English name: Eyebright
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Botanical characteristic: Annual herb 10 – 25 cm tall. The stem is straight, hairy at the bottom and glandular at the top. The leaves are ovate to oblong, sessile, opposite, toothed. Flowers are white to pale pink, borne in spikes, with a yellow spot on the lower lip. The fruit is a capsule.
Microscopic drawing:
Distribution: It grows in wet meadows, pastures, on the edges of forests. It is not demanding on the soil.
Drug: Euphrasiae herba
Harvesting method: The stalk with leaves of Eyebright is harvested from July to September. It is very fragile.
Drying: It is dried naturally in a thin layer or in bundles, in an airy and shady place. Artificially in a drying room where the temperature must not exceed 35 °C.
Active substances: Iridoglycoside minerals such as aucubin, euphroside and catalpol, as well as flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids and traces of essential oils can be found in Eyebright.
Uses: Secretions from the plant are used internally to treat coughs, but more often they are indicated for the treatment of inflammation of the conjunctiva and eyelids. It is important to emphasize that home use of the drug for eye-washing or bathing is not recommended, due to the inability to achieve sterility in home conditions, which is strictly required for all drugs intended for application to the eye. Its extracts are intended for the industrial manufacture of sterile eye preparations.
Traditional method of use in indications determined solely on the basis of long-term use:
– symptomatic treatment and prevention of conjunctivitis,
– symptomatic treatment of purulent and chronic inflammation of the structures of the eye,
– suppression of symptoms – stinging of the eyes, redness of the conjunctiva of the eye, burning of the eyes, conjunctivitis,
– symptomatic treatment of colds.
Selected herbal preparations: AGROKARPATY Eyebright scent herbal tea 1×30 g, FYTO Herbal blend for good eyesight 20×1,5 g, J.V. IV CAPS – AIR for eyesight 50 ml, NATURVITA BETAVID with oregano rostkova tbl 60 pcs, Noventis Ostrovidky Neo cps 45 pcs.