Work

Exploring Anatomical and Chemical Markers to Characterize and Differentiate Among Bidens Species

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Bidens pilosa L., Bidens alba (L.) DC., and Bidens subalternans DC., Asteraceae, are often misidentified because of their morphological similarities. The present study provides a comparative analysis of the morpho-anatomical characteristics, histochemical, and chemical fingerprints obtained by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for these three species. Light microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to characterize diagnostic structures. Histochemical assays and LC-MS were applied to obtain chemical information from leaf, stem, and root extracts, and multivariate chemometrics including principal component analysis were used to classify the datasets. The morpho-anatomical and histochemical analysis allowed the identification and differentiation of the three species; also, the LC-MS analysis revealed that the main compounds in Bidens extracts are phenolics, and using chemometrics methods was possible to discriminate by species and plant parts. Together, these complementary approaches provide a robust basis for distinguishing closely related Bidens species and support more reliable pharmacognostic identification. Graphical Abstract

Source: Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia

DOI: 10.1007/s43450-026-00759-8