Фармацевтичний журнал (May 2020)

Determination of ureid content in shoots of russian pea shrub and siberian pea tree

  • S. I. Stepanova,
  • V. V. Boynik,
  • T. M. Gontova ,
  • S. A. Kozyra

DOI
https://doi.org/10.32352/0367-3057.2.20.06
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2
pp. 59 – 66

Abstract

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Among natural ureides, allantoin (5-ureidohydantoin or 2,5-dioxoimidazolidin-4-yl urea) is the most famous compound which have been found in various organisms: bacteria, plants, and animals. Allantoin is a product of purine catabolism in mammals (except for primates and humans) and insect larvae. It is found in many plants: comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.), soybean (Glycine hispida (Moench) Maxim), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.). Allantoin has a reparative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effect, that substantiate it use in the composition of numerous cosmetic and therapeutic dermatological agents. It can be used also used for the treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers and chronic gastritis. In most species of the legume family allantoin is a transport form of nitrogen, besides, its role in the adaptation of plants to stress factors is known. The plants of the genus Caragana (Caragana) of the legume family (Fabaceae), due to nitrogen-fixing bacteria, receive nitrogen from the soil and convert it into transport forms, namely allantoin and allantoic acid. These substances were previously isolated from the shoots of russian pea shrub (Caragana frutex (L.) C. Koch) and siberian pea tree (Caragana arborescens Lam.) and identified, but the quantitative content of ureids in these raw materials has not been studied. The aim of the work was to determine the content of ureides in the shoots of russian pea shrub tree and siberian pea tree. The objects of study were shoots of russian pea shrub tree and siberian pea tree harvested in Kharkov in May 2019 (during flowering period). The total ureide content was determined by spectrophotometric method based on the reaction of chemical decomposition of allantoin to glyoxylic acid with subsequent formation of coloured phenylhydrazone, which had absorption maximum at 530 nm. The study results have shown that the content of ureides (expressed as allantoin) is slightly lower in the shoots of russian pea shrub than in the shoots of siberian pea tree and equals 0.34 ± 0.03% and 0.41 ± 0.02% respectively. The content of total ureids in the shoots of russian pea shrub and siberian pea tree was determined. The flowering shoots of these plants can be used as herbal raw material for the development of therapeutic and prophylactic dermatological and antiulcer drugs possessing reparative, anti-inflammatory, and astringent effects.

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