Development of quality indicators for the raw material "Bidentis cenuae herba"

Abstract

Introduction. Bidens cernua L. is a promising medicinal plant producing flavonoids and polyacetylenes; however, it has been insufficiently studied and has no established pharmacopoeial quality standards for the medicinal plant materials obtained from it.

Goal. To develop a set of standardized quality indicators for "Bidentis cernuae herba", including macro- and microscopic characteristics, numerical standards, and chromatographic identification methods, for its standardization and potential use in pharmaceuticals and dietary supplement production.

Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on samples of the aerial parts of Bidens cernua collected in the Moscow Region and Stavropol Krai. Standard pharmacopoeial methods (State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, 14th edition) were used to determine morphological, microscopic characteristics, and numerical indicators (moisture, ash content, impurities, extractives). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used for the qualitative analysis of polyacetylenes and flavonoids.

Results and discussion. Diagnostic macro- and microscopic properties of the raw material were established. Based on the experimental data, the following standards were proposed: moisture – no more than 12%; total ash – no more than 7%; ash insoluble in 10% HCl – no more than 2%; organic impurity – no more than 2%; mineral impurity – no more than 1%; extractive substances (70% ethanol) – no less than 30%. TLC identification methods for polyacetylenes and flavonoids were developed and validated to confirm the authenticity of the raw material.

Conclusion. The developed set of quality indicators allows standardizing the raw material of "Bidentis cernuae herba". The obtained results substantiate its potential for the creation of a dietary supplement with antioxidant, capillary-strengthening, anti-inflammatory and dermatotropic activity.