The experience of antennaria dioica application in folk medicine and prospects of this plant use for creation of new phytohemostatics

The searching for the new effective and safe medicines is still important problem for today. Perspective subjects in this field are medicines of plant origin. It is well known that a number of diseases, labor, surgeries are often accompanied by bleedings. In such cases for their pharmacological correction hemostatic agents are used, particularly ones of plant origin, where nomenclature of drugs is comparatively not large. However, among big variety of medicinal plants there is one unjustly forgotten plant that is Antennaria dioica. This plant is non-officinal for today and according to the data in literature is applied only in folk medicine. Analysis of data in literature shows that Antennaria dioica contains complex of biologically active substances, which causes different pharmacological effects, that explains possibility of this plant application in great number of pathologies. In the available scientific literature there is no information about study and creation of Antennaria dioica medicines (except galenic ones in folk medicine) that substantiates the importance of further investigation of the properties of this medicinal plant. The prospect direction in this field is application of Antennaria dioica medicines as hemostatics for prevention and stoppage of bleedings of different ethiology.


INTRODUCTION
The searching for the new effective and safe medicines is still important problem for today. Perspective subjects in this field are medicines of plant origin. There is no doubt, that medicines of synthetic origin in majority of cases are highly effective for treatment of many diseases. However, almost all of them possess serious negative side effects, assist of unwanted complications development, finally leading to discontinuation of therapy by these drugs.
Medicines of plant origin have very important peculiarity: they affect living organism more physiologically than synthetic medicines. Such a "physiologicity" of medicinal plants to the sick organism leads to milder and safer therapeutic effect occurance, without harmful side effects and promotes coming of favorable long-term results.
Because of this in many cases when pathology is not severe, not complicated or chronic (sluggish and slowdurating) medicines of plant origin are the drugs of choice [2,5,11,15,24,33].
It is well known that a number of diseases, labor, surgeries are often accompanied by bleedings. In such cases for their pharmacological correction hemostatic agents are used, particularly ones of plant origin, where nomenclature of drugs is comparatively not large [28-30, 32, 34].
In this connection above named medicinal plants and drugs obtained from them are indicated in hemorrhoidal, intestinal, uterine (including menstrual), nasal bleedings; treatment of bleeding gums, wounds and ulcers; hemorrhagic diathesis and so on [8-11, 28, 30].
It means, that due to the hemostatic effect these plants are useful in obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and traumatology, gastroenterology, that determines their clinical value and substantiates the prospects of further search and creation of new members in this pharmacological group.
However, among big variety of medicinal plants there is one unjustly forgotten plant that is Antennaria dioica. This plant is non-officinal for today and according to the data in literature is applied only in folk medicine.
Antennária dióica (L.) Gaertn., fam. Asteraceae is a perennial herb, distributed in sub-arctic, medium humid and medium continental climatic zones of Europe, Asia and North America. In Ukraine it grows everywhere.
Our forefathers were sure that it is possible to treat about "hundred of diseases" using the herb named cat`s paw. Sometimes Antennaria dioica was called as "pectoral herb" because it assists in treatment of respiratory diseases, especially colds.
It is known from the data in literature, that herb and flowers of Antennaria dioica contain different biologically active substances (BAS) due to which it possesses a great number of therapeutic effects (Tab. 1) [17, 20-23, 28, 30].
Analysing information presented in table 1 it is possible to conclude that due to its composition Antennaria dioica causes reparative, hemostatic (it is proved that ability of Antennaria dioica BAS to decrease of blood-clotting time and to stop hemorrhages of different origin is stronger than the same effect of adrenaline and calcium chloride), choleretic (it promotes dissolution and elimination of concrements in gallbladder), analgesic (it inhibits pain in case of gout), antitumor, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, vasodilating, diuretic, sedative, antitussive effects.
Taking into account a great number of pharmacological effects of Antennaria dioica, drugs obtained from it are used in folk medicine for the treatment of different diseases of organs and systems in human body (Tab. 2) [3-5, 7, 9-11, 17, 24, 26].
According to the data in literature, infusion of Antennaria dioica is used as choleretic agent in cholecystitis, functional disorders of gallbladder and biliary tract (especially, if this disorders are accompanied by hypertensive form of dyskinesia), and also it is used in diseases of stomach (peptic ulcer, gastritis). There are data, that infusion of Antennaria dioica herb improves vision and it is used for treatment ophthalmic diseases such as glaucoma and cataract. The efficacy of infusion intake is Normalization of cardio-vascular system functions, expectorant and mucolytic effects, improvement of functions of gastrointestinal tract, inhibition of inflammation marked at the early stages of these diseases and in long term administration. As a rinsing, infusion is indicated in diseases of throat and mouth. As a cataplasm infusion is recommended in abscesses, increase of the size of thyroid gland and in hurts. Also infusion obtained from Antennaria dioica is used in gonorrhea as irrigations of the vagina.
Besides infusion, in phytotherapy a powder, prepared by shredding of dry herb, is used. It assists reparation of wounds, burns and hurts. For these purpose powder should be applied to the damaged parts of skin several times a day.
Decoction of the plant is effective for treatment of slowly reparated wounds and furuncles. Moreover decoction of Antennaria dioica as a topical preparation (lotion and washing) is indicated in dermatitis, infantile eczemas, tuberculosis of skin. And it is known, that decoction may be used also internally that improves the efficiency of therapy.
It is necessary to pay attention, that Antennaria dioica (Tab. 1) contains complex of the BAS, which have hemostatic effect (some of them are present also in wellknown traditional plants-hemostatics) that allows to suggest the presence of named activity of Antennaria dioica and is proved by data in literature [10,15,24,29,30].
For example, infusion of Antennaria dioica herb and flowers is used internally for treatment of hemoptysis, plentiful menstruation, bleedings (uterine, nasal, gastro-intestinal, after labor, pulmonary, hemorrhoidal, traumatic ones). In hemorrhoidal and nasal bleedings agents from Antennaria dioica are used both internally and externally (lotions).
It is known, that combination in infusion of Antennaria dioica of anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects substantiates application of this infusion (as rinsing) in case of inflammation of gums (accompanied by bleedings), stomatitis, parodontosis and other diseases of the mouth.
According to the information in scientific literature [2,17,25,[28][29][30] the possible mechanism of hemostatic effect of preparations of Antennaria dioica, in particular, in case of uterine bleedings, is connected to the stimulation of uterine contractions by alkaloids, volatile oils and other BAS. As a result this effect leads to stoppage of hemorrhages due to vasoconstriction. Several authors also point out direct vasoconstrictive effect of Antennaria dioica BAS to the small arteries, arterioles and capillaries resulting in decrease of bleedings as well. Vitamin K, in its turn, participates in formation of prothrombin in liver, increasing blood coagulation. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the role of such BAS as ascorbic acid and tannins in hemostatic effect development.

CONCLUSIONS
Thus, analysis of data in literature shows that Antennaria dioica contains complex of BAS, which causes different pharmacological effects, that explains possibility of this plant application in great number of pathologies.
In the available scientific literature there is no information about study and creation of Antennaria dioica medicines (except galenic ones in folk medicine) that substantiates the importance of further investigation of the properties of this medicinal plant.
The prospect direction in this field is application of Antennaria dioica medicines as hemostatics for prevention and stoppage of bleedings of different ethiology.