ABSTRACT:
ABSTRACT. Species of Atragene contain biologically active compounds acting to treat dermal diseases, gastrointestinal tract diseases, nervous system diseases, immune system diseases as well as malignant tumors and other diseases, so thorough research of the plants is of great practical importance for medical practice. Object of the research: to estimate possibilities of using the Far Eastern species of Atragene in applied medicine and to prepare the sources to determine them. Materials and Methods: The plants were researched during expeditions to the Far East, the Sakhalin Region, the Khabarovsk Territory, and Primorsky Krai. The literature data and many herbarium collections were studied. Morphological and geographical methods of research as well as ecological, biological, and karyological data were the main method of the research. Results There was a review of the data on chemical composition and pharmacological properties of biologically active compounds of species of the Atragene flora of the Far East, as well as the perspectives to study them as a valuable source of medicinal raw material to make pharmaceutical substances and their possible using for official medicine. A. speciosa, which consists of anthraquinones, flavonoids, alkohol phenols, oxycoumarin, phenolcarboxylic acid, triterpene glycoside, diterpene alkaloids, amino acids, carotenoids, tanning materials, polysaccharides, and trace elements is mostly analyzed. The complex of the compounds is of nootrop, adaptogenic, antioxidant, wound healing, and other pharmacological effects. Stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of the following species may be used as admixtures: A. ochotensis, A. macropetala, and A. koreana. There are also morphological characteristics and dichotomy key recommended to determine the Far East species of Atragene. Conclusion. A speciosa is perspective for medical use: medicinal raw material is above-ground shoot, contains the rich chemical biologically active compound composition. The following morphological characteristics of vegetative and reproductive organs were suggested for using to identify the Far East Atragene genus: the form of the leaflets of compound leaves, presence or absence of downiness of the stems, sticks, blades, and perianths; color and spatial orientation of trichome; form, size, and form of tops of sepals and petals; downiness of fruitlets, i.e. nutlets; size, color, and spatial orientation of hair. With regard to these structure characteristics, species indicator of the Atragene flora of the Far East of Russia was worked out.