Common cucumber, or plant cucumber (lat. Cucumis sativus) – an annual herbaceous plant, a species of the genus Cucumber (Cucumis) of the Pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae), vegetable culture.
It is cultivated in Central Asia, the Volga region, the North Caucasus, Moldova, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Iran, Afghanistan, Western Europe, the USA, etc.
The stalk – creeping, rough, ends with antennae, with which it can cling to the support, stretching at the same time for 1-2 m.
Leaves are heart-shaped, five-lobed.
The fruit is multi-seeded, juicy, emerald green, pimply. The structure of the fetus is characteristic of the pumpkin family and is defined in the botanical literature as pumpkin. It can have a different shape and size (depending on the variety).
Fruits contain 16-18% sugars, carotene, pectin, mineral salts; seeds – triterpene saponins.
Seeds are used as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. Cucumber seeds are included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.
The genome of the seed cucumber has 350 million base pairs of DNA. Five of the seven chromosomes of cucumbers arose from ten chromosomes of common ancestors with melon.
Chemical composition
Its fruits contain 95-97% water and a negligible amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The remaining 3% includes chlorophyll, carotene, vitamins PP, C and B, macro- and micronutrients, as well as a lot of potassium and magnesium.
Cucumbers are rich in complex organic substances, which play an important role in the metabolism. These substances stimulate appetite, promote the assimilation of other foods and improve digestion. Fresh cucumber increases the acidity of gastric juice, so it is contraindicated in patients with gastritis, peptic ulcer, as well as people with high acidity of the stomach.
Potassium contained in cucumbers improves heart and kidney function. In addition, in cucumbers, as in other vegetables, a lot of fiber. Fiber is not absorbed by the human body, but it regulates the functioning of the intestines and removes excess cholesterol from the body, the excess of which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, diseases of the liver, kidneys and other organs.
There are references to the healing properties of cucumbers in Russian herbalists – herbalists, as well as in the old 17th-century healing book “Cool Vertograd”. A decoction of cucumbers, folk healers recommended drinking instead of water, and the flesh of fresh cucumbers was used as an effective diuretic, choleretic and laxative.
Infusion and decoction of autumn leaves (tops) in folk medicine were recommended for bleeding of various origins. They are used externally for burns, as well as cosmetics for acne, rashes, and certain skin diseases. Fresh cucumbers are part of face masks that whiten the skin and make it more elastic. Oily skin cosmetologists recommend rubbing alcohol with cucumber tincture.
Salted and pickled cucumbers do not have medicinal properties. They are not recommended for people suffering from diseases of the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, hypertension, atherosclerosis, as well as during pregnancy.
Included in Stonil Ultra.