RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the structural features of vegetative organs, the location of alkaloids and saponins, and the contents of sipeimine-3β-D-glucoside, sipeimine and peiminine to clarify the similarities and differences in the bulbs of medicinal plants of Fritillaria from Xinjiang. METHODS: Anatomy, histochemistry and phytochemistry approaches were used. RESULTS: All the bulbs consisted of epidermis, parenchyma cells and closed collateral vascular bundles. The basic structure of bulbs was similar to medicinal plants of Fritillaria, but no feature could characterize the species. The histochemical test revealed that alkaloids and saponins were present in the bulbs, but the intensity and parts of histochemical reaction differed among different medicinal plants. The alkaloids existed in the parenchyma cells and vascular bundle of bulbs, while the saponins were present in the epidermis and parenchyma cells surrounded vascular bundle of bulbs. The phytochemical analysis revealed that sipeimine-3β-D-glucoside, sipeimine and peiminine were commonly present in the bulbs of F. verticillata, F. tortifolia, F. verticillata var. albidoflora and F. yuminensis, and the content of peiminine was higher than those of sipeimine-3β-D-glucoside and sipeimine except F. yuminensis. Peiminine was absent in the bulbs of F. walujewii and F. pallidiflora. CONCLUSION: When choosing the species of Fritillaria, the fact that parenchyma cells have a large percentage and the total number of vessel is high in the bulbs of the medicinal plants should be fully considered. Data obtained in this research can be used to help identify and standardize the plant material and improve the output and quality of medicinal plants of Fritillaria from Xinjiang.