Pharmacognostic Study of Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. (Fam. Asteraceаe) Cultivated in Western Ciscaucasia

A comparative study of morpho-anatomical and biologically active substance composition of the carbohydrate, carboxylic acid, and microelement key groups in the aboveground parts of three Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. varieties—Purity, Rosea, and Dazzler—is presented. The study object is the herbaceous plant Cosmos bipinnatus Cav., family Asteraceаe, commonly called cosmea of three varieties sampled in the flowering phase in July 2020. Microspecimens were tested with the Biomed-2 microscope (ocular 16×; lens 4×, 10×) in accordance with the methodology in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, edition XVI (SP XVI). Carbohydrate complexes were isolated from dried raw materials with the method of N.K. Kochetkov and M. Sinner. The carbohydrate content of each fraction was determined gravimetrically. The monosaccharide composition was analyzed after acid hydrolysis with the paper chromatography technique. The organic acids were identified with the thin layer chromatography technique. The elemental and amino acid composition was determined with capillary electrophoresis. The microscopic records for the characteristics typical of different morphological parts of the cosmea Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. varieties Rosea, Dazzler, and Purity (leaves, flowers, inflorescence bracts, and stems), were created. It could provide the opportunity to describe the distinctive medicinal properties of the proposed plant-derived raw materials defined as the sources of biologically active compounds. A comparative analysis of the carbohydrate, carboxylic acid, and microelement composition in shoots (leaves and stems) showed that the water-soluble polysaccharides included fructose, rhamnose, and galactose, while the main pectin monosaccharides were composed of galacturonic acid, glucose, and arabinose. In addition, xylose, glucose, and galactose represented hemicelluloses A and B. Moreover, the succinic acid was revealed in all the analyzed varieties. High contents of proline and essential amino acids—leucine, methionine, valine, and threonine—were recorded. The ability of all the analyzed species varieties to accumulate potassium, magnesium, iron, and boron ions was revealed. Findings have shown that the Purity variety is more efficient in the contents of water-soluble polysaccharides (3.34%), hemicelluloses A (13.44%) and B (2.91%), essential amino acids, aliphatic amino acids, iron (110 mg/kg), and boron (68.7 mg/kg). The Dazzler variety is the richest in pectin substances (8.37%) and potassium ions (13 342 mg/kg). The Rosea variety contains the maximum content of free form amino acids (7768 mg/kg).