Comparison between the Biological Active Compounds in Plants with Adaptogenic Properties (Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus and Panax ginseng)

Background: In the 1960s, research into plant adaptogens began. Plants with adaptogenic properties have rich phytochemical compositions and have been used by humanity since ancient times. However, it is not still clear whether the adaptogenic properties are because of specific compounds or because of the whole plant extracts. The aim of this review is to compare the bioactive compounds in the different parts of these plants. Methods: The search strategy was based on studies related to the isolation of bioactive compounds from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Results: This review includes data from 259 articles. The phytochemicals isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng were described and classified in several categories. Conclusions: Plant species have always played an important role in drug discovery because their effectiveness is based on the hundreds of years of experience with folk medicine in different nations. In our view, there is great potential in the near future for some of the phytochemicals found in these plants species to become pharmaceutical agents.

The perspectives for DNA barcoding of Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin using rbcL gene sequence

The methods of biological species identification using nucleotide sequences of short genome regions (DNA barcoding) are actively developed. The universal DNA barcode for plants remains to be discovered, and one of the leading candidates is the plastid gene of the large subunit of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL). In our study, we estimated the part of rbcL gene as a possible marker for molecular identification of Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin. Due to its officinal properties, the species is susceptible to uncontrolled and illegal harvesting from natural populations. Today, the species needs to be protected and therefore is included into the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and certain regions. The study was carried out using plants from the natural populations sampled from the Khamar-Daban Ridge (South Siberia) and considering now as Rh. carthamoides var. chamarense (Peschkova) O S Zhirova. It was shown that rbcL gene can be used to identify Rh. carthamoides at least from the populations of the Khamar-Daban Ridge using a fragment of the maximum length or its 3’ region. Apparently, the 5’ region of the gene (rbcLa) most often used as DNA barcode for plants may be of lesser importance for Rh. carthamoides. The rbcL gene sequences can be also used for the development of approaches for Rh. carthamoides identification in the medicinal preparations and products containing dried tissues to prevent their falsification and illegal harvesting of this species. The combination of rbcL gene with additional markers seems to be highly desirable to create effective DNA barcodes for Rhaponticum species.

Vitamin-herbal flour from Rhaponticum carthamoides in the diets of dairy cows

Studies were conducted at the dairy complex of «Rus Ltd» (Perm Region). The effect of the use of vitamin-herb flour (VHF) from Rhaponticum carthamoides green mass in the feeding of holstinized black-and-white dairy cows was studied during the period of 12 days before calving and the first 30 days of lactation. The experiment was carried out according to the generally accepted method with the selection of analog pairs. The cows of the control group received a feeding ration consisting of feeds available at the dairy complex. For cows of the experimental groups, the composition of the concentrate part of the diet included VHF from leucea safflower in doses: the first group -4 % (0.4 kg of VHF per head per day), the second group – 10 % (1.0 kg of VHF per head per day). The experimental data of the experiment showed that VHF from leuzea as part of the concentrate part of the diet had a positive effect on the milk productivity of cows during the first 30 days of lactation, as well as on the bioconversion coefficients of protein and energy in the dairy products of cows. During the accounting period of the scientific and economic experiment (the first 30 days of lactation) from cows of the first and second experimental groups there has been obtained milk with natural fat content higher by 55.80±4.90 kg (8.04 %) (p<0.05) and by 99.20±5.80 kg (14.29 %) (p<0.05), respectively, compared to the control group. The gross yield of milk fat and protein for the reference period in cows of the first and second experimental groups was higher by 2.50±0.04 kg and 4.28±0.07 kg, by 2.54±0.16 kg and by 4.01±0.18 kg, respectively, compared with the control group. The cows of the first and second experimental groups had higher coefficients of protein bioconversion into dairy products by 2.98 % abs (p<0.05) and 3.97 % abs, respectively, compared to the control. The energy consumption for milk synthesis in the control group cows was reduced by 163.62 MJ and 349.18 MJ (p<0.05), respectively, in comparison with the cows of the first and second experimental groups, due to their lower consumption of the amount of feed mixture during the accounting period. The cows of the first and second experimental groups also had higher bioconversion coefficients of energy into milk by 2.14 % abs. and by 3.71 % abs. (p<0.05), respectively, compared to the cows of the control group. The cows of the experimental groups turned out to be more responsive to changes in the feeding diet and showed higher results according all the studied parameters.

Plant Adaptogens—History and Future Perspectives

Adaptogens are synthetic compounds (bromantane, levamisole, aphobazole, bemethyl, etc.) or plant extracts that have the ability to enhance the body’s stability against physical loads without increasing oxygen consumption. Extracts from Panax ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Rhodiola rosea, and Schisandra chinensis are considered to be naturally occurring adaptogens and, in particular, plant adaptogens. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of plant adaptogens in the past and now, as well as to outline the prospects of their future applications. The use of natural adaptogens by humans has a rich history—they are used in recovery from illness, physical weakness, memory impairment, and other conditions. About 50 years ago, plant adaptogens were first used in professional sports due to their high potential to increase the body’s resistance to stress and to improve physical endurance. Although now many people take plant adaptogens, the clinical trials on human are limited. The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.

Heavy metals analysis, GCMS-QP quantification of flavonoids, amino acids and saponins, analysis of tannins and organoleptic properties of powder and tincture of Echinacea purpurea (L.) and Rhapónticum carthamoídes

Medicinal plants are one of the main sources of vitamins, minerals salts, macro-and microelements, and other biologically active substances that have a health and protective effect on the human body. The current study was aimed to appraise the heavy metals contents in the powder materials of two medicinally important plants Echinacea purpurea (L.) and Rhapónticum carthamoídes collected from the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Flavonoids, saponins, amino acid contents quantification were done both in raw materials as well as tincture prepared from both plants via GCMS-QP 2010 Ultra chromatomass spectrometer. Further, tannins concentrations and organoleptic properties of the tincture were elucidated using previously reported standard procedures. In the current study, the concentrations of heavy metals were within the permitted range i.e. lead (0.0027 mg.100g-1), cadmium (0.00012 mg.100g-1), arsenic (ND), mercury (ND). In the crude powder, flavonoids were observed to be in the highest concentration in E. purpurea (L.) (5.5 ±0.20 mg.100g-1), whereas, its concentration was 3.1 ±0.346 mg.100g-1 in R. carthamoídes powder. Tannin concentration was higher in R. carthamoídes (5.5 ±0.115 mg.100g-1) and 3.1 ±0.46 mg.100g-1 in E. purpurea. Likewise, saponins concentrations were 4.1 ±0.40 mg.100g-1 and 5.6 ±0.17 mg.100g-1 in E. purpurea and R. carthamoídes powder respectively. Concentrations of these active metabolites in the resultant tincture were flavonoids (7.6 ±0.23), tannins (7.5 ±0.28), and saponins (8.5 ±0.16) mg.100g-1. In the current study, we observed highest concentrations of these essential amino acids in the tincture including leucine/isoleucine (78.00 ±1.15 mg.100g-1), histidine (14.00 ±1.44 mg.100g-1), lysine (49.33 ±2.02 mg.100g-1), methionine (18.66 ±2.90 mg.100g-1), cystine (29.00 ±0.57 mg.100g-1), phenylalanine (24.16 ±1.87 mg.100g-1) and threonine (32.50 ±1.22 mg.100g-1) respectively. The resultant tincture has a pleasant agreeable taste coupled with acceptable herbal flavor which are important organoleptic properties for any product.

Seed productivity of Maral root in the Perm Territory

В разработке технологии возделывания любой сельскохозяйственной культуры важное место занимает получение семян в конкретных почвенно-климатических условиях. Впервые в условиях Пермского края изучались элементы технологии возделывания левзеи сафлоровидной (Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin) на семена. Исследования проведены на опытном поле ФГБНУ «Пермский НИИСХ» – филиала ПФИЦ УрО РАН. В 2018–2019 годах были определены биологическая урожайность семян левзеи сафлоровидной и её структура. Цель исследований — определить семенную продуктивность левзеи сафлоровидной при разных приёмах возделывания в условиях Пермского края. Наибольшая биологическая урожайность семян левзеи сафлоровидной получена при рядовом способе посева с нормой высева 0,4 млн всхожих семян/га — 54,18 г/м2, в вариантах с нормой высева 0,2 и 0,3 млн урожайность была несколько ниже и существенно ниже (на 19,98 г/м2) — при норме высева 0,5 млн. При широкорядном способе посева также выделился вариант с нормой высева 0,4 млн всхожих семян на 1 га, обеспечив на 1 м2 51,48 г семян, достоверно ниже она получена при высеве 0,2 млн — на 21,48 г и в пределах ошибки опыта — в остальных вариантах (НСР05 = 19,46 г/м2). При рядовом посеве наибольшая урожайность семян была обусловлена наибольшим числом побегов на 1 м2, массой семян в соцветии; в широкорядном — количеством побегов на 1 м2, количеством и массой семян в соцветии. Установлена тесная прямая корреляция биологической урожайности семян с количеством генеративных побегов (r = 0,992), средняя корреляция — с количеством (r = 0,658) и массой (r = 0,685) семян в соцветии и средняя обратная — с лабораторной всхожестью (r = –0,584). When developing a growing technique for each crop efficient seed production becomes a crucial process in a particular region. For the first time Maral root (Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin) was studied for seed production in the Perm Territory. Productivity of Maral root and its yield parameters were analyzed in 2018–2019. The aim was to test seed production of Maral root under different cultivation techniques. The highest seed yield was obtained under row planting and the seeding rate of 0.4 million germinated seeds — 54.18 g/m2. Seeding rates of 0.2 and 0.3 million seeds led to lower productivity, the one of 0.5 million seeds significantly reduced crop yield by 19.98 g/m2. Planting of 0.4 million seeds/ha in wide rows provided 51.48 g of seeds/m2. Other variants showed lower productivity, while 0.2 million seeds significantly reduced seed yield by 21.48 g. The highest productivity under row seeding was explained by the highest shoot number per 1 m2 and seed weight per inflorescence, while under the wide-row seeding — by shoot number per 1 m2, seed quantity and weight per inflorescence. Seed yield had strong positive correlation with the number of shoots (r = 0.992), the medium one — with seed number and weight per inflorescence (r = 0.658 and r = 0.685, respectively). Medium negative correlation was observed between seed yield and seed laboratory germination (r = –0.584).

Determination of the Qualitative Composition of Biologically Active Substances of Extracts of In Vitro Callus, Cell Suspension, and Root Cultures of the Medicinal Plant Rhaponticum carthamoides

This work aims to study the qualitative composition of biologically active substance (BAS) extracts in vitro callus, cell suspension, and root cultures of the medicinal plant Rhaponticum carthamoides. The research methodology is based on high-performance liquid chromatography, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, to study the qualitative and quantitative analysis of BAS. The results of the qualitative composition analysis of the dried biomass extracts of in vitro callus, cell suspension and root cultures showed that the main biologically active substances in the medicinal plant Rhaponticum carthamoides are 2-deoxy-5,20,26-trihydroxyecdyson (7 mg, yield 0.12%), 5,20,26-trihydroxyecdyson 20,22-acetonide (15 mg, yield 0.25%), 2-deoxy-5,20,26-trihydroxyecdyson 20,22-acetonide (6 mg, yield 0.10%), 20,26-dihydroxyecdyson 20,22-acetonidecdyson 20,22-acetonide (5 mg, yield 0.09%), and ecdyson 20,22-acetonide (6 mg, yield 0.10%). In the future, it is planned to study the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor activity of BAS of extracts of in vitro callus, cell suspension, and root cultures of the medicinal plant Rhaponticum carthamoides, for the production of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements with antitumor, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

Genetic analysis of Rhaponticum carthamoides (Asteraceae) during restoration of natural populations in the Altai Republic

Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin is a rare species for Altai Republic. It possesses medicinal and fodder properties and therefore is considered a valuable resource species. Populations of this species are regularly exposed to anthropogenic impact. The impact factors are harvesting of rhizomes and cattle grazing. We have carried out the restoration of two populations of this species. The seeds for restorative planting were collected from healthy plants in the same populations, at a distance of 10 km or less from the restoration site. The genetic analysis of DNA fragments showed a reliable similarity of genetic diversity in planted and naturally growing individuals in each of the studied populations. Comparison showed that plants in more remote locations, which are less accessible for tourism and economic activities, were characterized by higher genetic diversity.