This shrub that resembles a tortuous hazel branches and has branched who leaves oval, asymmetric at the base, sinuous and toothed on the edges of the blade. The flowers, bouquets grouped in armpit, are tetramer: 4S +4 P +4 E (fertile) +4 E (scales) +2 C.
Source
It is very common in the forests of eastern North American continent (Quebec, northeastern United States and from Virginia to Florida), which also is grown for ornamental and in Europe. Will gather the leaves and bark of the stems.
Chemical composition
Most of the work performed phytochemicals are old. One can observe the presence of a small amount of essential oil (Hexenal, acetaldehyde, ionone, alcohols, phenols ...) and phenolic compounds: flavonoids (the flavonol glycosides), acids, phenols [253] and tannins.
• Tannins. Its content can reach 10%. The presence of hamamelitanino-digaloil hamamelosa-discussed before [254] has been confirmed by HPLC it also shows that the drug contains gallic acid free [255]. The main components of the extracts of hydroalcoholic hamamelis are condensed tannins: the proantocianidoles. Five molecules have been detected in this group, one is a procianidol (eg a oligomers of a catechol), the rest could be a mixed oligomers catechol and a galocatecol: its hydrolysis oxidizer provides cianidol and delfinidol [255]. The same results were obtained with the crust [256]. Still unknown is the nature and configuration of the links. In addition to the proantocianidoles, the crust contains hamamelis hamamelitanino (more abundant in leaves) and gallates of catechol and its stereoisomers.
Pharmacological data
The drug has attracted a limited number of experimental work. The spray of hydroalcoholic extract is bacteriostatic, especially on Gram (-) [253]. Also, the extract is molluscicide [257]. The dye hamamelis (300 mg / l intra, rabbit) is capable of rapidly and significantly the flow of infusion, which translates into a vasoconstrictor effect [258]. Affirms that Delaveau, in the dog, the aqueous extract injected via iv reduces the diuretic, relaxes the smooth fibers of the intestine and decreases the heart contractibilidad [259].
Observations on the Man
The work in this field are scarce. Plethysmography shows that the gaseous mixture of extract of hamamelis, hidrastis Indian and horse chestnut, absorption at very high doses, it causes an increase in venous tone in subjects varicose [260]. In the beauty industry, has demonstrated that cutaneous thermometry by the local application of the extract of leaves causes a decrease in temperature probably due to a local vasoconstriction [261].
Employment
The drug appears to be devoid of toxicity: the LD50 of the fraction tánica per you can not be determined in the rat. No chronic toxicity has been detected (100 mg / kg / day, 3 months). As in the case of other drugs in wealthy procianidoles oligomers (eg ratania [262]) or tannins gálicos, hamamelis leaves are used as preparations extracts and phytotherapeutic traditionally given in the hemorrhoidal symptoms and treatment of subjective manifestations of venous insufficiency.
In Spain authorizing the use of this plant for the treatment of varicose veins, hemorrhoids, phlebitis, tired legs, venous insufficiency and rule too abundant.
The drug
The road is short hamamelis leaf stalk. Limbo, often reddish or verde mate, is clearly asymmetrical at the base and lightly serrated on the edges. The consideration under the microscope of a cross section reveals TECTOR unicellular hairs clustered in groups of 4-12, which are located on the lower side, near the nerves. The only presented parenchima a layer of tissue in palisade and is packed with sclerite little branching. The C.C.F. Extract (60% ethanol) shows spots for the gallic acid and quercetol. The H.P.L.C. allows a quantitative analysis of all the tannins [255, see also on the valuation of hamamelitanino: 263].
Bibliography
[253] P. BERNARD
Les feuilles d'hamamelis
Plantes Méd Phytother., 11, 184-188, 1977.
[254] H. FRIEDRICH, N. KRÜGER
Neue Untersuchungen über den Hamamelis-Gerbstoff. II. Der Gerbstoff H. von der Blätter virginiana
Planta Med., 26, 327-332, 1974
[255] B. VENNAT, H. POURRAT, M.P. Pouget, D. GROSS & A. POURRAT
Tannins from Hamamelis virginiana: identification of proanthocyanidins and hamamelitannin. Quantification in leaf, bark, and extract stem.
Planta Med., 54, 454-457, 1988.
[256] H. FRIEDRICH, N. KRÜGER
Neue Untersuchungen über den Hamamelis-Gerbstoff. I. Der Gerbstoff H. von der Pays virginiana
Planta Med., 25, 138-148, 1974.
[257] D. Schaufelberger and K. HOSTETTMANN
On the molluscicidal activity of tannin containing plants Planta Med., 48, 105-107, 1983.
[258] P. BERNARD, P. BALANSARD, G. BALANSARD and A. BOVIS
Valeur des pharmacodynamique toniveineuse preparations galéniques à base d'hamamelis feuilles
J. Pharm. Belg., 27, 505-512, 1972.
[259] P. Delaveau Hamamelis
virginiana (Hamamelidacées)
Act. Pharm., (163), 41-42, 1980.
[260] R.J. ROYER and J.L. SCHMIDT
Interest in the pléthysmographie gazeuse pour l'APPRÉCIATION des effects "veinotropes" of drugs. Etude des effets des oligomers procyanidoliques
Semaine des Hôpitaux, Paris, 57, 2009-2013, 1981.
[261] A.M. DIEMUNSCH and C. MATHIS
Vasoconstricteur effet de l'application in Hamamelis externe
S.T.P. Pharm., 3, 111-114, 1987
[262] E. SCHOLZ and H. RIMPLER
Proanthocyanidins from Krameria triandra
Planta Med., 55, 379-384, 1989.
[263] B. VENNAT, M.P. Pouget, D. GROSS & A. POURRAT
Galéniques preparations à base d'hamamelis et d'extracts of marron d'inde: dosage simultaneous l'hamamélitanin et de l'esculoside
J. Pharm. Belg., 44, 285-291, 1989.
Diseases whose treatment is appropriate in this plant
Iinsuficiencia venous
Varices
Hemorrhoids
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