Phytochemical characteristic and activity of medicinal raw material from the leaves of pharmacopoeial plant <em>Rhaponticum carthamoides</em> (Willd.) Iljin

Abstract

In 2016-2020 there was carried out a comprehensive study of the problem on involvement into the industrial turnover of ecdysterone-containing substance from the leaf parts of Rhaponticum carthamoides, which is included in the list of plants of the State Pharmacopoeia, in relation to the activity and safety of harvested raw materials. Studied were phytochemical and qualitative characteristics of medicinal raw materials obtained by alternative technology (vegetative shoots instead of roots with rhizomes). Cultivated by organic cultivation in the European North-East of Russia (Archangelsk region) with a cool and humid climate, in an agropopulation with a density of 24-28 thousand plants per 1 ha. Harvesting was carried out at the beginning of the budding phase, the concentration of the active ecdysterone substance was determined by the pharmacopoeial method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. It has been established that the objects of collection are the fractions of young and adult rosette leaves, where the accumulation of large amounts of ecdysterone is associated with the presence of increased amounts of protein substances (r2 = 0.99-0.98) and there is an inverse negative dependence on fiber (r2 = -0.99…-0.94). An indicator of increased synthesis of ecdysterone is the level of crude protein of 33-27 %, at which the concentration of ecdysterone reaches 4850-3550 mg/kg (0.49-0.36 %) at a standard of 1000 mg/kg (0.1 % based on dry substance). A high degree of availability of ecdysterone from the substance in aqueous extracts, in the temperature range from -10 to +100 ºC, with subsequent preservation of the active substances during the day by 93-98 % was revealed. Total yield of extractive substances is 50.2 % (with the standard value of 12.0 %). Complex biological activity of the extract in biotests was characterized by a stimulating effect at high dilution (10-9-10-11 M per ecdysterone) and inhibitory at low dilution (1:100). Medicinal raw materials meet the established sanitary and toxicological safety standards for the content of pollutants: it does not accumulate heavy metals (Hg, Cd, As, Zn; Ni, Cu, Cr) above the background level; there are no prohibited chlorine and organophosphorus compounds; radionuclide, nitrate and nitrite content is below norms of maximum allowable concentration.

Keywords

• rhaponticum carthamoides
• leaf parts
• ecdysterone
• biological activity
• safety