It has been perfomed a comprehensive survey of botany — pharmacological research of 7 leading families of medicinal flora in Kazakhstan which combine 648 species (46 per cent of all pharmaceutical flora). The leading families encompassing the largest number of species are Asteraceae (196 species),Rosaceae (89), Lamiaceae и Fabaceae (78), Ranunculaceae (75), Apiaceae (69), Brassicaceae (63). The families to be analyzed include 109 pharmacopoeia species (some 47 per cent of all known species in Kazakhstan of official medicine) and 18 rare ones. Research on resource potential of medicinal species within analysed families has been extremely low. Out of 648 medical herbs raw materials inventory has been defined only for 88 that makes up some 3.6 % species of plants of 7 leading families, among them there are 50 species to be applied to official medicine. The introduction research of medicinal plants is substantially high than recource one. In the territory of Kazakhstan has been tested in crop about 40 per cent of the plants of families mentioned above. The features of farming techniques have been worked out only for 15 pharmacopeia species; the crop yields of medicinal plants in crop have been defined for 70 species of leading families.

This study examined the phytochemical profiles and bioactive potential of Iris alberti, I. pallasii, and I. sogdiana collected from southeastern Kazakhstan. GC-MS analysis identified fatty acids, sterols, long-chain alcohols, and hydrocarbons in each species. The key phytosterols β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol were present in all three. I. alberti showed the highest sterol content of γ-sitosterol (28.49%) and campesterol (6.51%). I. pallasii contained significant amounts of hexacosanol (19.74%) and γ-sitosterol (13.24%), while I. sogdiana was notable for octacosanol (22.87%) and γ-sitosterol (12.18%). Fatty acid composition varied: I. sogdiana was rich in α-linolenic acid (4.77%) and palmitic acid (2.77%), I. pallasii had 3.96% and (3.48%). I. alberti contained dodecanoic acid (3.83%) and branched-chain fatty acids. Tannin content was highest in I. alberti (1.88%), while alkaloid levels were moderate across species (0.63–0.77%). Mineral analysis showed I. pallasii had the highest Ca (586.62 mg/100 g), Mg and K, whereas I. sogdiana had the highest potassium (538.36 mg/100 g). HPLC-DAD analysis revealed distinct phenolic profiles. Water–alcohol extracts from rhizomes of I. alberti had an IC₅₀ of 16.90 ± 6.04 µg/mL in DPPH and were inactive in ABTS. I. pallasii exhibited IC₅₀ values of 28.77 ± 2.93 µg/mL (DPPH) and 10.93 ± 7.29 µg/mL (ABTS), while I. sogdiana showed negligible activity in both assays. Ethyl acetate extracts displayed higher IC₅₀ values, consistent with lower phenolic content.

Studies on the chemical constituents of the aerial parts of Kalidium foliatum have led to the isolation of three new and one known compounds. The structures of new constituents have been elucidated through spectral studies including 2D-NMR experiments (HMQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY and J-resolved) and MS/MS fragmentation using Q-TOF mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI source as kalidiumoside C (=3β-hydroxy-29-methylmalonoxy-olean-12-en-23,28-dioic acid-23-methyl-28-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester; 1), kalidiunin (=3β,23,29-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-methyl-oate; 2) and kalidiumoside D (=3β,23,29-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester; 3). The known compound was identified as 3β,23,29-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid 4) through comparison of its spectral data with those reported in literature. Acid hydrolysis of both 2 and 3 yielded the known compound 4 providing a conclusive evidence of the proposed structures.

Plants of the genus Atraphaxis have been widely used as traditional herbal medicines and are just beginning to be recognized for their pharmacological activities by scientific validation. In particular, Atraphaxis virgata (Regel) Krasn. has not reported even fundamental data, such as antioxidant activity and phytochemical properties, which requires investigation for its medical application. In this study, phytochemical compounds of A. virgata extracts were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and their antioxidant activity was evaluated. As a result, A. virgata extracts were analyzed using HPLC and found to contain hesperidin 13.18 mg/g-extract, rutin 4.49 mg/g-extract, catechin 3.23 mg/g-extract, gallic acid 2.93 mg/g-extract, epicatechin-3-gallate 1.28 mg/g-extract, kaempferol 0.26 mg/g-extract, and luteolin 0.09 mg/g-extract. Furthermore, GC-MS analysis detected nine compounds (e.g., lup-20(29)-en-3-one and decane) in the extracts, which were reported to have various biological activities. The ABTS IC₅₀, DPPH IC₅₀, and FRAP values of A. virgata extracts were determined to be 126.57 ± 0.24 μg/mL, 42.17 ± 1.14 μg/mL, and 122.59 ± 8.79 mmol/L, respectively. This study is the first to report the antioxidant activity of A. virgata, suggesting its potential as a functional food or medicinal material.

There are about 60 species of the genus Rheum L. (Polygonaceae) distributed mainly in temperate and subtropical Asia, with the largest number (38 species, including 19 endemics) recorded in China. All species of the genus are used as medicinal plants. According to modern pharmacology, the most important property of the rhubarb root is regulation of the stomach and intestine function, due to its laxative effect; rhubarb also has antipyretic properties and antioxidant activity. The high content of dietary fibers provides protection against cardiovascular diseases, and vitamin K is valuable for the prevention of osteoporosis. However, the active ingredients and their mechanism of action have not been sufficiently studied. Rheum tataricum L., known for its high resistance to drought, salinity, and lack of nutrients is the least studied species of wild rhubarb. The whole plant, and especially the leaves, contains several toxic compounds, in particular anthraquinone glycosides and calcium oxalate crystals. Here we present the results of a comparative analysis of the anatomical and morphological structure of Rh. tataricum plants from ecopopulations growing in the Balkhash and Karatal districts of the Almaty region. We identified the differences due to the weather and climatic conditions of the ecopopulations. It is important to note that many idioblasts containing calcium oxalate were found in the rhizomes of Rh. tataricum, which prevent animals from eating plants and getting poisoned. The number of idioblasts in the central circle of the Rh. tataricum rhizome was smaller in the Balkhash district than in the Karatal district, while the idioblasts were larger in size in the former district. The medicinal and nutritional value of Rh. tataricum growing in a semi-desert environment indicates a high potential of the species in plant breeding, medicine, and as a food source. Key words: Rheum tataricum, extract, pharmacology, antioxidant activity, ecopopulation, morphology.