Study of qualitative composition and quality indicators of black thorn (Prúnus spinósa L.) leaves

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have been interested in new types of plant raw materials that are not pharmacopoeial to date. Such raw materials are leaves of black thorn, a plant widely distributed in the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as easily cultivated. Due to the lack of regulatory documentation, the purpose of this study was to conduct a set of qualitative reactions to confirm the proposed groups of biologically active substances, as well as to determine the quality indicators of black thorn leaves as a step in the standardisation of this type of raw material. In the course of qualitative reactions the presence of such groups of biologically active substances as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and polysaccharides was confirmed in the leaves of black thorn (Prúnus spinósa). The composition of the flavonoid fraction was analysed by the method of HELC; the presence of such substances as rutin, hyperoside, vitexin, astragalin, and quercetin in raw materials was established. Numerical indices were determined according to GF XIV methods, The content of phenolic compounds was also confirmed by the Folin-Cicalteu method.