Botanical evaluation of medicinal potential of bittersweets (Celastrus L.)

The genus Celastrus L. (bittersweets) includes about 35 species of woody lianas, growing in Australia, Madagascar, America and Asia, including Russian Far East. Some species, used in Russia and abroad for vertical gardening are not only decorative, but partially edible and even medicinal. The content of biologically active compounds in the leaves and other structures of bittersweets has been studied fragmentarily. Cyclitol, catechins, and glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin were found in plants. It is known about the use of bittersweets in folk and modern medicine in Russia, as well as India, China and other Asian countries. Information on leaf productivity of species, growing in Moscow region, is not enough. Comparative botanical evaluation of shoots and leaves of four species and one variety of bittersweets from collection of N.V. Tsitsin’s Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences was carried out. A total of 19–20 shoots of each taxon – C. rugosus, C. flagellaris, C. scandens, C. strigillosus and C. orbiculatus var. punctatus – were studied. In each taxon the shape of leaves, their number on shoot were determined; mass, length and width of the leaf were studied. The average, maximum and minimum morphometric values were determined and statistically processed. The leaves were found to vary greatly in shape, number per shoot (from 42 for C. orbiculatus var. punctatus to 21 for C. strigillosus), average weight (from 0.42 ± 0.03 for C. strigillosus to 0.24 ± 0.01 g for C. orbiculatus var. punctatus), average weight per shoot (from 8.82 g for C. strigillosus to 10.92 g for C. scandens), average length (from 6.74 ± 0.11 cm for C. flagellaris to 5.73 ± 0.18 cm for C. orbiculatus var. punctatus) and average width (from 4.89 ± 0.21 cm for C. strigillosus to 3.34 ± 0.09 cm for C. orbiculatus var.punctatus). Despite the significant variability of leaves, C. rugosus, C. flagellaris, C. scandens, C. strigillosus, introduced in Moscow region, and C. orbiculatus var. punctatus, having the lowest leaf productivity, can be recommended for further study as a medicinal raw material.

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