MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE GENE POOL OF THE SUBTROPICAL SCIENTIFIC CENTRE OF RAS

Despite the centuries-old use of plants in both traditional and folk medicine, many aspects of their properties and effects on the human body remain unexplored. Plants remain the primary sources of some substances used medicinally. Medicinal plants at the Federal Research Centre the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FRC SSC of RAS) were established as a separate collection in 2023 and comprise 37 specimens. During the course of this work, additional 76 plant species with medicinal properties were isolated from the FRC SSC’s extensive gene pool (over 2,850 specimens). All plants included in the collection are used in folk medicine, and more than half are included in the Register of Medicines of Russia. Extracts, infusions, herbal teas, dried plant parts (flowers, herbs, rhizomes and roots, bark), fruits, and seeds are used. An analysis of 113 species of medicinal plants showed that most of them have a wide range of therapeutic effects: anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, sedative, analgesic, wound-healing, laxative, tonic, etc. These species include Asarum caucasicum, Calendula officinalis, Fragaria vesca, Hypericum perforatum, Mentha longifolia, Plantago major, Taraxacum officinale, Urtica dioica and Viburnum opulus, Glechoma hederacea, Tilia begoniifolia, Betula pendula, Ribes nigrum, which, according to literary data, have numerous therapeutic effects (10–21). Other species have one or two, such as Nerium oleander (cardiotonic), Blechnum spicant (wound-healing), Cistus salviifolius (anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial), Periploca graeca (cardiotonic and diuretic), Solidago virgaurea (anti-inflammatory and diuretic), Stevia rebaudiana, and Echinacea purpurea (anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory). The species studied differ in their life forms. Most are herbaceous perennials – 59 of which 13 are bulbous; there are 25 trees and 14 shrubs. The fewest are subshrubs – 6, annuals/biennials – 5, and vines – 4. The plants maintained in the Centre’s gene pool have not been fully studied in terms of their biologically active substance content. In this regard, the introduction of new medicinal plants and the study of the existing collection is a relevant and promising direction.