Calendula is the one in-official and ethnic selection of herbs all over the world. Its healing properties have been used since ancient Greece. Our days marigold is not only medicinal herb, but also plants defender, ornamental plant, and it is used in cooking. Multiple folk cultures associate marigold flowers with the sun through its bright yellow and gold color and symbolise beauty and a new beginning.
Calendula belongs to Compositae or Asteraceae family. It is an annual herb with a characteristic odor. The stem is upright, branched.The leaves are alternate, oblong, the lower ones are mostly narrowed. Flower calathids are beautiful, bright orange. Plant height is 20-50 cm.
Flower calathids contain bitter substance calenden, mucous substances, resins, malic, pentadecylic acid and traces of salicylic acid, various carotenoids carotene, lycopene, violaxanthin, rubixanthin, citraxanthin, flavochrome, flavoxanthin, hrizantemaxanthin, a small amount of alkaloids, essential oils and phytoncids.
The main properties of calendula are inflammatory, wound – healing, antibacterial, antispasmodic and cholagogus. Calendula has sedative, mild hypotensive effect, contributes to cardiac activity normalisation and reduces swelling. Calendula promotes stomach secretory activity, improves biliary liver function, eliminates cholestasis in gall bladder.
