Contents
What is a savin?
Characteristics of savin (Juniperus sabina)
Common name: Savin juniper, savin, sabin juniper
Scientific noun: Juniperus sabina L.
Family: Cypress family – Cupresaceae
Habitat: In rocky or sandy places and continental steppes.
Active principles: Sabinol, sabinene, cadinene and thujone.
Active parts: Mainly essential oil, which is found in its fruits and tender stems.
Habitat. Where does savin grow?
It normally grows between 1000 and 2500 meters in altitude in cold places, on poor, calcareous and stony soils.
In rocky areas, sandy terrain and continental steppes.
Description of savin
A creeping shrub from the cold climates of Asia and Europe. Although it can reach 3.5 meters in height, it usually does not exceed one meter, but it grows quite wide, reaching up to 4.5 meters.
It stands out for having stems with reddish-brown bark that comes off easily and for its dark green leaves in the form of overlapping scales.
Components of savin
- Essential oil very rich in: Alpha-pine, lemongrass, beta-felandrene, mercury, delta-3-care and alpha-terpineol. with minor amounts of phellandrene, borneol, sabinene, linalool, myrtenol and camphor (leaves and fruits)
- Acids: gallic acid, juniperic acid, sabinic acid
- Resin (Fruit and wood)
- Podophyllotoxin
- Thujone
- Terpinolene
- Tannins (Fruit and wood)
Uses of savin
Medicinally the essential oil has been used to combat the warts and to calm the attacks of rheumatism, by means of the external topical application of this product. Likewise, homoeopathically, it has been used for the treatment of the metrorrhagia and as abortive, for the capacity that has the sabinol of contracting the uterus and, therefore, to cause the abortion, in the event of pregnancy (oxytocic properties).
The leaves have been used to carry out decoctions for their emmenagogue properties, that is to say that they favour the menstruation. Equally it has been used in popular medicine the decoction of the bark to cause abortion.
Given its toxicity the home-made elaboration of medicinal products is dissuaded.
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