Witch hazel: Hamamelis virginiana, Witch Hazel family. Shrub or small tree native to the forests of Canada and the northern states of the USA. It has whole petiolate, oval and large leaves, clearly asymmetrical at the base; the yellow flowers are grouped in axillary inflorescences. The drug consists of the leaves and bark, collected before flowering.
The drug leaves has a very particular glycosylated tannin, the witch hazel, derived from the esterification by two molecules of gallic acid and a carbohydrate peculiar to the amammelide, the witch hazel. The barks, on the other hand, contain gallic acid.
Given the content in Gallic tannins, the uses of witch hazel concern external use, as an astringent and healing, but above all internal, as a vasoconstrictor.
Other articles on "Witch Hazel"
- Tannins
- Pharmacognosy
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