Artemisia albida, Artemisia leucodes, and Artemisia scopaeformis were selected for this study based on their traditional medicinal uses and phytochemical profiles. A. albida exhibited the highest level of extractive substances (20.76%) and showed the greatest concentration of water-soluble polysaccharides (2.14%). Tannins, well known for their astringency and antioxidant activity, were most abundant in A. scopaeformis (2.81%) and A. albida (1.52%). The phenolics coumarins were concentrated in A. scopaeformis (6.49%) and A. leucodes (4.46%). Among the extracts, A. leucodes exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ = 13.53 μM, FRAP = 52.02 μmol TE/g), the highest SPF (23.24), and the most effective DNA protection (91.4%). It indicated a high level of biological effectiveness, with an SPF comparable to natural UV-protection agents and DNA protection exceeding 90%, suggesting potential. Molecular docking confirmed binding of catechin and epicatechin to glutathione peroxidase. Colloidal analysis revealed that hydrolates obtained from A. albida and A. leucodes have significant surface activity, reducing water surface tension to 40–50 mJ/m², whereas the hydrolate from A. scopaeformis had only a minor effect. Thus, A. leucodes is a strong candidate for multifunctional antioxidant, UV-protective, and skin-regenerating applications.

Medicinal plants have played a crucial role in both traditional and modern medicine for centuries. Among these, Rheum tataricum and Rheum palmatum have attracted significant attention due to their diverse pharmacological properties and rich chemical compositions. Despite their widespread use, detailed comparative studies of these species remain limited. This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of their morphological characteristics, chemical profiles, and pharmacological effects to enhance their application in medicine and drug development. The study involved the identification of liposoluble constituents in R. tataricum and R. palmatum using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The chemical compositions of both species were investigated, and their bioactive compounds were quantified. The pharmacological significance of key compounds such as oleic acid, hexadecanoic acid, octadecadienoic acid, chrysophanol, and apocynin was evaluated based on existing literature. GC-MS analysis revealed distinct differences in the chemical compositions of R. tataricum and R. palmatum. The Chinese species, R. palmatum, contained twenty-four compounds, with oleic acid (53.9±0.09%) as a predominant constituent. In contrast, R. tataricum from Kazakhstan contained eighteen compounds, with a notably higher content of chrysophanol (35.1±0.05%). Hexadecanoic acid (18.9%) was found to be a major component in both species, demonstrating moderate antibacterial activity. Other bioactive compounds such as octadecadienoic acid, 9,10-anthracenedione, apocynin, and orcinol were detected, indicating their potential therapeutic applications. This comparative study provides valuable insight into the chemical compositions and pharmacological relevance of R. tataricum and R. palmatum. The significant variation in bioactive compound concentrations suggests distinct therapeutic potentials. These findings support the rational use of these medicinal plants in pharmaceutical applications and highlight their relevance in both drug discovery and traditional medicine practices. Keywords: Medicinal plants, Rheum tataricum, Rheum palmatum, phytochemical content, GC-MS.

Ferula foetida is a traditional medicinal herb, and its roots contain various bioactive components. In this study, dried roots of Ferula foetida were used as raw material. The total extract (4.4 g from 80 g of raw material) was obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction with 96% ethanol, followed by concentration using rotary evaporation. After dispersing the total extract in an aqueous phase, liquid-liquid extraction with petroleum ether (PE) and dichloromethane (DCM) was performed to yield the PE (1.46 g) and DCM (0.19 g) fractions. These fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method (GC-MS) and the results evaluated 32 compounds in PE fraction and 79 components in DCM fraction. This study preliminarily established a sequential extraction method for organic compounds from the roots of this herb, laying a foundation for the subsequent separation, purification, and structural identification of chemical constituents in fractions of different polarities. Preliminary analysis indicates that the PE and DCM fractions are mainly enriched in low-polarity components, which can be further identified by techniques such as HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR.

Traditional herbal medicine has been an important source of therapeutic agents to treat various diseases since long ago and the genus Artemisia is drawing a lot of attention owing to its diversity of biologically active secondary metabolites. In the present study, our team focused on Artemisia albida Willd., which was collected in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan. Using various chromatographic techniques, 15 compounds were obtained. Their structures were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR, and ECD, revealing a new-skeleton sesquiterpenoid, Albiterpene A (1), together with one known sesquiterpene, one lignan, one fatty acid ester, and 11 phenolic compounds. The absolute configuration of Albiterpene A was determined by the TDDFT ECD calculation. Meanwhile, the inhibitory and radical-scavenging activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated using α-glucosidase, PTP1B, BNA and DPPH assays. Among all tested compounds, arteanoflavone exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 3.2 ± 0.07 μM) and PTP1B (IC₅₀ = 6.8 ± 0.14 μM) inhibition and strong DPPH radical-scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 1.5 ± 0.03 μM), outperforming the positive controls DNJ and Trolox. Molecular docking was employed to elucidate the possible binding modes of arteanoflavone, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid ethyl ester against PTP1B (1NNY) and human α-glucosidase (2QMJ). The docking scores suggested a consistent binding affinity ranking across both targets: chlorogenic acid > arteanoflavone > caffeic acid ethyl ester.