Biological features of Dracocephalum moldavica f. alba in the Non-Black Earth Zone of Russia

Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica f. alba) is a rare medicinal, essential oil, and aromatic annual plant of the Lamiaceae family. The paper aims to study the bioproductivity and economic traits of Dracocephalum moldavica f. alba in the Central Economic Region of the Russian Federation. The research object was plants of the white-fl owered form of Moldavian dragonhead cultivated at the All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ARIMAP). The experimental part of the work was carried out in 2023–2024 through conducting fi eld and laboratory experiments. Biometric measurements were performed during the mass fl owering phase. The content of essential oil was determined during mass fl owering by hydro-distillation in air-dried raw material. The total phenolic content calculated as rosmarinic acid was determined using methods developed at ARIMAP. The total fl avonoid content calculated as luteolin was determined after the complex formation reaction with aluminum chloride. Dracocephalum moldavica f. alba is characterized by stable raw material yield, good seed productivity, and drought resistance. The form is suitable for industrial cultivation. The white-fl owered form exceeded the Nezhnost’ cultivar (with blue fl owers) bred by the All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in raw material and seed yield by 10–11 %. The comparatively high yield of seeds and raw material of the white-fl owered form is due to the size and fullness of the seeds as well as to a greater degree of leafi ness. The essential oil content in the raw material of the white-fl owered form was determined to be high on average over the years of research. This indicator exceeded the similar indicator for the cultivar Nezhnost’ adapted to Moscow Oblast environment by 70 %. The total phenolic compounds in the raw material of the white-fl owered form averages 4.0 % over two years, while the fl avonoid content is 0.878 %. The studied white-fl owered form, along with cultivars having fl owers of blue or other colors, can be used as a promising medicinal and essential oil raw material when cultivated in the Non-Black Earth Zone of Russia

1. Simea Ș., Ielciu I., Hanganu D., Niculae M., Pall E., Burtescu R. F., Olah N. K., Cenariu M., Oniga I., Benedec D., Duda M. Evaluation of the cytotoxic, antioxidative and antimicrobial eff ects of Dracocephalum moldavica L. cultivars, Molecules. 2023;28(4):1604. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041604.

2. Hussein M. S., El-Sherbeny S. E., Khalil M. Y., Naguib N. Y., Aly S. M. Growth characters and chemical constituents of Dracocephalum moldavica L. plants in relation to compost fertilizer and planting distance, Scientia Horticulturae. 2006;108(3):322-331. DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2006.01.035.

3. Borghei S. F., Azizi A., Pourhosseini S. H., Rahimi-Rizi M. Characterization of dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) landraces: genetic, chemotypic, and agro-morphologic perspectives, Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. 2024;38:100522. DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmap.2023.100522.

4. Rezaei Chiyaneh E., Amirnia R., Fotohi Chiyaneh S., Maggi F., Barin M., S. Razavi B. Improvement of dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) yield quality through a coupled intercropping system and vermicompost application along with maintenance of soil microbial activity, Land Degradation & Development. 2021;32(9):2833-2848. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.3957.

5. Aprotosoaie A. C., Mihai C. T., Vochita G., Rotinberg P., Trifan A., Luca S. V., Petreus T., Gille E., Miron A. Antigenotoxic and antioxidant activities of a polyphenolic extract from European Dracocephalum moldavica L., Industrial Crops and Products. 2016;79:248-257. DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.11.004.

6. Simea Ş., Duda, M. M., Gheţe A. B., Mureşan C., Crișan I. The Importance and Use of the Species Dracocepahlum moldavica, Hop and Medicinal Plants. 2018;26(1-2):39-43. DOI: 10.15835/hpm.v26i1-2.13230.

7. Zhan M., Ma M., Mo X., Zhang Y., Li T., Yang Y., Dong L. Dracocephalum moldavica L.: An updated comprehensive review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and application aspects, Fitoterapia. 2024;172:105732. DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105732.

8. Moldovan C., Nițu S., Hermeziu M., Vidican R., Sandor M., Gâdea Ș., David A., Stoian V. A., Sorin D. V., Stoian V. Growth characteristics of Dracocephalum moldavica L. in relation to density for sustainable cropping technology development, Agriculture. 2022;12(6):789. DOI: 10.3390/agriculture12060789.

9. Kurmanova E. N., Ferubko E. V., Strelkova L. B., Kurmanov R. K., Sheychenko O. P. Study of anti-infl ammatory activity of Moldavian dragonhead extract, Patologicheskaya fi ziologiya i eksperimental’naya terapiya. 2020;64(1):108-112. DOI: 10.25557/0031-2991.2020.01.108-112. (in Russ.).

10. Weremczuk-Jeżyna I., Gonciarz W., Grzegorczyk-Karolak I. Antioxidant and anti-infl ammatory activities of phenolic acid-rich extract from hairy roots of Dracocephalum moldavica, Molecules. 2023;28(19):6759. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28196759.

11. Kuramagomedov M.K., Aliyev A.M., Radzhabov G.K., Musayev A.M. Comparative analysis of the component composition of essential oils of Dracocephalum moldavica L. varieties introduced in the mountainous conditions of Dagestan, Development problems of regional agro-industrial complex. 2021;3(47):156-161. DOI: 10.52671/20790996_2021_3_156. (in Russ.).

12. Nikiforova O. I., Nechaeva E. Kh., Revyakina K. A. Phenological observations of Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) in the Middle Volga branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientifi c Institution VILAR: Nauka, tekhnologii, obshchestvo: ekologicheskij inzhiniring v interesah ustojchivogo razvitiya territorij (NTO-SH-2022): sb. nauchnyh trudov III Vserossijskoj nauch. konferencii s mezhdunar. uchastiem, 16-18 noyabrya, Krasnoyarsk, 2022 g., Krasnoyarsk, 2022, 593-597. DOI: 10.47813/nto.3.2022.6.593-597. (in Russ.).

13. Zagoryansky A.N., Nikiforova O.I., Setin V.N., Nechaeva E.Kh. Increasing the bioproductivity of Moldavian dragonhead using growth regulators and micronutrients in the conditions of the Middle Volga region, Technologies of the food and processing industry of the agro-industrial complex-healthy food products. 2024;4:217-224. DOI: 10.24412/2311-6447-2024-4-217-224 (in Russ.).

14. Totskaya S. A., Savchenko O. M., Khazieva F. M., Gryaznov M. Yu. Methods of increasing yields and their impact on the quality of raw materials and seeds of Moldavian dragonhead, Agrochemical herald. 2019;6:37-41. DOI: 10.24411/0235-2516-2019-10088. (in Russ.).

15. Malankina E. L. Application of exogenous amino acids and the secondary metabolites content in moldovanian snakehead: Fitofarm 2023: Fitofarm 2023: sb. materialov XXIV Mezhdunarodnogo nauchnogo S”ezda, 25-27 maya, Sankt-Peterburg, 2023;58. EDN: GMIJXA (in Russ.).

16. Chumakova V. V., Chumakov V. F. Agrobiological and phytochemical characteristics of the Moldavian dragonhead variety Egoist, Sel’skohozyajstvennyj zhurnal. 2018;2(11):28-32. DOI: 10.25930/dp7z-e873. (in Russ.).

17. Kovalev N. I., Babaeva E. Yu., Tcitcilin A. N., Korotkih I. N., Gryaznov M. Yu., Basalaeva I. V. Metodika provedeniya polevyh opytov s lekarstvennymi i efi rno-maslichnymi kul’turami. 2-e izd., dop. i pererab dop. i pererab. M.: Nauka, 2023, 112 s. (in Russ.).

18. Gosudarstvennaya komissiya rossijskoj federacii po ispytaniyu i ohrane selekcionnyh dostizhenij (FGBU «Gossortkomissiya»). Metodika na otlichimost’ odnorodnost’ i stabil’nost’ Dracocephalum moldavica L. RTG 1094/1, 2025, URL: https://gossortrf.ru/publication/metodiki-ispytaniy-na-oos.php Ssylka aktivna na 01.02.2025. (in Russ.).

19. Eshchenko V. E., Trifonova M. F., Kopyt’ko P. G. Fundamentals of experimental work in plant growing. M.: Koloc, 2009, 268 p. (in Russ.).

20. Pogoda i klimat. Klimaticheskij monitor g. Moskva, URL: http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/monitor.php Ssylka aktivna na 02.02.2025. (in Russ.).

21. Gosudarstvennaya farmakopeya Rossijskoj Federacii XV izdaniya. 1.5.2. Masla dlya proizvodstva i izgotovleniya lekarstvennyh preparatov. Obshchaya farmakopejnaya stat’ya (OFS) OFS.1.5.2.0001 https://pharmacopoeia.regmed.ru/pharmacopoeia/izdanie-15/1/1-5/1-5-3/efirnye-masla/ Ssylka aktivna na 14.12.2024. (in Russ.).

22. Zvezdina E. V., Sheychenko O. P. Research on the standardization of the Moldavian dragonhead herb (Dracocephalum moldavica L.), Voprosy biologicheskoj, medicinskoj i farmacevticheskoj himii. 2019;22(4):7-12. DOI: 10.29296/25877313-2019-04-02 (in Russ.).

23. Pękal A., Pyrzynska K. Evaluation of Aluminium Complexation Reaction for Flavonoid Content Assay, Food Analytical Methods. 2014;7:1776-1782. DOI: 10.1007/s12161-014-9814-x.

24. Eremeeva E. N. Dynamics of changes in the content of phenolic compounds in plants of the Lamiaceae family: Mezhdunarodnaya nauchnaya konferenciya molodyh uchyonyh i specialistov, posvyashchyonnaya 150-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya A. YA. Milovicha: sb. trudov mezhdunar. nauch. konferencii, 03-05 iyunya, Moskva, 2024 g. Moskva, 2024, 34-37.EDN: LNYUCR (in Russ.).

25.