MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL STUDIES OF MAHONIA AQUIFOLIUM (PURSH) NUTT. LEAVES

Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt., the most common species within the genus Mahonia, is native to western North America. . Biologically active compounds derived from Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, anticancer, antimutagenic, antimalarial, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory effects. This species is also employed in the treatment of dermatological conditions, such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In Ukraine, Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. is cultivated primarily as an ornamental plant. To date, comprehensive pharmacognostic studies of this species have not been conducted in Ukraine. An analysis of the available scientific literature indicates a lack of systematic data concerning the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. introduced and cultivated under Ukrainian conditions. The aim of the study: to establish the main macro- and microscopic diagnostic features of the leaves of the introduced Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. in Ukraine, which will be used to identify and create a draft quality control methods (QCM) for new medicinal plant raw materials. Materials and methods of the study. The research utilized leaves of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt., collected in 2024 from the experimental plots of the Laboratory of Medical Botany at the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv). The morphological analysis of the raw material of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. was conducted using a magnifying lens and a binocular microscope. The investigation of anatomical characteristics was performed in compliance with the monograph "2.8.23. Microscopic study of medicinal plant raw materials" of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. The study employed both air-dried raw materials and freshly collected plant specimens fixed in an ethanol-glycerol-water mixture (1:1:1). Temporary slides were prepared from the lower and upper epidermis of the leaf blade. Microscopic examination was carried out using a Delta Optical Genetic Pro light microscope, and images were captured and fixed with a Delta Optical DLT-Cam Pro camera. Results. The investigation of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. cultivated in Ukraine identified key diagnostic morphological features, including leaf coloration, lamina shape, and margin morphology. These characteristics are proposed for use in the primary identification and standardization of this raw material. Microscopic analysis revealed distinct anatomical features of the leaves. The adaxial epidermis consists of cells with weakly convoluted anticlinal walls, while the abaxial epidermis is composed of cells with distinctly convoluted anticlinal walls. Stomata are of the anomocytic type. Conclusions. 1. The principal morphological features for the identification of Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. grown in Ukraine are are the specific coloration and the shape of the leaf lamina. These features are suitable for the primary pharmacognostic evaluation and subsequent standardization of the raw material. 2. Characteristic microscopic diagnostic features of the leaves include adaxial epidermal cells with slightly wavy anticlinal walls, abaxial epidermal cells with distinctly wavy anticlinal walls, and the presence of anomocytic-type stomata. 3. The obtained data on the morphological and anatomical diagnostic features will be applied for the authentication of plants within the genus Mahonia and will form the basis for developing a draft quality control method (QCM) for this new medicinal plant raw material.