Gambir ( lat. Uncaria gambir ) - a plant of the Marenov family, a species of the genus Unkaria , growing in India , Malaysia , Myanmar and Indonesia . It is also cultivated there.
| Gambir |
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| International scientific name |
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Uncaria gambir ( W.Hunter ) Roxb. |
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Content
Gambir is a branchy shrub that clings to trees with hooked trailers.
Leaves are large, opposite, whole, extreme ovate with stipules .
The flowers are small pink, collected in capitate inflorescences , pairwise sitting on common long peduncles . Some inflorescences are underdeveloped and retained by hooks bent by an arc and thick clinging antennae.
The biennial branches of the plant are cut off and the leaves peeled from them along with the tops of the branches are boiled in water. Then the hood is condensed to a syrupy mass, which when cooled turns into the so-called gambir catechu. Gambir catechu is lumpy pieces, dull reddish brown on the outside, light yellowish brown on the inside, very light (float on the surface of the water), porous, easily ground to powder. When dissolved in water with iron-ammonium alum, it gives a black-green color, which indicates the presence of condensed tannins.
Young branches and leaves of the plant are rich in characteristic tannins , formed by condensation of the so-called catechin units ( catechin , epicatechin and their dimers).
Gambir-catechu solution is used as an astringent inside, for lotions outside and for rinsing with looseness and bleeding of the gums. The local population uses gambir-catechu for the production of betel gum, as well as a coloring and tanning agent.
- ↑ For the conventionality of indicating the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the plant group described in this article, see the APG Systems section of the Dicotyledonous article .
- Muravyova D.A. Tropical and subtropical medicinal plants. - M.: Medicine, 1983. - 336 p., With ill.
- Blinova K.F. et al. Gambir-catechu // Botanical-Pharmacognostic Dictionary: Ref. allowance / Under (inaccessible link) ed. K.F. Blinova, G.P. Yakovleva. - M .: Higher. school, 1990. - S. 42. - ISBN 5-06-000085-0 .