LEVISTICUM OFFICINALE (F. APIACEAE): HABITAT, BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (REVIEW)

The Medicinal Lovage (Levisticum Officinale) grows almost everywhere. In order to use Levisticum Officinale in economic needs, including in medicine, a number of countries are specially engaged in its cultivation. The analysis of the scientific literature revealed a large number of publications confirming the diverse chemical spectrum of rhizomes, roots and herbs of the medicinal lovage. In this regard, it is used as a medicinal raw material and is included in a number of European Pharmacopoeias. For medical purposes, all parts of this plant that contain biologically active substances can be used. Levisticum officinale contains various phytochemical compounds and secondary metabolites – terpenoids, flavonoids, essential oils, phthalides, polyacetylenes, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolic acids, polyacetylenes. All of them have properties that can have a therapeutic effect on the organism. The composition of essential oils of Levisticum Officinale is the most studied. It is mainly represented by monoterpene hydrocarbons, sexwiterpenes and phthalides. There are some differences in the chemical composition of Levisticum Officinale. Most scientists agree that such a discrepancy may be related to the period and process of harvesting plant raw materials, age, genotype of the plant, climatic conditions and place of growth, as well as the method of extraction and the method of identification and quantitative determination of biologically active substances. Therefore, there is a problem of a single universal system of preparation and further use of raw materials. The development of modern methods for analyzing the raw materials of lovage and the study of its chemical composition creates prerequisites for expanding its use as a medicinal plant.