Comparative pharmacognostic study of different origin low woody-grass types peats for substantiation of their use as prospective sources of biologically active humic acids

The comparative pharmacognostic study of two different origin low woody-grass types peat from the Tomsk region peatlands and the physicochemical parameters of the structure of humic acids (HA) isolated from them was carried out to justify the interchangeability of peat raw materials within the same peat species and to select a promising source of HA with biological activity for development new drug candidates with non-specific biological activity. As a result of the study, it was established that two different origin low woody-grass types peat from the Tomsk region peatlands ("Klyukvennoye" and "Tagan") have similar botanical composition and pharmacognostic parameters. Humic acids were alkaline extraction isolated from the studied peats, according to the physicochemical methods combination (UV and IR spectroscopy, elemental CHNS analysis, 13C-NMR spectroscopy, titrimetry) have common structural features due to the presence of the aromatic structures with the aliphatic radicals replaced, the the polyconjugated system presence, the aromaticity same degrees, the hydrophilic structures predominance over hydrophobic, polydispersity, pronounced reducing properties, this indicates the interchangeability of peat raw materials, provided that the technology for extracting HA from peat is observed. Difference features between HA samples, associated mainly with the nitrogen content, as well as phenolic and quinoid fragments, the condensation aromatic structures degrees, the lignin nature methoxyl-groups and carbohydrate fragments, were made it possible to conclude about that HA extracted from peat of «Tagan» peatland are more promising for the development to safe naturals medicines for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of pathologies.