The name of this plant is derived from latin word centum – a hundred and aurum – gold, meaning medication worth hundreds of gold coins.
It is used in popular as well as scientific medicine as good tonic above all, stomachic and amarum, similar to gentian.
Use
Included into composition of bitter teas for digestive tract, provokes the appetite, obstacles in digestion, gases and abdominal distension.
This effect is due to bitter heterosides present in the entire plant, the most frequent being gentiopicroside, and also to alkaloids, the most important being gentianine.
The largest concentration of these substances is inside the trunk, to lesser extent inside flowers and even lesser in leaves.
It is used in popular medicine uses as remedy against anaemia, fever and high temperature.