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Ergot

Description of an ergot

Спорынья на колосьях злаковErgot or uterine horns – the parasitizing mushroom which meets on sick ears of cereals, most often on rye and wheat. Collect horns during cleaning of bread in the based stage adapted for a rewintering. Now in agricultural crops, thanks to modern methods of processing, the ergot practically does not meet, and for the medicinal purposes it is cultivated on the isolated crops.

A number of poisonous alkaloids – эргозин, ergotamine, эргокриптин, эргокристин, эргокорнин, ergometrine which at hit in flour in the form of impurity can cause the serious poisoning called by an ergotism is chemical composition of an ergot. In addition horns contain pigments, saccharites, phytosterols, organic acids, fat oils, amines and amino acids.

Use of an ergot

In the medical purposes the ergot is used from the second half of the 19th century as effective styptic remedy at uterine bleedings. In the form of powder and infusion this mushroom causes narrowing of blood vessels along with increase in a tone of muscles of a uterus. Atonic puerperal uterine bleedings are also the main indications to use of the drugs containing an ergot – Ergometrine of a maleate, Ergotal and Ergotamine of hydrotartrate. Besides, these drugs are appointed at disturbances of a menstrual cycle, and also at diagnostic invasive procedures and bleedings after abortions.

Спорынья – паразитирующий гриб семейства спорыньёвыеAlso the ergot is a part of some combined medicines, for example, in Belloidum which in addition to an ergot also contains alkaloids of a belladonna and butylethylbarbituric acid and is applied at neurotic frustration, migraine, a hyperthyroidism and Menyer's disease.

The ergot is a part of Secale comutum homeopathic remedy and is appointed at concussion, shin ulcers, ponosa, migraines, diabetes, difficult childbirth and high blood pressure.

In traditional medicine the ergot is applied as hypotensive and a vasodilator at treatment of a hypertension and some other diseases which are promoted by blood circulation disturbances, and also at headaches, mental disorders, a climax and migraine. For preparation of broth for treatment of migraine one teaspoon of an ergot is filled in with a glass of boiled water and insisted within half an hour. Accept on 1 tablespoon three times a day. This broth can be used also for a stop of uterine bleeding.

In a number of experimental works it is recorded that ergot drugs, influencing arterial pressure, can cause bradycardia, and also increase coagulability of blood and damage an endothelium of vessels.

At use of an ergot it is necessary to consider that this plant is strongly poisonous and demands big care and obligatory medical control.

Ergot contraindications

It is contraindicated to accept drugs from an ergot at pregnancy, and use them at the time of delivery causes various pathologies, including disturbance of independent department of a placenta and respiratory depression in the newborn.

In addition contraindications to use of an ergot are stenocardia and narrowing of peripheral vessels, glaucoma, an abnormal liver function and kidneys, septic conditions, late stages of atherosclerosis and an idiopathic hypertensia, a peptic ulcer of digestive tract, and at epilepsy take the drugs containing an ergot with caution.

At overdose by an ergot or at poisoning with the infected flour necrotic changes in peripheral departments of extremities which are followed by the expressed pain syndrome, and the damages of the central nervous system which are shown as drowsiness, paresthesias, dizziness and frustration of mentality can develop. In certain cases the ergot can lead to acute intoxication with a lethal outcome.

 
 
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