COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGIC AND CHEMICAL PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THREE ROMANIAN AGASTACHE SPECIES

ASSESSMENT OF THREE ROMANIAN AGASTACHE SPECIES (Abstract): Phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, are classified as secondary metabolites in plants. The increasing interest in utilizing these components in traditional medicine for the prevention or treatment of diverse pathologies based on their antioxidant properties. The objectives of this study were to identify the microscopic characteristics and to quantify the levels of total phenolics and flavonoids of three different Agastache species: A. foeniculum , A. mexicana , and A. ur-ticifolia . Material and methods: Microscopy followed 10 th European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) provision regarding the evaluation of plant products. The quantification of phenolic content was conducted using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while the determination of total flavonoids was conducted using the aluminum chloride and sodium nitrate method. Results : Microscopic features showed similar structures for leaves and flowers. Differences were given by the density of stomata and glandular or surface trichomes. The total phenolic content of the extracts varied from 213 to 642 mg % and the maximum was determined for A. foe-niculum . Also, the measured total flavonoid content was found to be between 29.4 mg % and 58 mg %, the same sample having the highest amount. Conclusions: The methanolic extracts of this plant exhibits a notable concentration of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for various diseases. However, further investigation is required to fully understand its efficacy and safety profile