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Atlas of Microscopy of Medicinal Plants, Herbs, Spices - B. Jackson, D. Snowdon (1990) WW PDF

265 Pages·1990·28.21 MB·English
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Preview Atlas of Microscopy of Medicinal Plants, Herbs, Spices - B. Jackson, D. Snowdon (1990) WW

ATLAS OF MICROSCOPY To the memory of Dr. T. E. Wallis Pharmacognosist par excellence , whose meticulous microscopy has served as our inspiration ATLAS OF MICROSCOPY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS, CULINARY HERBS AND SPICES By BETTY P. JACKSON Ph.D., B.Pharm., B.Sc. (Lond), F.R.Pharm.S., F.L.S. and DEREK W. SNOWDON B.Pharm. (Lond), F.R.Pharm.S. CONTENTS Preface vii Practical methods ix Reagents xi Materials indicated with an asterisk are described briefly but are not the subject of separate Plates Page Aconite 2 African Rauwolfia 4 Ajowan 6 Anise 8 Applemint* 178 Areca 10 Basil 12 Bay 14 Bearberry 16 Belladonna Herb 18 Belladonna Root 20 Black Mustard 22 Black Pepper 24 Buchu 26 Calamus 28 Calumba 30 Canella 32 Cannabis 34 Capsicum 38 Caraway 42 Cardamom 44 Cascara 46 Cascarilla 48 Cassia 50 Celery Fruit 52 Chamomile 54 Chervil 56 Chives 58 Cinchona 60 Cinnamon 62 Clove 64 Coca 66 Cocillana 68 Colchicum Corm 70 Colchicum Seed 72 Colocynth 74 Coriander 76 Cubebs 78 Cummin 80 Damiana 82 Dandelion Root 84 Derris 86 Page Digitalis 88 Digitalis lanata 90 Dill Fruit 92 Duboisia 94 Egyptian Henbane 96 Fennel Fruit 98 Foenugreek 100 Frangula 102 Galls 104 Gelsemium 106 Gentian 108 Ginger 110 Grass 112 Green Hellebore 114 Hemlock Fruit 116 Henna 118 Hops 120 Hydrastis 122 Hyoscyamus 124 Hyssop 126 Indian Podophyllum 128 Indian Rauwolfia 130 Indian Squill* 220 Ipecacuanha 132 Ipomoea 134 Ispaghula 136 Jaborandi 138 Jalap 140 Linseed 142 Liquorice 144 Lobelia 146 Lonchocarpus 148 Lucerne 150 Mace* 164 Male Fern 152 Marigold 154 Marjoram 156 vi CONTENTS Marshmallow 158 Mate 160 Matricaria 162 Nutmeg 164 Nux Vomica 166 Oak Bark 168 Opium 170 Orris 172 Parsley Fruit 174 Parsley Leaf 176 Peppermint 178 Phytolacca 180 Pimento 182 Podophyllum 184 Pomegranate Bark 186 Pyrethrum Flowers 188 Quassia 192 Quillaia 194 Raspberry Leaf 196 Rhatany Root 198 Rhubarb 200 Rosemary 202 Sage 204 Sarsaparilla 206 Sassafras Bark 210 Senega 212 Senna Fruit 214 Senna Leaf 216 Slippery Elm 218 Spearmint* 178 Squill 220 Star Anise 222 Starches: 226 Maize, Maranta, Potato, Rice, Tapioca, Wheat Stramonium 228 Strophanthus 230 Tarragon 232 Thyme 234 Turmeric 236 Valerian 238 Visnaga 240 White Hellebore* 114 White Mustard 242 White Pepper* 24 Wild Cherry 244 Witch Hazel Bark 246 Witch Hazel Leaf 248 Wormseed 250 Indices 253 PREFACE Some twenty years ago our book Powdered Vegetable Drugs was published, which provided an Atlas for use by analysts and others in the identification and authentication of medicinal plant materials. It is now out of print, and with the opportunity to produce a new work we have been able to consider the possibility of extending its usefulness to include other areas of analysis where microscopical criteria are of established or potential value. One particular field which is inadequately covered in the currently available literature is the microscopy of culinary herbs and spices, and as certain medicinal products such as Ginger and Clove, described in the earlier book, also have culinary uses, a logical expansion seemed to be to include some of the more important herbs and spices commonly used in food products. By widening the scope in this way it is hoped that this present work will provide a more useful reference not only for forensic scientists and others engaged in the evaluation of powdered drugs, but also for analysts in the food and allied industries who are concerned with the authentication of raw materials. Accordingly, we have prepared drawings and descriptions for some twenty culinary herbs and spices for inclusion in this volume. We have also added to the coverage of powdered drugs with monographs on Ajowan, Hemlock, Opium, Rhatany, Senna Fruit and Visnaga, which were not in our earlier book. In addition, we have incorporated monographs on Grass and Lucerne as these, in powdered form, may be used to standardise Prepared Digitalis. Although chemical methods of analysis, especially chromatography, are now accepted as standard techniques for the identification of many vegetable materials, microscopical structure is long established as providing a most useful and reliable criterion. Microscopy is particularly applicable to the examination of mixtures when individual components can readily be recognised whereas no satisfactory chromatographic identification would be possible. Microscopy also has the advantages of requiring only small quantities of the material and, once the technique has been acquired, a conclusion as to whether or not a sample is genuine can be reached very rapidly. As this book is intended primarily for use in the verification of materials, for ease of location we have arranged the contents in alphabetical order according to their commonly accepted names. We have also provided separate indices of Synonyms and Botanical Sources. All the drawings in this book have been made solely by ourselves from previously authenti- cated samples. For the drugs and spices, which usually occur commercially in the powdered form, number 60 grade powders were prepared for examination, but for the culinary herbs, which are more usually available in the whole or broken condition, fragments of a suitable size were examined. The drawings were made at a magnification of 500, using a camera lucida, from fresh mounts prepared as described in the section on Practical Methods. In preparing the drawings our aim has been to illustrate the diagnostic characters for each material and we have excluded cell contents which are common to a morphological group but are not otherwise diagnostic, for example, aleurone grains and fixed oil globules in seeds. The descriptions, similarly, are intended to give a detailed account of the actual characters seen in the fragments rather than the full histology of the plant organ from which the materials are derived. We have quoted dimensions of cells and other particles only when they are of value in distinguishing between closely similar materials. One of us (D.W.S.) wishes to express thanks to the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sunderland Polytechnic, for kindly according laboratory facilities during the execution of some of this work. Finally, we would like to thank Belhaven Press, and especially Dr Iain Stevenson, for undertaking to publish this work and for the care and co-operation shown throughout its production. Betty P. Jackson Derek W. Snowdon 1990 vii PRACTICAL METHODS When using this book to authenticate a given sample it will be necessary to make microscopical preparations of the material in order to compare the structures present with those drawn and described in the relevant monograph. It is appreciated that users may not be familiar with all the mountants employed and the techniques involved in making such preparations, and the following notes are given for guidance. Solution of Chloral Hydrate In the microscopical examination of vegetable materials the most diagnostic features are specific cell types and calcium oxalate crystals, and they are best observed in a Chloral Hydrate mount. However, before the details can be discerned it is essential to 'clear' the preparation in order to allow the chloral hydrate solution to penetrate the tissues and remove entrapped air bubbles. The procedure is as follows. Add two-or three drops of the solution to the material on a microscope slide and apply a cover glass. Heat very gently by passing the slide to and fro over a very low flame (the use of a micro burner is recommended). As soon as bubbles start to appear stop the heating and, if necessary, run more solution under the cover glass. If the material contains considerable amounts of starch or mucilage it will probably be necessary to repeat the heating several times, and it is important to ensure that sufficient liquid is always present to prevent the preparation from drying out. When a satisfactory preparation has been made, lift the cover glass and add one or two drops of Solution of Chloral Hydrate and Glycerol to inhibit the formation of crystals of chloral hydrate during the subsequent examination of the slide. The clearing process removes starch granules and all water-soluble cell inclusions. Alcohol and Water To examine a material (usually in the powdered form) for the presence of starch granules a mount is prepared as follows. To the material on a slide add one or two drops of Alcohol and mix until thoroughly wetted. Add one or two drops of water and apply a cover glass; on examination the starch granules should readily be recognisable. If necessary, their identity can be confirmed by allowing a drop of Solution of Iodine to run under the cover glass and observing the blue-black staining of the granules. N.B. If the material to be examined contains a high proportion of oil (for example, some powdered fruits and seeds), cloudiness will occur when the water is added, which will render subsequent examination unsatisfactory. It is, therefore, recommended that most of the oil be removed from such materials, using a suitable solvent (ether or chloroform), before examining for starch granules. Phloroglucinol and Hydrochloric Acid To establish lignification in cells and tissues the procedure is as follows. To the material on a slide add one or two drops of Solution of Phloroglucinol , mix and allow the solvent to evaporate almost completely. Add one or two drops of Hydrochloric Acid and apply a cover glass. Examine immediately; a red colour indicates the presence of lignin. The reaction is semi-quantitative, i.e. heavy lignification gives a deep red colour and slight lignifica- tion a pale pink; the colour gradually fades. N.B. As in the examination for starch granules, described above, when the hydrochloric acid is added after the alcoholic solution of phloroglucinol, cloudiness will occur if large amounts of oil are present in the sample. With such materials the test for lignin should ideally be carried out after removal of the oil. ix X PRACTICAL METHODS Lead Acetate Solution of Ruthenium Red and Alkaline Solution of Corallin These dye solutions are sometimes used to confirm the presence of certain types of mucilage. The solution should be added directly to the material on a slide and a cover glass applied. Examine, and if some particles appear to have absorbed the colour allow a drop of distilled water to run under the cover glass and re-examine. A permanent colouration of the particles is positive. Solution of Potassium Hydroxide Flavonoid glycosides such as diosmin and hesperidin sometimes occur in cells in the crystalline form and their identity can be confirmed by the use of this reagent. The solution is added to the material on a slide and the preparation examined immediately; the crystals slowly dissolve giving a yellow colouration. REAGENTS Alcohol, Ethyl Alcohol 95% For most purposes this can be replaced by Industrial Methylated Spirit (66 O.P.). Chloral Hydrate , Solution of Chloral Hydrate 50 g Distilled Water 20 ml Dissolve, using gentle heat if necessary. Chloral Hydrate and Glycerol, Solution of Solution of Chloral Hydrate 90 ml Glycerol 10 ml Mix. Corallin, Alkaline, Solution of Corallin 0.125 g Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate 7.4 g Mix the dry materials. Divide into ten portions each of 0.75 g and transfer to bottles of about 15 ml capacity. Seal. For use, add 10 ml Distilled Water to the contents of a bottle and shake to dissolve. The solution deteriorates on standing, but in a closed container is usable for 10 to 14 days. Hexanol, n-Hexanol. Hydrochloric Acid, Hydrochloric Acid of the British Pharmacopoeia. (Wt/ml about 1.8; Content of HC1 35 to 39% w/v). Iodine, Solution of Iodine 2 g Potassium Iodine . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 g Distilled Water to make 100 ml Mix the two solids in a measure and add about 5 ml of the Water. Agitate until dissolved. Slowly dilute to volume with further Water. Store in a closed, well-filled container. Phloroglucinol, Solution of Phloroglucinol 1 g Alcohol (95%) to make 100 ml Dissolve. Store in a closed container. Potassium Hydroxide, Solution of Potassium Hydroxide 5 g Distilled Water to make 100 ml Dissolve. Store in a closed, well-filled container. Ruthenium Red, Solution of Ruthenium Red 8mg Lead Acetate 1 g Distilled Water, recently boiled and cooled 10 ml Dissolve. This reagent deteriorates rapidly on storage, particularly if exposed to the atmosphere. Its useful life is only two or three days. xi Atlas of Microscopy of Medicinal Plants, Culinary Herbs and Spices

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