[STUDY OF LIPIDS AND ACCOMPANYING BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF SOME PLANTS GROWING GEORGIA]

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Plant Science

Background:

• Plant-derived compounds are crucial in traditional medicine and modern pharmacology.
• Understanding the biochemical composition of medicinal plants like Hypericum perforatum, Zea mays, and Equisetum arvense is essential for their effective utilization.
• Lipids and bioactive substances contribute significantly to the therapeutic properties of plants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the lipid content and identify bioactive compounds in seeds of Hypericum perforatum L. and Zea mays L., and in the above-ground parts of Equisetum arvense L.
• To characterize the physical-chemical properties of extracted lipid fractions.
• To explore the presence of specific classes of lipids and other bioactive molecules.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of neutral and polar lipid sums from plant materials.
• Analysis of physical-chemical constants.
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Identification of fatty acids, phospholipids, carotenoids, and amino acids.

Main Results:

• Lipid sums (neutral and polar) were successfully obtained with significant yields.
• Neutral lipid fractions were rich in saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Polar lipid fractions confirmed the presence of phospholipids.
• Carotenoids and amino acids were identified as significant bioactive compounds.

Conclusions:

• The investigated plant materials (Hypericum perforatum, Zea mays, Equisetum arvense) possess valuable lipid profiles, including diverse fatty acids and phospholipids.
• These plants are sources of important bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and amino acids.
• The findings support the potential use of these plants in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.