Four species of Fraxinus including F. angustifolia subsp. syriaca (Boiss.) Yalt., F. sogdiana Bunge, F. pennsylvanica Marshall and F. americana L. grow in Kazakhstan. The study aimed to determine the conditions for awakening endogenous dormancy in vitro of F. sogdiana. In the control group without vernalization, the sterile culture yield at room temperature was 30%. However, with cold treatment, this yield increased to 60%, which is twice as high. It was observed that on MS medium without the addition of hormones, 22 microshoots were obtained from unwounded seeds, whereas 39 microshoots were obtained from wounded seeds during microclonal propagation.Phylogenetic relationships and species identification were analyzed using three DNA barcoding markers, comparing F. sogdiana with species from the NCBI database. rbcL and ITS markers did not show satisfactory interspecific genetic variability among F. species. Notably, matK gene sequences effectively differentiated F. sogdiana from other species. These results provide fundamental information that is valuable for future biotechnological and molecular studies.

The Ranunculaceae family is one of the most diverse groups of angiosperms, including species of high ecological and pharmacological significance. In this work, a molecular phylogenetic analysis of 19 Ranunculaceae species from the flora of the Karaganda region, including the rare and protected species Anemone patens, Adonis volgensis and Adonis vernalis, was carried out. The rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, and ITS markers were used for the study, and phylogenetic trees were constructed using the maximum likelihood (ML) method with bootstrap support. The results showed that the ITS marker had the highest discriminatory ability at the species level (17.64%), while rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA provided reliable classification at the tribe and genus level. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed a clear separation of the subfamilies Thalictroideae and Ranunculoideae with high bootstrap support (0.87 and 0.90, respectively). Within the Ranunculoideae, the tribes Ranunculeae, Anemoneae, Delphinieae, and Adonideae formed stable clades (>0.84). Anemone patens was clearly distinguished at the species level (0.97). The data obtained clarify the taxonomic relationships of Ranunculaceae in the region and emphasize the need for the combined use of multiple DNA markers. For the first time, this study provides molecular data on rare species of Ranunculaceae in Kazakhstan, which is important for their monitoring and conservation.

Euonymus koopmannii is a rare and protected species in Kazakhstan, valued for its ecological role in soil stabilization and its ornamental properties. This study presents the first use of micropropagation and phylogenetic analysis for the endemic plant E. koopmannii. Seedlings of E. koopmannii proved to be more effective than internodes as primary explants for plant micropropagation of in vitro culture, with a multiplication coefficient of 28.5 from seedlings and 6.1 from internodes. On MSR I medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L IBA and 0.05 mg/L IAA, a higher success rate of 67% was achieved for root formation of test tube-grown E. koopmannii plants. Using mannitol as an osmotic agent at a concentration of 8 mg/L prolonged the storage time of E. koopmannii under slow growth conditions when compared to CCC and abscisic acid. Phylogenetic relationships and species identification were analyzed using four DNA-barcoding markers, comparing E. koopmannii with species from NCBI. All candidate barcoding markers showed sufficient levels of interspecific genetic variation among Euonymus species. In addition, ITS region and rbcL gene sequences effectively distinguished E. koopmannii from other species. These results provide fundamental information that will be valuable for future biotechnological and molecular studies.

Bryophytes represent an important yet insufficiently studied component of terrestrial biodiversity in Central Kazakhstan. This study investigates the species composition and phylogenetic relationships of mosses in Karkaraly National Park (Karaganda Region), a forest–steppe enclave within the arid landscapes of the Kazakh Uplands. A total of 29 moss samples were collected and analyzed using an integrative approach combining microscopic morphological examination and molecular identification based on nuclear ribosomal ITS1 and ITS2 markers. Nine species belonging to seven families and four orders were identified, including Ceratodon purpureus, Syntrichia ruralis, Dicranum muehlenbeckii, Dicranum schljakovii, Polytrichum juniperinum, Polytrichum piliferum, Sanionia uncinata, Pylaisia polyantha and Abietinella abietina. Phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Likelihood method confirmed species-level identification and revealed consistent clustering of samples within their respective genera. The detected assemblage reflects the ecological heterogeneity of the Karkaraly Mountains, where microclimatic variation supports both xerophytic and mesophilous moss species. This study represents one of the first integrative analyses combining morphological and molecular (ITS1 and ITS2) approaches to identify mosses in Central Kazakhstan. The results provide novel baseline data on species composition and phylogenetic relationships of bryophytes in the Karkaraly region and highlight its role as a refugium for both xerophytic and mesophilous taxa within a semi-arid landscape.

Cistanche deserticola contains a significant amount of flavonoids and other valuable bioactive compounds, making it a promising subject for pharmacological research, as well as the development of new pharmaceutical drugs and biologically active supplements. The introduction of C. deserticola into in vitro culture and the establishment of suspension cell lines with high proliferative activity opens new perspectives for sustainable and efficient biomass production while preserving its unique properties. As a result of our research, callus lines were obtained with varying colors, from light to dark brown. This fact indicates the heterogeneity of the cell masses, which is related to the peculiarities of metabolite synthesis under in vitro conditions. For the first time, we have obtained cell lines of С. deserticola and studied their stable proliferation in suspension culture. Quantitative analysis of the bioactive compounds content in the suspension cultures, performed by HPLC-MS using standards of apigenin, rutin, and quercetin, revealed a decrease in flavonoid content in the cell cultures with dark color. This may indicate changes in the metabolic activity of the cells as they differentiate. The obtained data may be significant for the targeted regulation of the synthesis of bioactive compounds in С. deserticola cell culture.