Abstract
Introduction. The study is driven by the need to expand the raw material base of domestic pharmacy through promising medicinal plant species in Kazakhstan's flora and their pharmacognostic standardization. Aim. Comparative pharmacognostic and phytochemical investigation of two representatives of the family Crassulaceae – Rhodiola kirilowii and Aizopsis hybrida growing in the southern region of Kazakhstan. Methods. The objects of the study included aerial and underground parts of R. kirilowii and the herb of A. hybrida. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses, determination of commercial quality parameters, thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were applied. Results. Diagnostic morphological and anatomical characteristics enabling identification of the plant materials were established. Quality parameters (moisture, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and mineral impurity) were determined using pharmacopoeial methods of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The chemical composition and metabolomic profiles were characterized by TLC, HPLC-UV, and GC-MS. Discussion. The findings demonstrated that Rhodiola kirilowii and Aizopsis hybrida possess characteristic morphological, anatomical, and phytochemical features that enable reliable identification and quality assessment of the plant materials. The presence of phenolic compounds, phytosterols, fatty acids, and other biologically active constituents supports the potential of these species for further standardization and pharmacological investigation. Conclusion. The morphological, anatomical, and phytochemical findings provide baseline data for further identification and standardization of the studied plant materials. The possible biological activity of the identified compounds requires separate experimental confirmation.