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Trace Elements in Medicine
International scientific and practical peer-reviewed journal
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ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF HORSE CHESTNUT (AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM L.) FLOWERS GROWING IN VORONEZH REGION

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А.D. Dunilin, O.V. Trineeva, A.S. Chistyakova, A.A. Gudkova

Voronezh State University,
Universitetskaya pl., 1, Voronezh, 394006, Russian Federation

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ABSTRACT. The study of elements of medicinal plant raw materials (MPRМ) allows solving important problems of modern medicine associated with nutrient deficiency in human nutrition. Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) is widely known for its specific (venotropic) effect on the human body. An analysis of the literature data showed that at the moment the elemental complex of horse chestnut flowers has not been studied enough.

The aim of the study was study of the elemental composition of flowers of horse chestnut, growing in the Voronezh region.

Materials and methods. The objects in the work were dried horse chestnut flowers harvested in the Voronezh region during the flowering period (May 2021), as well as soil from the place where the plant grows. The mineral composition of the studied objects was studied by the method of chromato-mass spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. Total ash and ash insoluble in 10% hydrochloric acid were determined according to the methods of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XIV ed.

Results. The studied samples of flowers corresponded to the requirements of regulatory documentation in terms of the total ash content of raw materials. In horse chestnut flowers, the content of elements was in the range of 0.001 - 15114.44 mg/kg. Among the macronutrients, calcium (15114.44 µg/g) and potassium (13020.18 µg/g) predominate; in a smaller steppe, flowers contain sodium (195.24 µg/g). Trace elements make up only 1.16% of the total mineral complex. The content of toxic normalized elements in the studied MMR was within the permissible content and did not exceed a total of 1.532 mg/kg. Calculating the coefficients of accumulation of elements in the MPRM, it was found that horse chestnut flowers have a fairly high ability to accumulate macroelements. Among the toxic normalized elements in flowers, lead accumulates to the greatest extent (accumulation coefficient 0.08), however, all of them are classified as weak capture elements. Chestnut flowers are not concentrators of toxic and potentially toxic elements.

Conclusions. The data obtained are relevant from the standpoint of further prospects for the study of horse chestnut flowers, as a new source of medicinal products for its introduction into the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation and obtaining domestic safe and effective medicinal products and dietary supplements with venotonic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on its basis.

KEYWORDS: horse chestnut flowers; elemental composition; inductively coupled plasma chromato-mass spectroscopy.