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.

Preliminary phytochemical and biological evaluation of daphne glomerata extracts.

The article reports on the phytochemical and biological potentials of leaves and stems of Daphne glomerata Lam. (Fam. Thymelaeaceae). Study indicated that crude extracts from the leaves and stems of the plant have high biological activity. Cytotoxicity was assessed using resazurin on an automated 96-well Fluoroskan Ascent F1_ plate reader (Labsystems) using excitation and emission wavelengths of 530 nm and 590 nm, respectively. High cytotoxic activity (<1,563 µg/ml) of both extracts toward lung carcinoma cell lines was elucidated. The specificity of extracts to WS-1 human fibroblast cell lines was observed. For the first time, the profiles of compounds with terpenic and phenolic nature were described in Daphne glomerata leaves and stems MeOH extracts by TLC and (HPLC-DAD-MS) techniques.