Ingredients of plants

What are the ingredients in the plants? - I asked myself and whoosh there was another blog post “The ingredients of plants”. I will try to inform you as briefly and comprehensively as possible.

What are the ingredients?

• Alkaloids

• Antioxidants

• Essential oils

• bitter substances

• Flavonoids

• Furocoumarins

• tannins

• nutrient

• Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

• Saponins

• mucilage

• Mustard oil glycosides

Terms explained:

Alkaloids

The alkaloids are among the most effective plant substances and most plants containing alkaloids are highly poisonous. This offers the plants themselves protection against animals, bacteria and fungi. Alkaloids are highly valued in medicine and are also used for medicinal purposes, but they are unsuitable for tea. They are also rarely used for external applications.

Antioxidants

Oxidative stress is a metabolic condition in which oxidation causes damage to cells or their functions, for example through poor nutrition, cigarette consumption, stress, alcohol or sunbathing. A wide range of biological functions can be affected. This is due to an imbalance between oxidative and antioxidant processes. Antioxidants prevent oxidative stress, so to speak; they are also called free radicals. An example of antioxidants would be to sprinkle an apple with lemon juice. You can then see that the apple does not turn brown as quickly as usual. This is due to the ingredient vitamin C. Citrus fruits are particularly rich in vitamin C, including currants, peppers, kiwi and sea buckthorn. We find vitamin E in wheat germ oil, oilseeds, corn oil, nuts, sunflower seeds and soybean oil. However, there are many other antioxidants found in a wide variety of plants in the form of vitamins, minerals and fiber. As flavonoids we find them in cherries, apples, onions, red cabbage, radishes and eggplants. As polyphenols, they are also responsible for the color of many red-purple and yellow fruits and leaves, such as red cabbage, cherries, grapes and tea. The slightly bitter taste is also caused by polyphenols in cocoa and coffee beans. We find it in the form of saponins in spinach and legumes such as peas and beans. The mustard oil glycosides, which give chives, garlic, leeks and spring onions their pungent taste, are also antioxidants. Most people already know carotenoids from carrots; they also have an antioxidant effect, as do peaches, apricots, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Trace elements such as zinc and selenium also have an antioxidant effect. In addition to fruit, vegetables and potatoes, they can be found in meat and fish.

Essential oils

Essential oils are oil-like, highly volatile, organic compounds. They are rarely produced synthetically due to their complex structure of up to 50 building blocks and are still extracted directly from the plant. They are used for food, cosmetics, perfumes, medicines, drinks, smoking and in aromatherapy. The essential oils can be formed in all parts of the plant. We use the seeds of caraway, anise or fennel; we use the leaves of spices such as oregano, thyme, sage and rosemary, as well as the flowers or roots of primroses and violets. Essential oils can also be found in the bark and wood of some trees and shrubs, for example pine, juniper and cypress. The plants use these scents to attract their pollinators. They also protect the leaves from being eaten and provide cooling on hot days.

bitter substances

Bitter substances are substances with a strong bitter taste that cannot be recreated synthetically. Bitter substances have the highest active ingredient content in the entire above-ground plant. The rhizome is often used for medicinal or culinary purposes. The bitter substances primarily affect the internal organs. They regulate the glands of the digestive organs and promote the secretion of digestive juices. They are taken before meals as they work better on an empty stomach. They have a strengthening effect on the whole body. They also have a positive effect on the metabolism by stimulating cardiac activity and blood circulation and thus indirectly promoting the metabolism of the liver, bile and pancreas. Bitter substances also promote the formation of erythrocytes in the bone marrow via a substance secreted in the stomach. The red blood cell content is increased by regular intake of bitter substances. Since we are not used to bitter substances from our eating habits, you should start consuming them slowly. You can also use them like spices, for example in soups, with potatoes, in salads and so on.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are often involved in the yellowing of flowers, but the collective term covers no fewer than 6,500 different compounds. They are divided into different subgroups according to their fine chemical structure. The flavones give peppers their light yellow pigments and the flavanones give grapefruits their slightly bitter taste. As isoflavonoids, they are found as plant hormones (phytoestrogens) in soybeans. Flavanols cause the astringent effect of green tea and red wine and flavonols are light yellow pigments. We find the ingredients mainly in the flowers and leaves, mainly in the above-ground parts of the plant. They are particularly common in the various types of citrus, butterflies and basket family plants. Depending on the flavonoid type, the focus is on vasodilating, antispasmodic, antibacterial, antiviral or anti-inflammatory properties. In St. John's wort - as in numerous other medicinal plants - flavonoids support the effectiveness of the skin's active ingredients (here hypericin).

Furocoumarins

Furocoumarins are found particularly frequently in plant species from the umbelliferous family, but also in many citrus plants. In sensitive people, they can cause light sensitivity on the skin, such as meadow hogweed. They are present in much larger quantities in giant hogweed. When exposed to sunlight, they cause skin irritation and swelling, similar to sunburn when the skin comes into contact with the plant sap. You should wash the skin area as quickly as possible and protect it from sunlight. If this is not possible on the face, it is advisable to apply a sunblock.

tannins

Tannins are primarily used for tanning, i.e. for processing raw animal hides into leather. The tanning agents owe their tanning effect to the phenolic bodies. They convert the proteins in the skin into resistant, insoluble substances. Tanneries use oak bark, gagel, spruce bark and chestnut wood for this purpose. Tannins are found in all parts of plants. The bark is primarily used for tanning and medicine because it is particularly highly concentrated here. In medicine, tannins have anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, anti-secretion and bactericidal effects. They relieve diarrhea or stomach and intestinal catarrh because the dissolved, harmful proteins form poorly soluble compounds with the tannins. This means that the toxic substances become harmless to the body and can be excreted. Plants for this include bloodroot, blueberries, sage, lady's mantle, blackthorn and agrimony. They are used externally for lower leg ulcers, hemorrhoids, frostbites and burns, and as a gargle solution for throat inflammation and periodontal disease. Tannins can also be found in toothpaste and wound ointments. Their secretion-inhibiting properties are used in the form of deodorants and baths. They are also used for symptoms of poisoning because they form poorly soluble compounds with heavy metals and alkaloidsn.

glycosides

Glycosides are widespread in nature. They are composed of the combination of sugar molecules with an alcoholic component and have many different properties. In connection with flavonoids one speaks of flavon glycosides. Similar to the anthocyanin glycosides, they are responsible for the formation of various plant pigments. The coumarin glycosides give a typical scent to woodruff and sweet clover. Cyan glycosides are found in the seeds of many types of fruit. When chewed, they release toxic hydrogen cyanide. Cardiac glycosides, which strengthen the heart muscles, are found in lily of the valley and foxglove. Iridoid glycosides protect plants from predators. The saponin glycosides have a similar effect and form defense substances for plants. They also have foaming properties. The best-known phenol glycoside is esculin from the horse chestnut; it has a capillary-sealing effect on the fine blood vessels. The salicin of willow bark and meadowsweet has pain-relieving properties. The mustard oil glycosides are responsible for the sharp and often somewhat bitter taste of many cruciferous vegetables. They also have a stimulating effect on the skin and mucous membranes and are applied in the form of compresses against rheumatism, joint diseases, fever and respiratory diseases.

nutrient

Wild herbs are very healthy and have a high nutrient content. Compared to cultivated vegetables, wild vegetables contain on average around four times the amount of vitamin C, have twice the carotene (provitamin A) content and are richer in trace elements and minerals. The content varies depending on the growing conditions and each type of plant absorbs different nutrients to an increased extent.

Comparison of the average content of ingredients based on 100 g of wild and cultivated vegetables.

	Water (%)	Provitamin A (µg)	Vitamin C (mg)	Protein (g)	Potassium (mg)	Phosphorus (mg)	Magnesium (mg)	Calcium (mg)	Iron (mg)
cultivated plants	91,9	250	47	1,3	343	48,9	20,6	63,7	1,4
Wild plants	84,6	588	209	4,5	584	82	60	238	4,1
Daily requirements		800	75-100	80-100	3500	800	300-350	800	15

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Animal experiments have shown that the breakdown products of pyrrolizidine alkaloids damage the liver. They have caused fatal poisoning in cattle and horse pastures. This is mainly due to poisoning with groundsel species (genus Senecio), as they have a particularly high proportion of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. They have been considered poisonous plants since ancient times. They can also be found in small quantities in various other plants, such as comfrey, coltsfoot, borage, forget-me-not and coneflower species. The toxicity of these substances, as with all things, depends heavily on the dose taken (the dose makes the poison).

Saponins

Saponins have foaming properties. Their structural diversity is great and they are quite complex chemical building blocks. Their variability in biological properties is also comparably high. They protect the plants primarily against fungal attack. The active ingredient content is highest in tropical and subtropical species such as yucca and agave. We also find saponins in sugar beet, beetroot, asparagus, chickweed, soapwort, horse chestnut and daisies. In medicine, it is particularly valued for its diuretic, strengthening, expectorant, anti-inflammatory and hormone-stimulating properties. They also support the absorption of valuable nutritional components from the intestine and bind cholesterol. The saponin content in the nut shells of the Indian walnut tree (Sapindus mukorossi) and the bark of the South American soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) is so high that they are used for washing.

mucilage

Mucilages are usually carbohydrates that are composed into complex compounds and have a high swelling capacity. They have a soothing and enveloping effect on the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive organs. Some, like flaxseed, also have a laxative effect. If the stomach is upset, they are used to absorb and remove toxins. Externally they have an anti-inflammatory effect and are used to relieve ulcers, boils or swollen glands. They also have a blood pressure lowering and immune system strengthening effect.

Mustard oil glycosides

As the name suggests, they are hot-tasting substances that are linked to a glycoside. The mustard oil glycosides are compounds containing sulfur and nitrogen. These pungent substances help the plant to ward off its predators. In medicine, their stimulating, skin-irritating and antibacterial effects are valued. They are also said to have a preventive effect against cancer. However, in higher concentrations they can also cause symptoms of poisoning. Therefore, when using mustard plasters or consuming these herbs, it is important to pay attention to an appropriate exposure time and dose.