EVALUATION OF NO-STIMULATING ACTIVITY OF ARCTIUM LAPPA L. AND ARCTIUM TOMENTOSUM MILL. CULTIVATED

Arctium lappa L. and Arctium tomentosum Mill. are not only common species in nature but also widely cultivated in various countries. The chemical composition and pharmacological properties of different species of burdock have been studied fragmentarily. For cultivated species, information is sparse, and comparative studies of all plant parts within a single population are lacking. The polysaccharide content within a single population in different morphological organs of cultivated Arctium tomentosum and Arctium lappa grown in Altai has been studied for the first time. It was found that roots dominate in the accumulation of polysaccharides, while leaves and fruits accumulate 11–12 times and 50–53 times less, respectively. The dominant components in the polysaccharide complexes of leaves and fruits are galactose and arabinose, while fructose prevails in the roots. An endotoxin-independent study of the effects of the polysaccharide complexes of the studied species on the NO-stimulating activity of peritoneal macrophages was conducted for the first time. The results showed that polysaccharide complexes (PSCs) of leaves and fruits of both species exhibit significant NO-stimulating properties. PSCs with a defined composition, free of endotoxin impurities, can be used for detailed studies of immunomodulatory properties and further development of new safe drugs for the treatment of diseases requiring correction and regulation of the functional activity of immune cells, including antigen-presenting cells – macrophages.