CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF COMARUM PALUSTRE L. AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre L.) is a perennial herb from the Rosaceae family. It has been used for long in folk medicine in form of infusions, tinctures and decoctions of the underground and aboveground parts of this plant. Nonetheless it is not a pharmacopoeial plant and requires additional research. The goal of this study was to review the existing literature data on the chemical composition of the aerial and underground organs of the marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre L.) and their pharmacological activity. Over the period from 1963 to the present, more than 130 components have been identified in the aboveground and underground parts of the marsh cinquefoil, mainly belonging to the group of phenolic compounds, tannins, fatty acids, polysaccharides and amino acids. Several aspects of pharmacological activity of the total extracts and individual secondary metabolites of the marsh cinquefoil have been studied; anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, nephroprotective, antiviral, antioxidant and other types of biological activity have been experimentally confirmed. Literature data analysis showed that the marsh cinquefoil represents a rich source of biologically active substances and is promising for the creation of new drugs, therefore, further study of its metabolites and their biological activity is of great interest.