Anatomical study of Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. and Dracocephalum nutans L.

Abstract

Currently, the arsenal of the pharmaceutical market has significantly expanded with highly effective drugs of plant origin. More than 1000 essential-oil-bearing plants grow in the flora of Kazakhstan. Of great interest are some species from the families Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, which have not been studied at all before, or for which there is only brief information about the chemical composition and biological properties. In this respect, the Lamiaceae L. family, which is one of the leading in the flora of Kazakhstan, is of interest. So, on the territory of the republic in this family, there are 233 species, united in 45 genera. Among them, the most famous are plants of the genus Dracocephalum, which are a rich and very common source of essential oils. The purpose of our study - to analyze the anatomical parameters of Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. and Dracocephalum nutans L. and to reveal the diagnostic features of plants at the microscopic level. Materials And Methods. The object of the study was the aerial parts (leaves, inflorescences and stems) of Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. and Dracocephalum nutans L.In the study of the aerial organs of Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. and Dracocephalum nutans L., dry samples of raw materials were softened in a mixture of glycerin-alcohol-distilled water in a ratio 1:1:1 (Strauss-Fleming mixture). Surface preparations and sections were made manually. The slides were photographed using Altami Studio software; the photographs were processed using Paint 10.0. When describing the anatomical structure, the principles set forth in the works of V.N. Vekhova, L.I. Results and Discussion. Preliminary pharmacognostic investigation of vegetative material was done and diagnostic signs were identified. The detail microscopy revealed the presence of one type of trichrome on leaves’ epidermis; essential oil glandular. Type of mesophyll, structure of trichromes; form and location of epidermal cells, the presence of rare simple trichomes along the edge are discovered. Conclusion. As a results of the anatomical features of the raw material were established, among them the shape and structure of epidermal cells of the leaf and stem, the shape and location of essential oil glands and trichomes, the structure of the leaf and stem on the cross section are diagnostic features of the raw material of Dracocephalum ruyschiana L. and Dracocephalum nutans L.