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Kazakhstan's flora holds a largely untapped pharmacological treasure. The country is home to more than 6,000 plant species — yet only 3–4% of them are currently used in pharmaceutical production. According to the World Health Organization, phytopharmaceuticals will account for 60% of all medicinal products within the next decade. Bridging this gap is one of the defining scientific priorities for Kazakhstani research. The project centres on two medicinal shrub species native to south-eastern Kazakhstan: Cerasus tianschanica Poljak. (Tian-Shan cherry) and Rosa schrenkiana Crep. (Schrenk's rose).

Cerasus tianschanica is an endemic species of the Rosaceae family distributed in Kazakhstan. In traditional medicine it has been used as an antitussive and diuretic, in cancer prevention, and against diabetes. Despite this long history of application, its pharmaceutical properties have never been the subject of a systematic scientific study.

Rosa schrenkiana is used in Kazakh folk medicine as a tea preparation for treating nervous disorders, hypertension, epilepsy, tachycardia, gastrointestinal diseases, and women's ailments. Foreign pharmacological research suggests its active components may possess cardioprotective, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. Yet the population growing on Kazakhstani soil has to date remained entirely unstudied.

Both plants share a crucial characteristic: both have been used in traditional medicine against diabetes, but that application has never been substantiated scientifically within Kazakhstan. The project is designed to produce precisely that substantiation.

Diabetes mellitus is among the most rapidly spreading chronic diseases of our era. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the global prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 20–79 grew from 151 million in 2000 to 537 million in 2021 — an increase of 3.5 times. If the trend continues, 783 million adults will be living with diabetes by 2045.

Kazakhstan mirrors this global trend. Between 1991 and 2020, diabetes prevalence in the republic increased 3.1-fold. An unfavourable trend was also recorded in Almaty across the same period. This is not merely a medical issue but a socioeconomic challenge of national scale.

Under insulin deficiency, the body's antioxidant system is weakened and free radical levels rise. Here the scientific hypothesis of the project takes shape: the biologically active compounds of the studied plants may carry antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties capable of combating diabetic oxidative stress, and their phytochemical constituents may exert antihyperglycaemic effects by influencing blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.

This project represents the first comprehensive scientific investigation of both C. tianschanica and R. schrenkiana. No geobotanical, phytochemical, or biomedical experimental studies of either species had previously been conducted in Kazakhstan. The existing literature consists only of review-level coverage.

The novelty of the work unfolds across several dimensions. First, the resource base of both species in south-eastern Kazakhstan is systematically mapped for the first time, with full phytocenotic description. Second, a complete anatomo-morphological characterisation is produced, clarifying the diagnostic features of each species. Third, the qualitative and quantitative composition of biologically active compounds is determined using modern analytical chemistry methods. Fourth, the antioxidant effects of plant extracts on blood parameters, osmotic resistance of erythrocyte membranes, and the level of lipid peroxidation in liver microsomes are studied in vivo for the first time using experimental diabetic animal models.

The primary goal is to provide a geobotanical characterisation of C. tianschanica and R. schrenkiana, to investigate the effects of their extracts on animals with experimentally induced diabetes, and on the basis of evaluating the efficacy of their biologically active compounds, to explore possibilities for expanding the base of promising medicinal raw materials for Kazakhstan's pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

Six interconnected tasks define the research plan. The first is establishing the resource base and phytocenotic characteristics of the species. The second is studying the phytochemical composition, identifying biologically active compounds, and conducting anatomo-morphological research. The third is carrying out serial experiments on the effects of biologically active compounds on animals with experimental diabetes under in vitro conditions. The fourth is studying the antioxidant effect of plant extracts on the osmotic resistance of erythrocyte membranes and lipid peroxidation levels in liver microsomes. The fifth is conducting a comprehensive assessment of biologically active compounds and preparing recommendations for phytopharmaceutical development. The sixth is publishing the findings in Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed journals.

Field research is conducted using route-reconnaissance and semi-stationary methods. Species identification follows the "Flora of Kazakhstan" reference; the Ekman formula in the Stugren-Radulescu modification is used to analyse floristic similarity and difference. Plant material is collected in accordance with Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) requirements.

Anatomo-morphological studies are conducted on sections prepared using a TOC-2 microtome and examined under a DM 6000M optical microscope at ×40 and ×100 magnification. Part of the anatomo-morphological work is performed at Istanbul University (Turkey).

Haematological parameters are measured using a Sysmex KX-21 analyser. Osmotic resistance of erythrocytes is assessed in NaCl solutions at varying concentrations (0.35–0.9 g/100 ml) under incubation at 37°C for 20 minutes. Membrane catalase activity, anion permeability, and lipid peroxidation levels are determined by standardised protocols. NMR and mass spectra are obtained in the laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry at 91��ý KazNU. Statistical processing uses arithmetic mean, standard error, and Student's t-test for significance assessment.

All procedures involving experimental animals comply with bioethical requirements and Kazakhstan's legislation on animal research.

At the scientific level, the project will produce the first systematic data on the resource base, phytochemical composition, and biomedical properties of both species. These data will establish the evidentiary foundation for subsequent preclinical and clinical trials.

At the practical level, the base of domestic medicinal raw materials will be expanded, and the scientific grounds for developing new phytopharmaceuticals with antidiabetic and antioxidant activity will be laid. In the longer term, this may enable partial substitution of imported pharmaceutical products with domestically developed alternatives.

At the public health level, new scientifically validated means for preventing and treating diabetes and its complications will directly benefit the population — addressing a disease whose burden in Kazakhstan continues to grow.

Results will be published in at least two articles in journals indexed in Web of Science and Scopus. Project participants plan to present findings at international scientific conferences dedicated to the project's subject area.