Environmental factors affecting flavonoid accumulation in plants Poligonum weyrichii growing in Murmansk region

Cardiovascular diseases caused by free radical oxidation processes are taking the lion’s share in the structure of the overall morbidity, mortality and disability amongst the adult population in Murmansk region. The need for developing new health-saving technologies, as well as import substitution in the pharmacological sphere necessitate the search for new natural and effective sources. Weyrich’s knotweed (Poligonum weyrichii Fr. Schmidt.) growing in Murmansk region is a promising source of flavonoid compounds for the production of adaptogenic drugs. Our pilot study was conducted to evaluate the flavonoid content and the ecological dependencies of their accumulation in the tissues of the inflorescences, the leaves of the upper and middle layers and in the rhizomes during the growing season in two nearly adjacent areas which differ in climatic conditions. We used wild-growing (in both areas) and cultivated (only one location) plants. The study revealed that the content of flavonoids in the leaves and inflorescences of the Weyrich’s knotweed growing on the territories of the industrially developed central part of the Murmansk region can exceed 5.0% by weight of the dried tissue. The obtained data indicate that the leaves (up to 3.4%) and inflorescences (up to 5.6%) differ by the highest content of these compounds at the beginning or in the second half of the growing season, respectively, and the deterioration of external conditions stimulates their synthesis. Taking into account the high biomass of Weyrich’s knotweed plants, their high growth rate and resistance under extreme conditions, they can be considered as a promising pharmacologically valuable plant for the Murmansk region. The possibilities and prospects of using the P. weyrichii plants as the main plant for the regional production of adaptogenic drugs are discussed.