Official name: Comfrey

Latin name: Symphytum officinale L.

Other names: heal maker, black haired, passionated, wild tobacco, fat root

Description: Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) is a perennial coarse herbaceous plant from the Boraginaceae family. It is widespread throughout Bulgaria in moist places - near rivers, in wet meadows. It has a massive mucilaginous fleshy root (black on the outside, white on the inside) and a short vertical rhizome. The stem is erect, flower-bearing, often branched, up to 1.5 m. high. The leaves are rough, elliptical, the lower ones are petiolate, and the upper ones are sessile. The flowers are purple, rarely pink or white. Flowering is in summer. The fruit is dry and breaks into 4 shiny black nuts. The weed is a honey plant.

Used part of the plant: roots (Radix Symphyti) of 2–3-year-old plants, leaves (Folia Symphyti), herbs (Herba Symphyti)

Collecting time: The roots of the plant are collected from August to October. In order not to turn black from the inside, the roots must be dried very quickly. Properly dried comfrey root is black on the outside and white on the inside. The herbs/leaves are collected from May to August/September.

Content and properties: The roots of the medicinal plant contain alkaloids, allantoin, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, phenolic acids, mucous substances, starch, etc. The new young leaves contain a higher number of alkaloids than the older ones, and the roots are richer in pyrrolizidine alkaloids than the aerial parts of the plant. The rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids contained in the root have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which significantly contribute to the treatment of various injuries.

Healing action and application: Comfrey helps with inflammation and pain in the joints, with arthrosis and arthritis, with diseases of the entire musculoskeletal system. It stimulates cell growth and healing processes in tissues, has an anti-inflammatory effect. It is used for the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds, injuries and hemorrhages. Internal intake of the plant is not recommended. It is used externally as an active ingredient in creams, oil infusions, tinctures and ointments.

Possibilities to offer at the customer's request:

Vesselino Ltd. offers their customers the plant in the following varieties:

• root (Radix Symphyti) - dried whole, cut to size according to the customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour

• leaf (Folia Symphyti) - dried whole, cut to size according to the customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour

• herb (Herba Symphyti) - dried whole, cut to size according to the customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour