, ursolic and crategolic acids, essential oil containing anisic aldehyde, tannins of catechic nature, pectin, minerals and many other active substances. Fruits contain tannins of catechic nature, vitamins B1 and C, anthocyanins, flavonoids. Acids: tartaric, citric, ursolic, oxalic acid, nicotinic acid, chlorogenic acid, sorbitol, choline, acetylcholine, glucose, fructose, pectin, wax, fatty oil, mineral substances.
Properties – Cardiotonic, increases the force of contraction of the heart muscle, increases the efficiency of oxygen utilization by the heart, antiarrhythmic, improves cardiac metabolism, have protective action on blood vessel walls, coronary and peripheral vasodilator, sedative, anti-oxidant, diuretic, antihypertensive.
Recommendation – Arrythmia, paroxysmal tachycardia, extrasystoles, cardiac disorders of nervous sytem origin, heart failure, angina pectoris of stages I and II, chest pain, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, hypertension.
This plant is incorporated in natural remedy LYON HEART.