Rhubarb is a famous garden plant, with leaves looking like burdock. Its medicinal properties were used in ancient China, Ancient Greece. Rhubarb was brought to Russia in 18th century. In our days rhubarb is used in medical product and culinary.
Rhubarb belongs to Polygonaceae family. It is herbaceous perennial rhizome plant with large fleshy roots and straight, bell-shapedstems. The leaves are very large, palmate-lobed, with thick fleshy petioles. The flowers are small, have simple perianth, pink and white, gathered in large paniculate in florescences. The height is 1-2m.
Rhubarb roots and rhizomes have anthraglycosides, resinous substances, pigments, tanoglycosides, glycoglaline, tetrarine and their splitting products. The leaves and flowers contain vitamin C, rutin and organic acids. Petioles are featured with sugars, organic acids (citric, malic, succinic, oxalic acid), salts of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins.
The plant has diuretic, laxative and choleretic, astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory effect. Rhubarb is used as an agent constricting blood vessels, having anti-inflammatory effect and improving whole body systems activity.
