Morphologic Profile Of Two Leuzea Species Harvested From Wild Flora Of Eastern Romania

Leuzea carthamoides DC and Leuzea salina are two plant species found in Chinese and Russian traditional medicine for their adaptogen and stress relieving properties. There are still many unknown bioactive compounds that may influence the mechanism of action of these species. Nevertheless, all chemical investigations are directly related to the proper identification of the raw material. Aim: In Romania, it is known that two different species of Leuzea grow in the wild flora, but there is no data that confirms the difference between the species. Moreover, there are specialists that consider that L. carthamoides DC. is a synonym for Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd) Iljin, which rises a series of questions regarding the botanical belonging. Our aim was to observe and assess possible taxonomic differences between the two Leuzea species. Material and methods: The investigations consisted in the morphologic assessment (microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy) of each important structure found in the roots, stems and leaves of both species on plants harvested from Iasi and Neamt counties in 2017. Results: The microscopic observations indicated both similar and different structures that are related to the environmental conditions. Some of the observed features can confirm the species and the growth conditions. Conclusions: Although, the results confirmed the taxonomic variability between the investigated samples, further research is still undergoing to assess the chemical and the biological profile based upon the maker compounds important for taxonomy.