Are Salix purpurea L. genotypes from natural locations promising candidates for the production of high-quality herbal raw materials under controlled conditions?

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a considerable increase in demand for natural plant-based raw materials, which is why the agricultural production of bioresources on arable or marginal land is not only a viable alternative, but also an important direction for the development of modern agriculture. The present study focuses on evaluating the suitability of Salix purpurea L. genotypes from different natural locations for the agricultural production of high-quality herbal raw materials used in the manufacture of drugs, dietary supplements, cosmetics, biological preparations and animal feed. High variation was noted in the analyzed traits of S. purpurea (plant height, stem diameter, number of shoots per plant and plant weight) and leaf rust infection rates. Two S. purpurea genotypes were characterized by highly satisfactory values of yield-related traits and a high content of salicylic glycosides (SG) in the bark (109.3 mg g−1 and 86.3 mg g-1, respectively), regardless of plant age, they were free of infection caused by fungi of the genus Melampsora. Due to their high potential for the agricultural production of high-quality herbal raw materials, they constitute promising source material for S. purpurea cultivation under controlled conditions. The above genotypes were registered as cultivars ASPI and ASPIRA by the Research Center for Cultivar Testing (COBORU). The results of this study indicate that S. purpurea genotypes from natural locations can be used for genetic recombination in targeted plant breeding.