Comparative analysis of the biotechnological potential of Knautia drymeia Heuff. and K. macedonica Griseb

Abstract

The present study of Knautia drymeia and K. macedonica is in line with the current trend of searching for new plant species that can potentially be used as medicinal herb materials. A comparative analysis of the morphological and anatomical structure of both species was performed together with the distribution of polyphenolic compounds, which was correlated with the tissue structure of plant organs. Quantitative phytochemical analyses were performed to supplement the biophysical analyses. Both species had a similar morphological, anatomical, and histological structure. Polyphenolic compounds were accumulated in the parenchyma tissue in an organ-specific mode, mainly in the leaves. The phytochemical analyses revealed organ- and species-dependent variations in the polyphenol content. Thus, the highest polyphenol amount was observed in the leaves, with equal levels of total polyphenols and phenolic acids in the leaves of K. macedonica and K. drymeia, respectively. The present study integrates morphological/histological analyses with investigations of the biotechnological/pharmaceutical potential of the studied plants and constitutes an innovative and holistic approach to the current research problem.