COUMARINS FROM DAPHNE AXILLIFLORA (KEISSL.) POBED. AND THE ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ITS LEAVES AND STEMS.

The aim of the study was to determine the stable diagnostic traits of a Caucasian endemic plant Daphne axilliflora (Keissl.) Pobed. and study its phytochemical composition. The following stable diagnostic characteristic were identified during the microstructural analysis: leaf surface glabrous, hypostomatic, dorsoventral; epidermal cells chaotic; curved with curved walls on both the upper and lower epidermis; stomata anomocytic; well visible chloroplasts, rhomboid and needle shaped crystals in lower leaf epidermis; leaf vascular bundles reverse-collateral; vascular system monocyclic, bilateral; wood diffuse-porous; xylem parenchyma is apotracheal, scanty metatracheal; vessel walls are predominantly characterized by spiral and pitted thickening; collenchyma lamellar; radial rays in single rows, heterogeneous. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of terpene and phenolic substances, including coumarins. Two well-known coumarins (daphnin and daphnetin) were isolated and identified.

ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF DAPHNE ALBOWIANA WORONOW EX POBED.

The aim of the study was to determine the stable diagnostic traits and the biological activity of the stems and leaves of Daphne albowiana Woronow ex Pobed., a plant native to Georgia. Biological assays of the methanol, chloroform and hexane extracts show the plant to possess cytotoxic and antioxidant activities, but no noteworthy antibacterial or antifungal activities. All extracts show cytotoxic activity on A549 (lung carcinoma) cells. The following stable diagnostic characteristic were identified during the microstructural analysis: leaf surface glabrous, hypostomatic, dorsoventral; epidermal cells chaotic; curved with curved walls on both the upper and lower epidermis; stomata paracytic; well visible spherical crystals of inulin in leaf epidermis; leaf vascular bundles reverse-collateral; vascular system monocyclic, bilateral; wood diffuse-porous; xylem parenchyma is apotracheal, slightly diffuse; vessel walls are predominantly spirally thickened; collenchyma lamellar; radial rays in single rows, heterogeneous. The identified cytotoxic and antioxidant activity showcase this species to be of significant interest to the medicinal field. The identified anatomical peculiarities provide valuable information for the correct identification and standardization of the Daphne albowiana plant material.

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACERISTICS OF RHODODENDRON PONTICUM L. LEAVES.

The microstructural characteristics of the leaf of Rhododendron ponticum L., an alternative source of biologically active compounds - constituents of the antiherpetic ointment Rhodopes, were studied. The study resulted in the establishment of the sustainable diagnostic characteristics of Rh. ponticum L. leaf. The leaf is naked, double-sided, hypostomatic, with dorsoventral structure of mesophyll; the conductive system represents a vascular fibrous, reverse collateral structure. Druze crystals of calcium oxalate are found in the pulp of the leaf. The underlying cells of the adiaxial and abaxial leaf epidermis are uneven, oblong and curved. The robustness of the main vascular bundle is determined by increased amount of mechanical cells - collenchyma, layer of sclerenchyma cells and xylem fibers. In the phloem, differentiation of secretory channels is visible; the lumen of the wood conducting vessels is rounded, with a spirally thickened inner shell; radial rays are short, single-layered.

[BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE ALKALOIDS FROM RHIZOMES WITH ROOTS OF VINCA HERBACEA WALDST. ET KIT, GROWING IN GEORGIA].

Roots and rhizomes of Vinca herbacea Waldst. et Kit, were collected during early flowering and fruiting. Рhenophases biologically active substances I and II were obtained by liquid-liquid extraction. Dominant alkaloids: tabersonin, reserpine, maidine, norfluorocurarin and copsinin were obtained after the dispertion in citrare-phosfhate buffer and subsequent TLC. Accelerated restitution of granulocytopoiesis was observed in mice during both irradiation and myelotoxic drug-induced acute leucopenia. Increase in total WBC over 200% was observed after treatment by substance I in drug-induced leucopenia model (fivefold oral administration) and over 130% after treatment by substance I in irradiate mice (fivefold intraperitoneal administration). Morphological and anatomical structures of the underground organs of V. herbacea have been studied. The main microstructural characteristics are revealed - Rhizomes are characterized by coutinized epidermis, lamellar collenchyma, fibers and the texture of the vascular system of a monocyclic structure. The root system shows the whole cortex, the endoderm with Kaspar spots; the outer, radially continuous phloem tissue is located in the conducting system and distinguishes the cylindrical xylem tissue with annular and spiral-circular blood vessels.

Anatomical and morphological description of Phellodendron lavallei Dode stem bark.

Phellodendron lavallei Dode (Rutaceae) is native to Japan. It was introduced in Georgia (Adjara) in 80th of XX century. In medicine the genus of Phellodendron Rupr. has been used to treat gastric ulcers, bacterial and fungal infections, inflammations, hyperglycemia. The bark is rich of alkaloids of protoberberine type and may be used as a source of them. There are very limited data about anatomical and morphological structure of this genus. Especially least investigated is grown in Georgia. The aim of our study was to investigate anatomical and morphological structure of stem bark Phellodendron Lavallei Dode introduced in Georgia and evaluate its micro structural characteristics. The bark is collected in Kobuleti medical plants experimental station in July and November of 2009 year. There were examined longitudinal and cross sections of herbal material. The bark was studied using a light (Carl Zeiss, Jeneval) and (MBC-2) stereoscopic microscopes. During the structural study of P. lavallei it was manifested the variety of diagnostic signs: the cork is covered by small warts. It's characteristic to corks to peel off the dead tissues. Its cellular structure is rich in chloroplasts. Both in primary, and in secondary structure of a stem bark it is developed many of the sclerenchymal (fibres, mechanical cages) sites. The cork's cambium (phellogen) is characterized by small regions of cork's parenchyma, in which the idioblasts are arranged. In the bark there is massive size monarchic type radial rays, intensively stretched from the central cylinder till the primary cork's parenchymal tissue, they transport and preserve the substances received as a result of physiological processes. A variety of the tissues of Phellodendron lavallei stem bark indicates on high quality of medical raw materials and activity of the physiological processes in a plant.