ABSTRACT:
Objective: qualitative assessment of marker substances allowing identification of the herb of Kuril tea. Materials and Methods. The object of the study was the raw material consisting of shoots of Kuril tea (Dasiphora fruticosa (L.) Rydb.; Potentilla fruticosa L.), harvested from cultivated shrub plants. The crushed raw material was used to evaluate the content of extractive substances using extractants of different polarity in accordance with the requirements of General Pharmacopoeial Monograph (GPM) 1.5.3.0006 “Determination of the Content of Extractive Substances in Medicinal Plant Raw Materials and Herbal Medicinal Preparations.” Based on previous research experience, acetonitrile extraction (1:1) was used for the identification of specific compounds in the shoots of Kuril tea. The analysis was carried out using an Agilent Technologies 6850 Series II gas chromatograph equipped with an Agilent Technologies Network mass-selective detector. Chromatographic separation was performed on an HP-5MS column (30 m × 0.25 mm). Results and discussion. During the evaluation of the extractive substances using solvents of varying polarity, it was found that the maximum amount of biologically active compounds could be extracted from the studied raw material using 70% ethanol as the extractant. This finding is consistent with published data, which indicate a predominance of polyphenolic compounds in Kuril tea raw material. However, for identification purposes, particularly when dealing with powdered raw material, a promising approach involves the study of the acetonitrile fraction, which often concentrates “rare” marker compounds that enable precise differentiation, even between closely related species. The study revealed that the acetonitrile extract from Kuril tea flowers harvested in the Moscow region contained specific components that can serve as chemical markers. These include decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, 2,6,10-trimethyltetradecane, N,N-dibutylformamide, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-4-methylcyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one, and 2-benzoyloxy-1,1,10-trimethyl-6,9-epidioxydecalin. For leaves, monoethyl phthalate can be considered as a marker compound, while in semi-lignified shoots, oxygen-containing derivatives are predominant, making monoethyl phthalate suitable as a marker as well. The presence of monoethyl phthalate in all analyzed samples suggests its potential as a reliable marker compound for the identification of D. fruticosa shoot raw material. It should be noted that all of the identified compounds were isolated from this plant material for the first time. Further studies are planned to investigate samples of D. fruticosa collected from other regions of the Russian Federation to unify the data and ensure reliable identification of this raw material. Conclusion. The study identified a range of compounds in the leaves, flowers, and shoots of Kuril tea, the presence of which is specific to this plant material and can be used for its identification in both crushed and powdered forms.