Received: 27.04.2026
Accepted: 08.06.2026
Published online: 17.06.2026
UDC: 615.32:582.734+581.8
DOI: 10.53511/pharmkaz.2026.3.12
STUDY OF THE ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE ABOVEGROUND
ORGANS OF GEUM ALEPPICUM JACQ
G.N. Kuntubek, K.K. Kozhanova, S.E. Mombekov, Mukhamedsadykova A.Zh., B.T. Kydyrbay
Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Introduction. Geum aleppicum (family Rosaceae) is widely distributed in the mountainous regions of Japan, China, Mongolia, Siberia, and Kazakhstan; however, its pharmacological and phytochemical properties remain insufficiently studied. In traditional medicine, this species is used for the treatment of gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases and is characterized by antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other biological activities. The presence of phenolic compounds and organic acids determines its pharmaceutical potential and prospects for use in official medicine.
Materials and Methods. Anatomical and diagnostic features were evaluated using micro-preparations prepared in accordance with the General Pharmacopeia Monograph (GPM) of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Kazakhstan, titled ‘Technique for Microscopic and Microchemical Examination of Medicinal Plant Raw Materials’. To prevent structural deformation of cells and tissues, freshly collected raw materials were fixed in a glycerol–ethanol–water
system (1:1:1). Following preliminary thermal softening of the samples in water, maceration was performed using a spirit–water–glycerol mixture (1:1:1). To enhance optical transparency, the tissue fragments were placed in a chloral hydrate or glycerol solution and separated into two sides (adaxial and abaxial) using dissecting instruments. Anatomical sections were obtained using a TOS-2 freezing microtome, and air bubbles beneath the coverslip were removed via gentle thermal heating. Microscopic analysis and photofixation were carried out on an MS-300 digital optical system (MICROS, Austria). Biometric measurements were performed in fivefold replication (n=5), and statistical processing and analysis of the obtained data were conducted using Microsoft Excel and STATISTICA 13.3 software.
Results. During the anatomical and biometric analysis of the leaves and stems of Geum aleppicum, their microscopic diagnostic features were determined: a dorsiventral structure of the leaf was revealed, with the thickness of the upper epidermis measuring 13.76 ± 2.96 μm, the lower epidermis 24.64 ± 13.68 μm, and the spongy mesophyll 136.67 ± 18.43 μm; stomata are located predominantly on the lower surface, exhibiting an elliptical shape and an anomocytic type (the
number of stomata per 1 mm² of surface area is 80). Simple and glandular trichomes were identified on the surface of the leaves and stems, and the localization patterns of calcium oxalate druses and large idioblast cells near the vascular bundles, in the primary cortex, and in the pith parenchyma were verified. On the cross-section of the stem, a bundle-type structure of a cylindrical shape was observed: it was statistically demonstrated that its epidermal thickness is 18.22 ± 4.37 μm, the primary cortex parenchyma is 129.77 ± 9.89 μm, and the average diameter of the 16–17 open bicollateral vascular bundles in the central cylinder is 90.29 ± 1.64 μm (reinforced on the outer side by 6–7 rows of sclerenchyma with a cell wall thickness of 3.23 ± 0.82 μm).
Discussion. The leaves of Geum aleppicum are dorsiventral, and the predominance of stomata on the lower epidermis with an anomocytic type represents an important diagnostic feature. The presence of trichomes, idioblasts, and calcium oxalate crystals indicates strong protective and high biological activity of the plant. In the stem, well-developed vascular bundles and idioblast-rich parenchyma suggest mechanical strength and high metabolic activity. Overall, the results
demonstrate the species’ adaptation to mesophytic conditions and its high capacity for accumulation of biologically active substances, confirming important diagnostic features for its standardization as medicinal raw material.
Keywords: Geum aleppicum Jacq., stem, leaf, anatomical features, plant raw material identification, microscopy.
