What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

Chicory is an unusual plant for its versatility: it is a beautiful blue flower, similar to a cornflower, and a compositae perennial, the thick root of which is a source of a coffee substitute, and a valuable medicinal herb for many ailments, actively used in last years as a means for losing weight. Chicory has long been used by people for various useful purposes; such famous scientists as Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder mentioned it in their writings. The ancient Egyptians used the plant to treat the bites of poisonous snakes and scorpions. Avicenna made medicinal remedies from chicory to improve vision, normalize digestion and heal joints.

Description of the plant

Almost everyone knows what chicory looks like, its delicate blue flowers are scattered across fields and meadows, swaying on thin stems along roads and along ravines, it can be found in all city parks where the grass has not been mowed for at least some time. You can even say that this plant is a weed, since it sprouts with its strong spindle-shaped thick root, reaching a length of 1.5 m, through everything, in spite of everything, however, chicory is not a simple weed, but a golden one. Given its valuable properties, people grow a medicinal plant on an industrial scale in special areas with clean soil for further processing and use in the food industry and medicine.

The rough and ribbed stem of the plant, reaching 1.2 m in size, contains milky juice, like the root. Chicory blooms for a very long time, almost all summer, and the flowers do not appear at the same time, but gradually replace each other, creating the impression continuous flowering... Common chicory is found in the middle lane, and closer to the southern borders, next to it, you can find salad chicory, the soft juicy healthy leaves of which are used to prepare snacks.

Composition and properties

The milky juice of the medicinal plant contains a large amount of bitterness, such as lactucin, lactucopicrin and taraxasterol. These bitter substances stimulate appetite, which explains the use of the roots and herbs of the plant to improve appetite. Various resins and pectin are present in all parts of the plant, which has a positive effect on the condition of the stomach and intestines. The fruits of the plant are saturated with protocatechol aldehyde, and in the chicory root and leaves there is water-soluble inulin - a polysaccharide used to feed diabetes patients in the form of a sugar substitute, vitamins of groups A, B, C, E and PP, chicorine, pectin, choline, proteins, fats, essential oils, a large number of micro and macro elements. That is why young shoots, stems and leaves of chicory are recommended for dietary nutrition.

The medicinal properties of the plant are unusually wide. Chicory removes harmful toxic substances from the liver, restoring its functions, the infusion of its inflorescences improves the condition of the heart and the functioning of the nervous system. If you boil chicory root, the medicinal properties of the resulting product have a diuretic and choleretic effect, therefore nephritis, hepatitis and cystitis are treated with a decoction of the root. The root of the plant is astringent and lowers blood sugar, acting like insulin in patients, and is therefore used to treat diabetes. Chicory leaves have the same effect, which is why it is so beneficial to eat them raw in salads.

Ground parts of chicory are used in the form of infusion. Coumarin glycosides are found in the flowers of the plant, which are used to thin the blood. However, like all medicinal plants, chicory herb and roots have both beneficial properties and contraindications. The plant is not recommended for children under 3 years old, for people with varicose veins, stomach or intestinal ulcers, as well as for patients with hemorrhoids. Doctors do not recommend it for asthmatics and people with chronic bronchitis.

Procurement and storage

The roots of chicory are harvested in March or in late October-early November, when the plant is not in a state of vegetation, but ground part either it is still absent, or it is already dying off. It is during this period that the maximum amount of nutrients accumulates at the root. Since the root is very long, it will be impossible to pull it out with your hands; you will definitely need a shovel. The root taken out of the ground must be rinsed and dried, and then cut across into small pieces. Drying in an oven or a special drying cabinet is considered optimal, but many dry the roots simply under a canopy or in attics, after which they lay out the roots in paper bags or linen bags and put them in a dry place. You can store such roots for up to 3 years.

The chicory herb is harvested from June to September, preferably in the morning, after the dew has dried out, in an ecologically clean place, away from large highways and factories. The cut stems are placed on a fabric under a canopy or hung in attics, periodically checking the quality of the product and turning it over. The storage of grass is carried out in the same way as for the roots, with the only difference that it is not recommended to store the grass for more than a year.

Growing a plant

It is possible to grow this medicinal and edible plant both from seeds and by dividing the roots, and it is so unpretentious that absolutely any land is suitable for its cultivation, the only condition on the part of the plant is the requirement of good illumination of the site. The home doctor is quite winter-hardy and easily tolerates short-term frosts. When planting, the seeds are laid to a depth of 3 cm in well-loosened soil, which, after the introduction of the seeds, will need to be lightly tamped. After the appearance of the first few leaves, the seedlings are thinned out and phosphorus and nitrogenous fertilizers, such as superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate, are applied to the ground.

Although the plant is drought tolerant, it will respond gratefully to regular watering, grow faster, and the leaves will become softer and juicier. If, with good care, the plant does not feel well, then the acidity of the soil should be measured, since chicory does not like acidic soil. In this case, taking actions to reduce the acidity of the soil will help.

Several recipes

To get rid of excess weight, nutritionists have developed various herbal preparations, which include chicory, but you can prepare a healthy drink yourself:

1. 1 tsp chopped roots should be poured with 500 ml of water, put the dishes on a small fire and simmer for about 15 minutes. Let it brew for about half an hour, strain and take 100 ml 3 times a day 20 minutes before eating. In addition to weight loss, this broth will improve overall well-being and have a beneficial effect on the stomach and liver.
2. For external use with eye fatigue and conjunctivitis, you can prepare such an infusion. 50 g of finely chopped roots and herbs need to be poured with 1 glass of boiling water, cover and let stand for half an hour. Then strain and use as eye compresses or lotions. With the same infusion it is very good to rub the sore joints.
3. To get rid of skin diseases, you can prepare the following tincture of chicory: put 20 g of finely chopped roots and herbs in a small bottle and pour 100 g of vodka or alcohol, then close tightly and put in a dark place for a week. This tincture can be used to treat skin diseases such as eczema, allergic rashes, dermatitis, acne, as well as burns and purulent wounds.

Thus, chicory, which has only a positive characteristic, will help to cope with many ailments.

Common chicory(lat. Cichorium intybus) - perennial herbaceous plant the aster family ( Asteraceae).

Description

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Tome "Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz", 1885

Inflorescence

A perennial herb, green or bluish-green in color, with a thickened (in the upper part 3-4 cm in diameter) multi-headed fusiform fleshy root up to 1.5 m long. All parts of the plant contain milky juice. Stem single erect, 15-150 cm high, covered with sparse bristly or curly hairs, often glabrous or almost glabrous, often with branches strongly deviated to the sides and somewhat thickening towards the apex.

The leaves are alternate, usually pubescent on the underside, curly-hairy on the upper side. Basal leaves are collected in a rosette, pinnately cut, serrated along the edge, gradually narrowed towards the base into a winged petiole, usually preserved during the flowering of the plant; stem (except for the lowest, similar to basal) - relatively few, alternate, sharp-toothed, sessile, upper leaves are lanceolate, whole.

Baskets on short peduncles, single or crowded, located several at the tops of the stem, its lateral branches and in the axils of the upper and middle stem leaves. Wraps 8-14 mm long; their inner leaves are linear, usually hairy or ciliated; the outer ones are ovate-lanceolate, acute, 1.5-2 times shorter than the inner ones, of unequal length and shape, ciliate at the edges, outside also often with simple or glandular hairs, often completely naked. Corolla of flowers 15-25 mm long, flowers ligulate, bisexual, blue, pinkish-blue or blue, rarely white, usually longer than the wrapper.

The fruit is a prismatic, irregularly wedge-shaped achene, 2-3 mm long, with a short tuft, 0.2-0.3 mm long.

Chemical composition

The roots contain choline, bitterness lactucin, lactucopicrin, pectin, glycosides cichoriin, intibin (which gives the roots and leaves a bitter taste), inulin (up to 49%, in culture up to 60-65%), silicic acid, tannins, taraxosterol, sugar (prevails fructose), thiamine, ascorbic acid. In flowers - crystalline chicory glycoside; in seeds - up to 28% of fatty oil; in young leaves - carotene (up to 80 mg%), ascorbic acid, inulin, potassium salts.

Spreading

General distribution: almost all of Europe (with the exception of northern regions), North Africa, Western and Central Asia, Iran, western provinces of China; as an invasive plant - in South Africa, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. In Russia - in the European part, in the Caucasus and Siberia.

Common in all natural and administrative regions of the Saratov Right Bank. It is ubiquitous in the Rtishchevsky region.

It was noted by Boris Aleksandrovich Keller in the summer of 1901 during his botanical and geographical research in Serdobsky district on a fallow field near the Rtischevo station of RUZhD, away from it to the village of Ivanovka on a young deposit and on the slope of a ravine between Rtishchevo and Ivanovka.

Features of biology and ecology

It grows on sandy loamy and loamy dry and fresh soils, in meadows, forest glades, grassy slopes and on the slopes of ravines, among bushes, along ditches, often as a weed plant on roadsides, in fields, near settlements; in the mountains up to the middle mountain belt. Tolerates significant soil compaction and temporary lack of moisture.

Blooms in June - August. The fruits ripen in August - September. One plant produces 3,000 to 25,000 seeds, which remain viable for up to 7 years. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively from the taproot.

Economic value and application

In medicine

Since ancient times, chicory has been a medicinal plant. The famous scientist and doctor of the Middle Ages Avicenna widely used chicory preparations in the treatment of a number of diseases, disorders gastrointestinal tract, eye inflammation. Outwardly, he recommended applying as a bandage to sore joints with gout. Doctors of Ancient Egypt and Rome used chicory for rashes and furunculosis, for urinary disorders, as well as for blood diseases.

The whole plant serves as a medicinal raw material. The roots are harvested in the fall (September - October), when the rosette of basal leaves begins to fade, the aerial part - during flowering.

Common chicory is used mainly in folk medicine. Chicory preparations have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, sedative, diuretic, astringent and appetite-stimulating effects. They have a regulatory effect on metabolism, somewhat enhance cardiac activity and reduce sweating. Chicory has won the greatest recognition in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The decoction is prescribed for inflammatory diseases of the mucous membrane of the stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gall bladder and kidneys, as well as for gallstone and kidney disease.

Chicory improves digestion, eliminates discomfort in the area of ​​the gastrointestinal tract, liver and spleen, increases appetite, reduces sugar in urine, and reduces increased nervous excitability. Chicory preparations are used as a general tonic and for edema of cardiac origin. With anemia, fresh plant juice is prescribed. The powder from the aerial part of the plant is included in the LIV-52 complex preparation.

In other areas

Chicory (root) instant powder

Common chicory was introduced into the culture in the Mediterranean, it was grown in ancient Rome. In Russia, the first chicory plantations were established in the vicinity of Yaroslavl in a year. In the USSR, the chicory culture was widespread in Belarus, the Baltic republics, in the Ukraine and in the Yaroslavl region of the RSFSR.

Roasted root vegetables of the cultivated form of this species are widely used to make a coffee substitute (chicory). In Latvia, the root is added to coffee, a cold drink with honey, apple juice and lemon is prepared from it, in Estonia - egg coffee. Chicory is also used in the production of natural coffee, coffee and tea drinks, giving them a specific taste, aroma and color. The roots can be a source of inulin, fructose, used to obtain sugar and alcohol (the alcohol yield from chicory is higher than from potatoes, but its quality is better). Chicory is especially prized in dietary nutrition diabetics. It is widely used in the food industry for the production of sweets and cakes.

The fresh leaves are edible and can be used as a salad. Chicory salad varieties with a high content of ascorbic acid have been developed. Young shoots are boiled, fried, baked in dough. Leafy chicory (Vitluf) is grown in European countries. It is added to salads, side dishes for fried, steamed, stewed and baked fish, and raw soup.

A good honey plant, in wet weather and during rains, the flowers emit a lot of blue nectar. From 1 hectare of chicory, up to 100 kg of honey are obtained.

Literature

• Botanical and geographical research in the Serdobsky district of the Saratov province of B. Keller // Proceedings of the Society of Naturalists at the Imperial Kazan University. T. XXXVII, no. 1. From the area of ​​chernozem-feather-grass steppes. - Kazan: Typographic lithography of the Imperial University, 1903. - S. 95-96, 117-120
• Vekhov V.N. and others. Cultural plants of the USSR / Otv. ed. T.A. Rabotnov. - M .: Mysl, 1978 .-- S. 321-322
• Glukhov M.M. Honey plants. Ed. 7th, rev. and add. - M .: Kolos, 1974 .-- P. 130
• Yelenevsky A.G., Radygina V.I., Bulanyi Yu.I. Plants of the Saratov Right Bank (compendium of flora). - Saratov: Publishing house Sarat. pedin-ta, 2000. - ISBN 5-87077-047-5. - P. 74
• Pastushenkov L.V., Pastushenkov A.L., Pastushenkov V.L. Medicinal plants: Use in folk medicine and everyday life. - L .: Lenizdat, 1990 .-- 384 p.
• Universal encyclopedia of medicinal plants / Comp. I. Putyrsky, V. Prokhorov. - Minsk: Book House; M .: Makhaon, 2000 .-- S. 284-285
• Flora middle lane Russia: Atlas-determinant / Kiseleva K.V., Mayorov S.R., Novikov V.S. Ed. prof. V.S. Novikov. - M .: CJSC "Fiton +", 2010. - S. 528-529
• Flora of the USSR. T. XXIX. / ed. E. G. Bobrov and N. N. Tsvelev. - M., L .: Nauka, 1964 .-- S. 16-17

Cichorium intybus
Taxon: family Astrov ( Asteraceae)
Other names: wild chicory, scherbak, petrov whip, blue batogi, serpnik, black companion, yellowish, shkerda, endevy
English: Chicory, Wild Succory

The scientific name of plants of the genus chicory was first mentioned in the works of the Greek philosophers Theophrastus and Dioscorides, who call this plant Kichore and Kichorion ("kio" - to go and "chorion" - an untouched place, field). The plant mainly grows on the outskirts of fields. The specific Latin name intybus comes from Greek word"Entomos" - incised (in the shape of a leaf) or from the Latin "tubus" - a tube (due to the hollow stem). The German name wegewarte - "road watchman", "plantain" - emphasizes that the plant grows along fields, near roads. The Ukrainians call the chicory "Petriv batig" for the woody strength of the shoot.

Botanical description of chicory

Common chicory is a perennial herb with a fleshy fusiform taproot up to 1.5 m long and milky sap. The stem is erect, ribbed, 30–120 cm in height, with branched rod-shaped branches. Basal leaves are vat-pinnate or weakly lobed, narrowed at the base into a stalk, collected in a rosette; stem leaves are alternate, lanceolate, sharp-toothed, with a wide base, sessile; the upper ones are lanceolate, whole. Flowers are bisexual, in baskets, located singly at the tops of the branches and 2–5 in the axils of the upper leaves. The corolla is blue (rarely white or pink), ligulate, with five teeth. Blooms from June to September. The fruit is achene. The plant is a valuable honey plant, produces a lot of nectar and pollen.

Spreading

Common chicory grows throughout Europe, in Asia - to Lake Baikal, India and East Asia, in South and North Africa, North, Central and South America, Australia and New Zealand. It is found in meadows, along roads, along ditches, like a weed in weedy wastelands, in places it forms large thickets.

Collection and procurement of medicinal raw materials of chicory

For medicinal purposes, the roots of wild and cultivated species of chicory (Radix Cichorii), in particular the roots of varieties chicory vegetable (Cichorium endivia L.) (which is now widely cultivated as an industrial culture). Less commonly in scientific and practical medicine, wild chicory herb and tops of cultivated species and forms of wild chicory and garden chicory (Herba Cichorii) are used. The roots of well-developed plants are dug up in the fall, shaken off the ground, washed in cold water, freed from the stems, if necessary, cut up and down. Dried in the fresh air or in a dryer at temperatures up to 50 ° C. The finished raw materials are stored in dry, cool rooms with good ventilation. The grass is harvested during the flowering period of the plant, cutting off the tops of the stems 30 cm long. The collected raw materials are dried in the shade on outdoors either in a well-ventilated room, spread in a thin layer, or in a dryer at temperatures up to 40 ° C.
Chicory is cultivated in Western Europe, Asia (India, Indonesia), America (USA, Brazil). The yield of cultivated varieties of chicory is not inferior to sugar beet, amounting to 15-17 tons per hectare. A wild chicory planted with seeds or seedlings grows very quickly in fertilized soil as an annual crop, requiring little maintenance.
Chicory roots are included in the Pharmacopoeia of Russia, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, France, Hungary and some other countries. To obtain biologically active food additives and dietary products, cultivated varieties of common chicory are also used.

Biologically active substances of chicory

Chicory roots are rich in carbohydrates, in particular fructosans (4.7–6.5%).
They contain up to 4.5-9.5% free fructose and its water-soluble polymer - inulin. The content of inulin in the roots of wild-growing chicory reaches 49%, and in cultivated varieties - up to 61%. The leaves and seeds of the plant are also rich in inulin. Besides inulin, chicory also contains other less polymerized fructosans (inulides), which consist of 10–12 residues of fructose and are slightly soluble in water.
A characteristic component of the plant roots is the glycosidic substance intibin (0.032–0.2%). It is a colorless gelatinous substance of indeterminate composition and bitter taste. I. Schormuller et al. (1961), using gas chromatography and chromatography, found organic acids in dry powdered extracts of chicory roots, most of which are acetic, malic, succinic and citric, as well as lactic and tartaric acids. Their total content in the roots of the first year reaches 11–12% in terms of dry weight. The presence of formic acid in the roots (507-584.2 mg%) was also established. During ontogenesis, the amount of organic acids decreases by 3.5–4 times. In the roots of chicory, phenolcarboxylic acids were also found - isomers of chlorogenic acid: neochlorogenic and isochlorogenic. The content of chlorogenic acid in fresh roots is up to 5.5%, and in fried roots - up to 2.2%.
In addition, the roots of the plant include fatty acids (linoleic, palmitic, linolenic, stearic), sterols (α-amyrin, taraxasterol, β-sitosterol), resins, choline. It has been established that chicory roots accumulate a number of trace elements - nickel, zirconium, vanadium, in large quantities - (Yavorsky O. I. and Rogovskaya L. Ya., 1994).
In 1958 p. L. Doleys et al. isolated sesquiterpene lactone lactucin from the juice of chicory roots and determined its structure on the basis of spectroscopic studies and chemical transformations. Gas-liquid chromatography and paper chromatography in milky juice and chicory roots, other sesquiterpene lactones have been identified (8-deoxylactucin, lactucopicrin - monoester of paraoxyphenylacetic acid and lactucin, magnolialide, artesin), as well as oxycoumarins (esculetin, umbeliferon, esculin and a number of flavorin Rees S. B. and Harborne J. B., 1985). E. Leclerq and J. T. Netjes (1985) proposed a method for obtaining bitterness from chicory roots by enzymatic treatment with preparations that contain pecto- and cellolytic enzymes. Lactucin and 8-deoxylactucin were obtained from the chloroform extract, and lactucopicrin - from its precipitate.
Using thin layer chromatography on silica gel G, color reactions, and photocolorimetric method, S. I. Balbaa et al. (1973) identified classes of compounds that are found in 8 varieties of chicory. Flavonoids, catechin tannins, glycosides, carbohydrates, unsaturated sterols and triterpenoids were found in all varieties. At the same time, the absence of saponins and alkaloids in the roots of chicory was indicated.
When chicory roots are roasted, chicoryol is obtained - a volatile substance with a characteristic odor, in which acetic and valeric acids, acrolein, furfural and furfuric alcohol are identified.
In addition to sesquiterpene lactones, chicory milk juice also contains triterpene taraxasterol, hydroxycinnamic acids (chicory, or 2,3-dicofeyltartaric acid), traces of essential oil, choline, rubber.
In the aerial part of chicory, oxycoumarins were found: esculetin and its 7-glucoside - chicoriin (chicorine), esculin, scopoletin, umbeliferon. It was found that the relative content of esculetin and chicorine prevails over the content of other oxycoumarins ( Demyanenko V.G. and Dranik L.I., 1971). The inflorescence with leaves is characterized by the highest content of esculetin and its glycosides - up to 0.96% of dry weight ( Fedorin G.F. et al., 1974).
Wild chicory herb contains flavonoids: apigenin, luteolin-7-o-β-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin-3-o-β-L-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-o-β-D-galactoside, apigenin-7-o- L-arabinoside. In the herb of chicory lettuce, kaempferol-3-o-glucoside, kaempferol-3-o-glucuronide, and kaempferol-3-o- were found.
It also contains oxycinnamic acids (chicory, caffeic, chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, 3-feruloylquinic, 3-n-coumaroylquinic), triterpenes, simple pyrone maltol, ascorbic acid (10 mg%), carotene (1.3 mg%), vitamins B1 (0.05 mg%), B2 (0.03 mg%), PP (0.24 mg%), trace elements - (12 mg%), (0.7 mg%).
In the study of chicory inflorescences, it was found that anthocyanins - derivatives of delphinidin, in particular 3,5-di-o- (6-o-malonyl-β-D-glucoside) delphinidin, 3-o- (6 -o-malonyl-β-D-glucoside) -5-o-β-D-glucoside of delphinidin, 3-o - (- D-glucoside-5-o- (6-o-malonyl-β-D-glucoside) delphinidin and 3,5-di-o-β-D-glucoside delphinidin ( Norbaek R. et al., 2002).
An acylated cyanidin glycoside was also found in chicory leaves, and protocatechol aldehyde was found in seeds.

The history of the use of chicory in medicine

In folk medicine, chicory has been used since ancient times. The roots of chicory are mentioned in the writings of Pliny, Forecal, Theophrastus. An analysis of the prescription formulas of ancient Arabic and Armenian medicine indicates that chicory was part of various medicines that were used to treat wounds, diseases of the digestive system and liver. Ibn Sina used chicory to treat diseases of the stomach and intestines, inflammation of the eyes and as a thirst quencher. He recommended applying bandages soaked with chicory decoction to the joints at and to the bites of scorpions, snakes and lizards.
Since ancient times, chicory has been considered a food plant. It was known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans who used the leaves of the plant to make savory salads. Interest in chicory in Europe reappeared in the late Middle Ages, when they learned to cook from chopped and roasted chicory roots. The use of the so-called "Prussian coffee" with chicory is evidenced by a manuscript with a corresponding recipe, which was found in the city of Padua and dates back to 1600. After evaluating the taste of a coffee drink made from chicory, Dutch peasants began to cultivate this plant at the end of the 18th century. Beginning in 1770, the chicory drink made a real boom among coffee lovers in Paris, and eventually throughout France. There is still a debate about the priority of chicory coffee between the residents of the Harz and Paris. At the end of the 18th century. industrial plantations of chicory and factories for processing roots began to be created in Germany. Nevertheless, regardless of the European origin of the coffee drink made from chicory, in the nineteenth century. in France it was called "Indian coffee" ( Caféaux Indiens) or "Chinese coffee" ( Caféaux Chinois).
Cultivated varieties of wild chicory began to appear in Europe since 1850, thanks to the efforts of the botanist Bressiers, the chief gardener and vegetable grower of the botanical garden in Brussels. Once, having planted wild chicory sprouts (in order to get the best seedlings and discard them), instead of ordinary plants, the gardener received plants with leaves twisted at the head, like lettuce or cabbage. Later, this botanist bred varieties of chicory with a fleshy root, similar to beets. Over time, the methods of breeding new varieties of chicory were declassified, and they began to be cultivated not only in France, but also in Greece and Italy. Since the 70s of the XIX century. the cultural variety of chicory "Vitluf" (its name comes from the Flemish name of chicory "witloof" - white leaf) has spread throughout Europe. In Greece, and eventually in the United States, the cultivated chicory began to be called "endevium" - from the distorted Latin name "intybus".
The first scientific works on the study of the chemical composition of chicory date back to the beginning of the 19th century. However, systematic studies of the plant began at the beginning of the 20th century. It was during this period that chicory gained recognition as a valuable technical sugar plant. Therefore, scientists were primarily interested in the content of polysaccharides, namely inulin, in the roots of this plant. In 1925, a chemical study of chicory roots was carried out at the Central Institute of the Sugar Industry (Moscow), which showed that the content of inulin was 18–20%. In addition, the possibility of obtaining fructose (levulose) by hydrolysis of inulin with weak acids was considered. Similar work was carried out at that time in Germany, but the yield of fructose was only 50% of the theoretical, and the production was discontinued.
In Ukraine, a chemical-technological study of the roots of cultivated varieties of chicory was carried out in 1928 at the Kharkov Institute of Technology. A method was proposed for the isolation of fructose in the form of calcium fructosate, but crystalline fructose was not obtained. At the Kharkov Institute of Applied Chemistry, these studies were later continued, and as a result 18-19.5% of sugars were obtained. Since then, chicory has been returned as a valuable sugar bearer, from which inulin and fructose can be obtained.

Traditional medicine considers chicory to be an effective remedy for increasing appetite, treating acute and chronic hepatitis, enterocolitis, conjunctivitis, and poisoning. Its roots are used as a general tonic for depletion of the body and as a means of normalizing blood composition. A decoction of chicory is also recommended for malaria, bronchial asthma, edema of cardiac origin, scurvy, hysteria, tuberculosis, gout, skin diseases, steamed aerial part - for radiculitis, myositis, lymphadenitis.

In French and Austrian folk medicine, chicory is used to increase appetite, with hypoacid gastritis, and also as a remedy. In Bulgaria, infusions and decoctions of chicory roots are used for liver diseases (cirrhosis, hepatitis) and gallbladder (), stomach ulcers, kidney diseases, as an emollient for angina and respiratory inflammation, externally - for skin rashes, eczema, boils, carbuncles, neglected wounds, chronic ulcers in the form of gruel. Polish folk medicine recommends chicory juice against malignant tumors. Traditional medicine in Europe uses chicory roots also for the treatment of nephritis, enuresis, spleen diseases,. In Azerbaijani folk medicine, chicory roots are popular for the treatment of the initial stage. Leishmaniasis was treated with plant ash.
It is popularly believed that eating chicory grass by cows increases milk yield.

Pharmacological properties of chicory

Biologically active substances of chicory (bitterness) reflexively increase the secretion of gastric and intestinal juices, peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, regulate defecation, and increase appetite.

Extracts of the aerial part of chicory containing flavonoids, oxycoumarins and hydroxycinnamic acids are active (S.M.Drogovoz et al., 1975). A pronounced choleretic effect is manifested at a dose of 50 mg / kg intraduodenally, with a further increase in the degree of choleretic reaction does not significantly change. When the total extract of the aerial part of chicory and its fraction containing phenolic compounds are administered to experimental rats, an increase in bile secretion is noted already at the 1st hour (by 40% and 32%, respectively) and lasts 2-3 hours. At the same time, the concentration of cholates in the bile sharply increases (mainly due to conjugates of taurocholic acid), the ratio between conjugated and free bile acids increases, and the cholesterol content decreases. The choleretic properties of chicory root extract are much weaker.

Chicory root extract shows a pronounced therapeutic effect in experimental hepatitis caused by carbon tetrachloride. Its use improves the protein-synthetic function of the liver, reduces the pathological manifestations of hepatitis ( Yavorsky O.I., 1997; Gadgoli C., Mishra S. H. 1997; Zafar R. and Ali Mujahid S., 1998). The hepatoprotective activity of chicory root extract is due to phenolic compounds, in particular esculin ( Gilani A. H. et al., 1998).

Inulin and less polymerized chicory fructosans, as well as the products of their partial hydrolysis, are well fermented by the intestinal microflora, in particular by bifidobacteria ( Roberfroid M. B. et al., 1998).

A decoction of chicory roots has a hypoglycemic effect. According to S. Arullani (1937) after taking 200-300 g of raw materials by 18-44%. These results were confirmed by H. Ploese (1940), who observed a 15–20% decrease in sugar levels after taking juice from chicory leaves. The pronounced hypoglycemic activity of dry extract from chicory roots at a dose of 50 mg / kg with intragastric administration was confirmed by Tajik scientists using a model of aloxan diabetes ( Nuraliev Yu. N. et al., 1984). OI Yavorsky (1997) found that the hypoglycemic effect of the total extract from chicory roots in conditions of aloxan diabetes is associated with its polysaccharide complex. Electron microscopic examination of the ultrastructure of the pancreas of experimental animals made it possible to establish that the therapeutic effect arises due to the protective effect of chicory preparations on the membrane structures of β-cells of the islets of Langerhans. In addition, the introduction into the body of a polysaccharide complex, the structural basis of which is the non-insulin dependent sugar fructose, normalizes the body's carbohydrate metabolism. The absorption of fructose through the wall of the digestive tract is much slower than glucose and sucrose. This prevents a significant peak in blood fructose concentration. The conversion of adsorbed fructose into glycogen in the liver occurs independently of the hormone insulin. Experiments have shown that foods sweetened with fructose produce faster and longer lasting satiety effects than foods sweetened with other sweeteners.

The positive effect of chicory on the body is observed in diabetes mellitus. With this pathology, along with disorders of all types of metabolism, the metabolism of trace elements changes significantly. So, with the development of carbon imbalance, the processes of removing iron, copper, zinc, cobalt, chromium from the body are activated. It has been proved that chromium atoms act as an activator of interaction between insulin molecules and surface membranes of cells, and regulate glucose uptake, being direct or indirect activators of tissue respiration, therefore, a decrease in their content negatively affects the state of patients with diabetes mellitus ( G.O.Babenko, I.P. Reshetkina, 1971). When studying the trace element composition of chicory roots, it was found that the underground part of the plant contains, in particular, chromium. Therefore, it is obvious that the consumption of chicory is very useful for the prevention and complex treatment of diabetes mellitus.

R. Benigni et al. (1962) described the thyreostatic action of chicory.

Biologically active substances of chicory also have a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism. In rabbits that were on a high-carbohydrate diet, there is an increase in total cholesterol levels up to severe hypercholesterolemia. This is prevented by the introduction of the total chicory extract. In addition, the level of atherogenic cholesterol decreased in animals. These data indicate a pronounced and antiatherogenic effect of chicory and make it possible to recommend its preparations for clinical testing for the purpose of prophylaxis.

On a model of stress damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, simulated by intraperitoneal administration of a stress dose of adrenaline (50 μg / kg) to mice, it was experimentally established that lyophilized aqueous extracts of chicory root and herb have antioxidant properties ( Yavorskiy O.I., 1994). The previous intragastric administration of chicory root and herb lyophilisates at a dose of 100 mg / kg prevents an increase in the intensity of lipid peroxidation and a decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase. Lyophilisate of chicory root has a more pronounced antioxidant activity than the preparation from the aerial part of the plant. Lyophilisates of chicory prevented the occurrence of stress hemorrhages, ulcerative erosive and inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa. The gastroprotective activity of the aqueous extract of chicory root was 1.3–1.5 times higher than that of the same extracts of dandelion root, Potentilla herb, and wormwood introduced in similar doses. It is believed that the antistress effect of chicory is based on its antioxidant effect. It is important that the chicory root extract not only suppressed the manifestations of ulcerative erosive and inflammatory processes, but also contributed to the rapid reparation of morphological changes in the gastric mucosa and the restoration of its functional state.

Further biochemical studies confirmed the antioxidant activity of chicory extract in different in vitro systems: in the linoleic acid - β-carotene system, in tests of inhibition of the formation of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical ( Papetti A. et al., 2002), xanthine oxidase activity ( Pieroni A. et al., 2002) and the process of free radical DNA damage ( Sultana S. et al., 1995). It has been demonstrated by gel electrophoresis that an aqueous chicory extract inhibits the oxidation of low density lipoproteins (Kim T. W., Yang K. S., 2001). Antioxidant action underlies the hepatoprotective properties of chicory.

It was found that chicory juice contains both antioxidant and prooxidant compounds. Heat-labile prooxidants, obviously of a protein nature (ml.m. 50 KDa), in the cold increase the peroxidation of linoleic acid, thus masking thermostable antioxidants. Antioxidants appear only after thermal inactivation of prooxidants or after their separation by dialysis ( Papetti A. et al., 2002).

Interesting results were obtained by Egyptian scientists S. I. Balbaa et al. (1973) when studying the effect of alcoholic tincture of chicory roots on an isolated frog heart. The drug exhibited a pronounced quinidine-like activity, causing a clear decrease in the amplitude and slowing down of the heart rate. The greatest activity was shown by preparations from large-root varieties of chicory garden "Magdeburg" and "Ronesse". The cardiological activity of the tincture of the cultivated variety "Magdeburg" reached 75% of the action of the standard tincture of foxglove. Therefore, further study of the cardiological properties of chicory is promising in terms of the development of new effective agents for the treatment of tachycardia, arrhythmia and fibrillation.

Experimental studies indicate that a decoction of chicory inflorescences also exhibits cardiotropic properties. When it is added (at a concentration of 0.5-1%) to the perfusion solution that enters the isolated heart of a frog and a rabbit, in the first minutes there is an increase in the work of the heart, an improvement in diastolic relaxation, an increase in the amplitude of heart contractions with a slight decrease in their frequency (Force B . I., 1948). The stimulating effect of the drug on the adynamic and hypodynamic heart (against the background of the action of chloral hydrate) was longer than on an isolated normal heart. The cardiotonic substances of the decoction of chicory inflorescences do not have the ability to accumulate in the heart muscle - after washing, the performance indicators of the isolated heart quickly (after 1-2 minutes) are restored to their initial values. In high concentrations (3-5%) decoction of chicory inflorescences caused a slowdown in the rhythm and rapid cardiac arrest. It can be assumed that the cardiotonic properties of the decoction of chicory inflorescences are due to the content in them of anthocyanins - dolphinidin glycosides.

A decoction of chicory inflorescences in small concentrations (0.1–0.5%) of the skin and kidneys, and in higher concentrations (1–2%) causes their narrowing. When administered intravenously to rabbits, 10% of the infusion (5 and 10 mg / kg) occurs short-term sharp, the hypotensive effect lasts 30-40 minutes. A weak hypotensive effect is also observed with intramuscular and intravenous administration of a decoction of chicory roots to anesthetized rats. On the isolated large intestine of a rabbit, the decoction of the roots exhibits weak antispasmodic activity.

A decoction of chicory herb has diuretic properties.

In experiments on animals, it was found that infusion of chicory inflorescences exerts an effect on the central nervous system, reduces the motor activity of experimental animals (Sila V.I., 1948). This effect is associated with the depressing effect on the nerve centers of lactucopicrin.

Antimicrobial and astringent properties of aqueous chicory extract have been established. From its roots J. M. Deshusses (1961) isolated a substance with a bacteriostatic effect against Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis. Methanol and petroleum ether extracts of chicory inhibit the germination of spores of phytopathogenic fungi by more than 95% ( Abou-Jawdah Y. et al., 2002).

In accordance with empirical data, juice from chicory roots exhibits antitumor activity, however, specially conducted studies have not confirmed such properties: it did not affect either the growth of Guerin's carcinoma, or its histological structure, or the general condition of animals with implanted tumors. At the same time, it was recently reported that 1β-hydroxyeudesmanolide-magnolialide contained in chicory leaves inhibits the growth of cells of some tumor lines and induces differentiation of human leukemia cells HL-60 and U-937 in monocyto-macrophage-like cells ( Lee K. T. et al., 2000).

The immunomodulatory activity of the polysaccharide complex obtained from chicory roots has been established. Observations of O. I. Yavorsky and V. V. Chopyak (1995) showed that in in vitro experiments it enhances the migration ability and stimulates the phagocytic activity of leukocytes (NBT-test) in patients with allergic dermatitis. The study of the effect of chicory on the function of the body's immune system was continued by Korean scientists. J. H. Kim et al. (2002) demonstrated that an alcoholic extract of chicory (300 mg / kg for 4 weeks) counteracts the inhibition of the immunological reactivity of the organism of ICR mice against the background of chronic alcohol intoxication. In comparison with the control group, the animals that received the extract showed an increase in the number of leukocytes, the relative mass of the thymus and spleen, the intensity of the humoral immune response to sheep erythrocytes (the number of plaque-forming spleen cells, hemagglutinin titers) and bovine serum albumin (secondary immune response - Ig titers), as well as the intensity of the development of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. In addition, against the background of the introduction of chicory extract, an increase in the phagocytic activity of leukocytes, the activity and proliferation of natural killer cells (NK cells), the secretion of γ-interferon, as well as an insignificant induction of interleukin-4 were found. At the same time, the proliferative response of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to the phytohemagglutinin mitogen by 70% ethanol extract of chicory was completely inhibited ( Z. Amirghofran et al., 2000). In mixed culture, an increase in lymphocyte proliferation in response to allogeneic cells was observed in the presence of 10 μg / ml of extract.

Biologically active substances of chicory in the experiment also exhibit anti-allergic properties. Aqueous chicory extract (0.1–1000 mg / kg) dose-dependently inhibits the development of a systemic anaphylactic reaction and an increase in plasma histamine concentration in mice caused by the introduction of a mast cell destabilizer compound 48/80 ( Kim H. M. et al. 1999). When applied in maximum dose the animals showed a complete absence of anaphylactic manifestations. Chicory extract also inhibits the development of a local anaphylactic reaction caused by the administration of anti-dinitrophenyl-IgE. It has been proven that the blocking effect of chicory extract on the destabilization of mast cell membranes under the influence of Ig and compound 48/80 is based on an increase in the intracellular concentration of cAMP.

Studies of the pharmacological activity of roasted chicory, which occupies a significant place in the diet of many people as a substitute or additive to coffee, are of important practical interest. In an experiment on 11 volunteers who consumed 60 g of chicory coffee for 6 months, it was found that such an additive does not cause unpleasant symptoms from the digestive system, with the exception of a slight increase in intestinal motility, does not affect diuresis, neuropsychic state and the system. blood circulation, heart rate and rhythm, ECG indicators ( Leclerq E. and Netjes J. T., 1985). Research shows that heat treatment (roasting) of the roots leads to decomposition and destruction of the structure of most biologically active substances, which, on the one hand, leads to an improvement in the taste of the product, and, on the other hand, to a decrease in pharmacological activity.

Toxicology and side effects of chicory

Chicory roots do not show significant side effects and are not toxic. However, with prolonged use, they can significantly increase the secretion of gastric juice and bile. Therefore, patients with high acidity of gastric juice should use chicory remedies with caution.

Fried roots of chicory, in contrast to dried ones, exhibit a more pronounced choleretic effect and can significantly increase diuresis. Therefore, long-term consumption of chicory coffee may be undesirable for patients with liver and gallbladder diseases.

Toxicological studies indicate that the crude total galenic preparations from the aerial part and roots of chicory ordinary, as well as the purified fraction of phenolic compounds from the aerial part, is practically non-toxic: LD50 for mice after intraperitoneal injection is 5.0-7.6 g / kg ( Drogovoz S.M. et al., 1975).

Also, 10% decoction of chicory inflorescences does not show toxicity. At doses of 10-15 ml / kg in laboratory animals, it caused only a short-term (3-4 hours) inhibition of motor activity (Force VI, 1948).

Cases of occupational allergy to chicory in vegetable sellers ( Friis B. et al. 1975; Krook G., 1977). With oral, cutaneous and inhalation contact, allergic reactions of immediate and delayed type developed with predominantly cutaneous manifestations (urticaria, contact dermatitis). Patients tended to cross-sensitize also to lettuce. The protein ml was identified as an allergen. m. 48 KDa from plant roots (Cadot P. et al., 1996). It is believed that the sensitizing properties of chicory may also be associated with sesquiterpene lactones.

Noteworthy are reports that an aqueous suspension of chicory roots inhibits spermatogenesis in mice ( Roy-Choudhury A. and Venkatakrishna-Bhatt H., 1983). The chicory seed extract in an experiment on rats showed pronounced contraceptive activity ( Keshri G. et al., 1998). In our opinion, this information requires detailed study in connection with the possibility of undesirable side effects of chicory preparations on the human body.

Clinical use of chicory

In modern medicine, galenic and neogalenic preparations of chicory are used to stimulate appetite, improve the activity of the digestive organs, as a choleretic and a remedy. They are prescribed for hyperacid gastritis, enteritis, colitis, chronic constipation, they are recommended for cirrhosis of the liver, stagnation of the portal circulation system. Chicory is one of the main components of the well-known effective Indian Ayurvedic hepatoprotective drug Liv 52.

V.D. Kazarina et al. (1981) investigated the effect of 10% decoction of chicory roots on the biochemical composition of bile and indicators of the inflammatory process in 30 patients with. As a result of its intake, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals, for two weeks, the intensity of the inflammatory process in the gallbladder and biliary tract decreased (diphenylamine and ninhydrin tests normalized), and the production of bile acids increased. At the same time, no effect on other biochemical characteristics of bile (the content of bilirubin, cholesterol, calcium) was observed. In the majority of patients, the indices of nonspecific anti-infectious resistance of the organism returned to normal, which had a positive effect on the general condition of the patients. However, in about a quarter of patients with recurrent inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, immunological parameters remained unchanged after treatment.

Taking into account the non-toxicity, mild action, ease of dosing and the absence of allergic reactions, N.V. Dmitrieva et al. (1987) used chicory roots in the complex treatment of newborns with pathology of the hepatobiliary system (cholecystitis, hypotonic biliary dyskinesia).
A 10% decoction was prepared from the crushed roots and used 1/2 teaspoon (starting with 3-5 drops) 4 times a day before feeding for 15–20 days. Thanks to bitterness, the use of the decoction improved appetite, which had a positive effect on the weight gain of infants. For 14 days of treatment, the weight gain was 2 times greater than in the control group, and amounted to 300 ± 50 g. On the 6–8th day, the size of the liver in infants decreased and the icterus of the skin decreased or disappeared altogether, and the stool returned to normal. According to the data of fractional duodenal intubation, the excretion of bile by the liver increased, in 60% of patients the motor-evacuation function of the biliary tract returned to normal. The most characteristic change in the composition of hepatic and gallbladder bile was an increase in the content of bile acids and a decrease in the index of bilirubin concentration. The results of the studies made it possible to conclude that it is advisable to use a decoction of chicory roots in the complex treatment of infants with anorexia, malnutrition, internal and subhepatic cholestasis, cholecystitis, hepatitis.

Scientists of the Ivano-Frankivsk Medical Academy, together with the joint-stock company "Galychpharm", have developed and patented a new hepatoprotective collection "Tricinol", which, in addition to chicory roots, includes a leaf ( Folium Menyanthidis) and inflorescences ( Anthodium Calendulae).
In an experiment on animals, it was proved that this agent has pronounced hepatoprotective and choleretic properties, and even surpasses silibor in activity. This drug has passed the stage of preclinical pharmacological studies at the Pharmacological Committee of Ukraine, but has not been introduced into production.

Experimental data gave reason to consider chicory roots as a promising remedy for mild and moderate forms of diabetes mellitus. In 1993, a collection of medicinal herbs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus "Lydia", which includes chicory roots, was patented in Russia. Chicory roots are a component of the hypoglycemic collection patented in Croatia ( Petlevski R. et al., 2001).

An important food product for diabetics is fructose, which is rich in chicory roots. The results of clinical studies indicate that inulin preparations from chicory roots exhibit a pronounced hypoglycemic effect in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type II), and also reduce daily fluctuations in blood glucose ( Pavlyuk P.M., 1999; Kosykh O. Yu., 2000). Therefore, chicory inulin is considered today as the drug of choice in the treatment of patients with. It is recommended as monotherapy for newly diagnosed diabetes and mild disease, as well as for the primary prevention of diabetes mellitus in people with reduced glucose tolerance and metabolic syndrome (carbohydrate metabolism disorders, hypertension, hyperproteinemia). In moderate and severe forms of diabetes mellitus, inulin allows to reduce the dose of basic hypoglycemic drugs, is a good means of preventing complications of the disease (diabetic angiopathies, peripheral neuropathies, retinopathies, nephropathies and encephalopathies). In addition, inulin has a beneficial effect on lipid metabolism, reducing the elevated level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood (Pavlyuk P.M., 1999). Thanks to the satiety effect, inulin reduces hunger without consuming additional calories.

Dietary supplements containing inulin and fructose are low in calories and are recommended for the nutrition of athletes. Due to the moderate metabolism of fructose, they increase the body's endurance, in addition, they contribute to the restoration of fluid and electrolytes after significant physical activity... Due to the satiety effect, eating fructose before meals reduces hunger.

Maltol may have the potential to enhance the sweet taste of sugar.

As a remedy, chicory herb is used for diseases of the kidneys, bladder, gout. Inulin is used in clinical and laboratory practice to assess renal function, since it is filtered only in the renal glomeruli, and is not secreted or absorbed in the renal tubules.

Due to the sedative effect on the central nervous system, chicory preparations are recommended for neuroses, insomnia, hypertension.

An aqueous infusion of chicory is used externally in the form of washes and lotions for the treatment of furunculosis, eczema, purulent wounds, blepharitis.

Remedies from chicory roots are promising as anticoagulants ( Chiryatiev E.A. et al., 1989).

In Austria, preparations from chicory roots in the form of an extract, decoction and tablets are used in the absence of appetite, hypoacid gastritis and as a remedy. Chicory is found in several homeopathic remedies.

In India, chicory is used to make toothpastes that have anti-inflammatory properties and prevent the formation of plaque ( Patel V. K. and Venkatakrishna-Bhatt H., 1983).

Ground roasted chicory root is used as a substitute for natural coffee and a valuable addition to barley coffee substitutes. The results of a study of the pharmacological activity of roasted chicory root confirm that drinking coffee from chicory, instead of natural, eliminates the negative effects of caffeine and other compounds and is useful for “coffee lovers” with disorders of the nervous system, circulatory system and intestines. Young basal chicory leaves are used in some foreign countries for making salads. The roots of the plant can be used to produce alcohol.

Chicory medicines

Gastrovitol(Gastrovitol, OZ GNTSLS, Kharkiv, Ukraine) - oral liquid containing hydroalcoholic extracts of 13.9 g of chicory rhizome, 13.9 g of oregano herb and 2.5 g of aromatic chapolochi herb. Available in bottles of 200, 250 and 500 ml. The drug stimulates appetite, enhances the secretion of the digestive glands, intestinal peristalsis, promotes bile secretion, exhibits anti-inflammatory and sedative effects. It is used to increase appetite for gastritis with reduced secretion of gastric juice, stimulation of intestinal motility with hypotonic dyskinesia of the biliary tract, enterocolitis, accompanied by and, as well as with increased nervous excitability and insomnia. Assign inside 1 teaspoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. Duration of treatment is on average 3 weeks. The drug is contraindicated in hyperacid gastritis, it should be used with caution during pregnancy and lactation.
LIV 52(Liv 52, Himalaya Drug, India) is a complex preparation made from juices and decoctions of a number of medicinal plants. Tablets contain per dry matter 16 mg of yarrow, 65 mg of chicory, 16 mg of oriental senna, 32 mg of black nightshade, 65 mg of prickly caper Capparis spinosa L., 32 mg of Terminalia arjuna, 16 mg of French Tamarix gallica tamarisk and 33 mg of Mandur bhasma. Available in India in packs of 50 and 100 tablets.
It is used to improve the function of the liver and the processes of its regeneration in infectious and toxic hepatitis, chronic hepatitis. In precirotic conditions, the drug stops the development of cirrhosis and prevents further damage to the liver tissue. Prevents the development of alcoholic liver damage, protects against the effects of toxic substances and is hepatotoxic medicines... The drug also increases appetite, improves bile secretion, digestion in general and the absorption of food, promotes the removal of gases from the intestines. Assign inside adults 2 tablets, children 1-2 tablets 3-4 times a day.
Side effect. The literature describes single cases of epidermal necrolysis (Lyell's syndrome) in patients with chronic and acute infectious hepatitis who took LIV 52. Therefore, the drug has been rarely used recently.
Urogran(Urogranum, Herbapol, Poland) - granules containing biologically active substances of scrofula herb, horsetail herb, birch leaf, chicory root, lovage root and calamus rhizomes.
Shows a saluretic, antispasmodic effect, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. It is prescribed for acute and chronic inflammatory processes of the urinary tract, with kidney stone disease, urine acid diathesis. Drink 1 / 2–2 / 3 teaspoon of granules 3 times a day between meals with 1/2 cup of sweetened water or tea.
Side effect: Allergic reactions are occasionally possible.
Choleretic collection(Species cholagogue, Herbapol, Poland) is a medicinal tea containing chicory roots, St. John's wort, calendula inflorescences, dandelion roots, peppermint leaf, St. John's wort, Bardanae root and Dracunculi herb. It is used for diseases of the liver and biliary tract, cholecystitis, nephrolithiasis, digestive disorders caused by insufficient secretion of bile.
Body slim(Uncle Lee's Tea Inc., USA) is a medicinal tea containing senna leaf, blackberry leaf, orange peel, rice fiber, ginseng, chrysanthemum herb and chicory. It has a hypolipidemic and laxative effect, improves digestion. The application begins with small doses, gradually increasing them. We recommend 1 packet of tea for 2 cups of boiling water, used warm or chilled after a meal in the morning or evening. Can also be diluted in more water. Starting from the 2nd week, 1 packet of tea can be brewed with 1 glass of boiling water. It is advisable not to consume more than 3 cups of tea a day.
Hevert-Magen-Galle-Leber-Tee(Hevert, Germany) - tea, 100 g of which contains 2 g of calendula inflorescences, 20 g of fennel fruits, 10 g of wormwood herb, 5 g of centaury herb, 2 g of celandine herb, 38 g of chicory herb, 10 g of yarrow herb, 5 g of herb thyme and 8 g of calamus rhizomes. Drink 1 cup (2 teaspoons per cup) of tea 3 times a day before meals for gastritis, cholecystitis, for the auxiliary treatment of gastric ulcer.
St. Radegunder Abfürtee mild(Synpharma, Austria) - laxative tea, 100 g of which contains 60 g of blackthorn flowers, 25 g of chicory root, 10 g of fennel and 5 g of mallow flowers. It is used for constipation and intestinal atony. Drink several times a day for 1 cup of fresh tea (2 teaspoons per cup). Contraindicated in case of allergy to components.

Photos and illustrations

Common chicory ( Cichorium intybus) Is a perennial rhizome plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, or Compositae. It is ubiquitous and grows like a weed along roadsides and in urban wastelands, meadows and pastures. However, there are several good reason not only pay attention to it, but also plant it in your own.

The first reason is beauty

Chicory is beautiful

If you want to grow chicory not only for benefit, but also for beauty, choose a place for it in the background of a decorative bed or mixborder, or place it in the center if a two-sided view of the flower garden is expected. But keep in mind: during seed reproduction, this plant does not bloom in the first year, it only has a rosette of basal leaves.

When choosing chicory companions, consider how you intend to use it. If you plan to dig up the roots, you should not combine this plant with perennials, it is better to plant annual flowers or spicy, medicinal herbs nearby - for example,.

Reason two - taste

To make a coffee drink, dry root pieces are roasted (usually in an oven) and then ground like coffee beans and brewed. When roasted, the natural polysaccharide inulin and fructose contained in the roots are partially caramelized - later this will affect the color of the drink, giving it a resemblance to natural coffee; The "coffee" aroma is provided by the aldehyde, oxymethylfurfural, formed when sugars are heated. This substance, by the way, has an ambiguous "reputation" - in various sources you can find information about its high toxicity and harm to the body. However, it should be borne in mind that oxymethylfurfural is found in many food products, so one should hardly take such "horror stories" to heart.

Please also note that the degree of roasting of the roots affects the taste of the drink: if the raw material has acquired a dark brown color during processing, the "coffee" from it will be noticeably bitter.

In our catalog, where the products of large garden online stores are presented, you can find ready-made chicory products - healthy coffee drinks, syrup, dried herb and chicory root. ...

Chicory syrup, 230 g 216 rbl
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Chicory with ginseng, 100 g 183 rbl
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Chicory with blueberries, 100 g 183 rbl
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Chicory with rose hips, 100 g 183 rbl
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Reason three - benefit

The whole plant serves as a medicinal raw material: the grass is harvested during flowering, cutting off strong stems with scissors, and the roots are dug up in autumn or early spring (when the basal leaves begin to grow).

Chicory roots are used for the preparation of decoctions and infusions used in the treatment of diseases of the liver and gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, as well as obesity, atherosclerosis, disorders of mineral metabolism, joint diseases, mild diabetes, increased nervous excitability, general weakening of the body.

Chicory herb is used in the form of decoctions and infusions for constipation and digestive disorders, edema of cardiac origin; externally - in the form of lotions or baths - in the treatment of eczema, purulent wounds, persistent furunculosis.

How to grow chicory

The root of chicory is pivotal, thickened, fleshy. For normal development, he needs a light fertile soil with a neutral reaction; the plant feels best in a sunny area. Chicory is sown in early spring in the grooves to a depth of 2.5 cm, leaving from 45 to 60 cm between the grooves. The seeds do not require additional processing and usually sprout after 7, maximum 10 days. The formation of large roots is facilitated by timely (in the phase of the third-fourth leaf) thinning; no more than 15 plants are left per 1 meter of a row.

Chicory is unpretentious, it does not need special care, but if you want to get a high yield of medicinal raw materials, do not neglect weeding, periodic loosening of the soil, watering in dry weather. When growing chicory as a perennial crop, keep in mind that mice readily eat it, so you should protect the plantings from pests.

In the first year, the plant does not bloom, forming only a rosette of leaves, but the roots can be harvested already in the fall. Raw materials are washed cold water, cut and dry; It is best to use a not hot oven for this, but you can also use a regular oven or vegetable dryer.

Of course, you don't have to bother: chicory is by no means a curiosity, it is found everywhere. But often the places of its natural growth can hardly be called environmentally friendly, therefore, it is difficult to harvest wild-growing chicory as a medicinal raw material. And this is probably another reason to grow it in the garden - here you will certainly be sure that you will benefit.

Chicory flowers as food. Calorie content and the main useful components that make up them. What healing effect does the plant have? Contraindications What can be made from it - interesting recipes.

The content of the article:

Chicory (lat.Cichorium) is a perennial herb that is considered to be in the Astrov family. It grows in temperate and tropical climates, and therefore the area of ​​culture is very extensive. You can meet him in Eastern Siberia and South Africa. In our country, it is distributed in the European part, the Caucasus and Siberia. Found in meadows, fields, forest edges, wastelands, roadsides - in general, everywhere. It is not surprising that we perceive the plant as a weed, although it contains tremendous benefits. Our ancestors understood this benefit and used chicory flowers and other parts of the plant in folk medicine, and also found a place for them in the kitchen. Today, the culture is known only as a healthy alternative to coffee, but this is far from the only way to reveal its medicinal and taste properties.

The composition and calorie content of chicory flowers

The calorie content of chicory flowers per 100 grams is 72 kcal, of which:

• Proteins - 1.4 g;
• Fat - 0.2 g;
• Carbohydrates - 16.01 g;
• Water - 80 g;
• Ash - 0.89 g;
• Dietary fiber - 1.5 g.

Minerals per 100 g:

• Potassium - 290 mg;
• Calcium - 41 mg;
• Magnesium - 22 mg;
• Sodium - 50 mg;
• Phosphorus - 61 mg;
• Iron - 0.8 mg;
• Manganese - 0.23 mg;
• Copper - 0.08 mcg;
• Selenium - 0.7 mcg;
• Zinc - 0.33 mg.

• Vitamin B1 - 0.04 mg;
• Vitamin B2 - 0.03 mg;
• Vitamin B5 - 0.32 mg;
• Vitamin B6 - 0.24 mg;
• Vitamin B9 - 23 mcg;
• Vitamin C - 5 mg;
• Vitamin PP, NE - 0.4 mg.

• Saturated - 0.05 g;
• Polyunsaturated - 0.09 g.

Useful properties of chicory flowers

At the moment, the plant is also used in folk medicine, most often for the preparation of diabetic drugs due to the content of a special substance inulin. Most of this congruity is in the root, but it is also present in flowers, just in smaller quantities, but the latter contain a record amount of coumarin glycosides, which contribute to blood thinning and are an excellent practice for thrombophlebitis.

However, these are only the main distinctive features certain parts of the plant, but, in fact, their role in the health of the body is much more significant.

Let's take a closer look at the medicinal properties of chicory flowers:

1. Anti-inflammatory effect... The product is a good natural anti-inflammatory agent - it is no coincidence that in ancient times it was used as an antidote for the bites of poisonous insects and snakes. Chicory effectively fights against foreign pathogenic flora, helping the body to quickly cope with all kinds of infections.
2. Strengthening immunity and treating colds... The flowers of chicory contain many vitamins, macro- and microelements that help to fill the lack of these biologically active substances in the body, which, in turn, improves immunity. In addition, the product can be used to treat colds, as it has a pronounced expectorant and antipyretic effect.
3. Improving the activity of the cardiovascular system... The role of chicory is especially great in stabilizing the work of the heart muscle and cleansing blood vessels. The product removes excess cholesterol and fats, as well as various toxins, reducing the likelihood of vascular occlusion, which leads to the development of severe diseases and acute heart failure. In addition, it has a good effect on blood composition, reducing the amount of sugar and preventing the development of anemia. Even official medicine recommends introducing chicory in one form or another into the diet for heart disease, especially with tachycardia and ischemia, as well as vascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis.
4. Choleretic and diuretic effect... The product helps to remove excess fluid from the body, fights puffiness and prevents the development of diseases of the biliary and genitourinary system. It is noteworthy that it is used not only for the prevention of these diseases, but also as an auxiliary therapy in their treatment.
5. Beneficial effect on the nervous system... Chicory is often prescribed to treat nervous disorders. The plant has a mild calming effect, helps to improve sleep, get rid of anxious thoughts, the effects of stress, etc.
6. Prevention and treatment of dental diseases... Chicory disinfects the oral cavity well, which is an excellent prevention of dental and gum disease. It is also effective in treating such diseases due to its anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, the plant works as a pain reliever and can relieve acute toothache.
7. Beneficial effect on the liver... The product plays an important role in the functioning of the liver, it is even used in the treatment of such a terrible disease as cirrhosis as an addition to the main treatment regimen. But for those who have a healthy liver, the plant will be useful, due to its ability to remove toxins. It will facilitate the work of the body and prevent the development of certain pathological processes in the future.
8. Toning effect... Despite the fact that chicory has a slight calming effect, at the same time it gives a powerful burst of strength, both physically and mentally - muscle tension goes away, consciousness becomes clearer.
9. Prevention of obesity... Due to the presence of fiber and pectin in the composition, the product accelerates metabolism well, helping the rapid absorption of nutrients and the removal of harmful ones. In view of this feature, chicory is an excellent tool for losing weight and preventing obesity.

Contraindications and harm of chicory flowers

First of all, it should be said that even the most healthy person this product must not be abused. Excessive use of chicory can lead to unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms, overexcitation, headache, etc.

Secondly, allergy sufferers need to carefully introduce the product into the diet. Individual intolerance to the components of the product is a rare practice, but still exists.

In addition, pregnant and lactating women, as well as young children, should not experiment with the plant. Despite the fact that the harm of chicory flowers for these population groups has not been identified, extra caution will not hurt, because the immune system of the fetus and small child is not formed and sometimes gives an unpredictable response.

With extreme caution, the product is introduced into the diet of people suffering from severe diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the liver and respiratory organs. The dosage in this case plays a major role: the correct one can help in treatment, the wrong one, on the contrary, aggravate the situation.

Note! If you have any diseases not mentioned above and / or you are taking certain medications, the question of introducing chicory flowers into the diet should be discussed with your doctor.

Chicory flower recipes

But how can you use chicory flowers in the kitchen? There are, in fact, a lot of options. Fresh they can be added to salad, dried - used as a seasoning. This unusual spice will especially well complement the baking dough, imparting a pleasant aroma to pies and biscuits. And, of course, chicory flowers can simply become a wonderful decoration and addition to any dessert.

Let's take a look at some interesting recipes:

• Chicory cookies... Mix flour (250 grams) with baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), dried and ground chicory flowers (1 teaspoon), cinnamon, vanilla sugar, salt and coriander (pinch each). Separately in a bowl, combine softened butter (50 grams), sugar (100 grams) and sour cream (5 tablespoons), whisk the mixture a little. Add the combined dry ingredients to it. The dough will turn out thick - mold balls from them and roll them in sesame seeds (4 tablespoons) and brown sugar (50 grams). Line a baking sheet with baking paper, place the balls 5-10 centimeters apart and turn each into a flat cookie. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Fresh chicory salad... Chop randomly young chicory shoots (100 grams), bell pepper(1 piece) and cucumber (1 piece) in thin strips. Combine the ingredients and season with olive oil, then sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with flowers.
• Chicory garnish... Rinse well and dry young shoots and chicory flowers (200 grams). Heat butter (30-50 grams) in a frying pan, fry finely chopped red onion (1 piece) in it, then add chicory and pour in a little water. Simmer until soft, add dill (20 grams), lemon juice (2-3 tablespoons), salt and add your favorite spices. Let the dish steep a little and serve with sour cream or creamy sauce.
• Dessert flowers of chicory... Take the right amount of flowers, rinse them thoroughly and dry them. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl. Take a cooking brush and dab each petal with it, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Leave the flowers on foil at room temperature to dry for a day. You can decorate any dessert with ready-made flowers.

Note! Science does not yet have a final opinion on the correct classification of chicory flowers, some say that this is a food product, the second is a medicinal plant, and others are both a food product and a medicine at the same time. However, one way or another, such doubts lead to one very important conclusion: you should be very careful about the dosage of flowers in the diet, so as not to turn their benefit into harm.

In the Middle Ages, it was a favorite product of the peasants, they prepared syrups from it, added it to salads, and in order to make the bitterness not pronounced, they flavored them with a dressing of butter and honey.

In our country, there are many alternative names for chicory: petrov batog, scherbak, roadside grass, blue flower, black companion, etc.

In Poland, Slovenia and Bulgaria, the culture is called "the bride of the sun", because the flowers of the plant always turn after the heavenly body, walking across the sky.

Shoots and flowers of chicory are best harvested at the end of summer, and dried directly in the sun. It is preferable to dig out the roots in late September or early spring. It is necessary to collect only in ecologically clean areas.

Topical application of chicory can help relieve skin problems, including complex rashes, irritations and boils.

Watch the video about chicory: