Establishment of Pharmacognostical Standards for the Bark of Sterculia foetida linn.

Kavitha M, Dr. Vadivu R*, Dr. Radha R

Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Madras Medical College, Chennai-03

*Corresponding Author E-mail: kavitha92.mari@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

Pharmacognostical studies were carried out to identify and authenticate the bark of Sterculia foetida. Pharmacognostical studies were carried out in terms of macroscopic, microscopic and physiochemical analysis. The outer bark is grey in color and inner bark is buff coloured single quill and has fibrous texture. The characteristic microscopic features of bark were observed as cork, cortex, medullary rays, phloem parenchyma and sclerenchyma in the transverse section. The microscopical features of powdered bark showed the presence of lignified fibers, xylem vessels, stone cells, cortex and calcium oxalate crystals. Histochemical studies were done to identify and locate the active constituents present in the bark. Ash values, extractive values, swelling index, foaming index, loss on drying and foreign organic matter were also carried out in order to find out the quality and purity of the drug.

KEYWORDS: Sterculiafoetida, Macroscopy, Microscopy, Histochemical studies and Physio-chemical constants.

INTRODUCTION:

Over the past decade there has been growing interest on drugs of plant origin in contrast to the synthetics that are regarded as unsafe to human and environment. Sterculiafoetida(Sterculiaceae) is a roadside tree and commonly known as Wild Almond. It is a large deciduous tree and has smooth grey coloured bark of thickness 2.5-3cm. Traditionally the bark is used as aperient, diaphoretic and used in rheumatism. Pharmacognostical identification of plant drugs is very much essential in order to identify and authenticate the plant species. Microscopical studies are important tool for it. Establishment of the morphological, microscopical and physio chemical characters of the bark will assist in standardization, better quality, purity and identification of sample.

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

Collection and Authentication af The Bark:

The fresh bark of Sterculia foetida was collected in the month of June and authenticated by Dr. D. Aravind. M.D.(S), MSc. Medicinal Plants, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Siddha (Govt. of India), Tambaram. A voucher specimen (specimen No.10) was deposited in the Department of Pharmacognosy, Madras Medical College, Chennai.

Macroscopic Evaluation:

Various organoleptic characters like colour, odour, taste and nature of the bark like its size, shape, surface, fracture and thickness were observed.

Microscopic Evaluation:^1-3

The fresh bark was transversally sliced into fine sections. These fine sections were subjected to staining with hematoxilin, reagent. The stained sections were observed under microscope.

Powder Microscopy:^4-6

The dried bark was powdered and the microscopical characters were studied. Various staining reagentswere used for the detection of characteristic structures and cell components.

Histochemical Color Reactions¹⁰

The transverse sections of bark were stained with different staining reagent such as Phluoroglucinol, Iodine, Ferric chloride, Dragendroff’sreagent, Picric acidand the stain taken by the cells are viewed under microscope.

Quantitative Microscopy^7-8

Linear measurement of fibres:

The length and width of the fibers present in the bark were observed under microscope. This quantitative analysis will be helpful in the identification of the drug.

Physiochemical analysis

Various physiochemical parameters were studied to determine quality and purity of crude drugs. Total ash, acid insoluble ash, and water insoluble ash, extractive values, loss on drying, foaming index, swelling index and foreign organic matters were determined as per the standard procedure.

RESULTS:

Macroscopical studies:

Organoleptic evaluation:

Colour - Grey

Taste - Bitter

Odour - Odourless

Texture - Smooth

Morphological evaluation:

Appearance - Outer bark is smooth grey in colour

Inner bark is fibrous brown in colour

Shape - Single quill

Length - 13-15cm

Thickness - 2.5-3cm

Fracture - Fibrous

Microscopy of bark

Fig no: 1 Bark of Sterculiafoetida Linn.

The transverse section of bark of S. foetida showed different types of cells. Cork cells, cortex, cork cambium, sclerenchyma, endodermis, phloem cells, calcium oxalate crystals, medullary rays, pericyclicfibres were observed. These characters are observed in different magnification lenses. The following characters were seen and reported by photographically.

Cork:

It consists of 10-15 layers of rectangular, regularly arranged cells in radial rows and have some reddish brown contents.

Cortex:

It consists of parenchyma cells in which scattered sclereids either isolated or groups.

Medullary rays:

It consistg of parenchymatous cells run diagonally and extent from pith(medulla) to cortex through secondary xylem and secondary phloem. Width of the rays are 4-5 cells(multiseriate) wavy.

Phloem fibers:

Parechymatous cells are found small, lignified and polygonal in shape.

Sclerenchymatous cells:

The sclereids are which are lignified and pitted. Inner and radial walls of the sclereids are more thicker than the outerwalls and appears as U shape.

Calcium oxalate crystals

Prism like calcium oxalate crystals are observed in the cortical sclerenchyma.

POWDER MICROSCOPY:

The powdered bark of Sterculia foetida under microscopic investigation showed the presence of lignified fibres, xylem, sclereids, phloem fibres, parenchymatous cells and calcium oxalate crystals.

Fibres:

Fibres are lignified and scattered in the slides.

Phloem fibres:

Phloem fibres occur lengthwise in groups of 3-5 cells, the brown masses are adhering to the fibres.

Calcium oxalate crystals:

Prismatic and rosette type calcium oxalate crystals in the cortical parenchyma and as well free in the powder.

Cork:

Occasional fragments of cork with thin walled cells, polygonal surface view and containing brownish matter.

Microsccopical features:

Fig no: 3 Entire transverse section of bark (10X) Fig no: 2 Entire transverse section of bark (4X)

Transverse section of bark at 40X

Fig no: 4 Cork fig no: 5 Cortex

Fig no: 6 Medullary rays Fig no: 7Phloem fibres

Fig no: 8 Sclerenchyma Fig no: 9 Calcium oxalate crystal

POWDER MICROSCOPY

Fig no: 10 Fibers Fig no: 11Sclereids

Fig no: 12 Calcium oxalate crystals Fig no: 13 Phloem fibres

Fig no: 14 Cork

Table no: 1 Histochemical colour reactions of Sterculia foetida Linn.

S. No	Chemicals	Test for	Nature of change	Histology	Degree of change
1	Phloroglucinol + HCl	Stone cells or Sclerides	Orangish Brown	In the cortex region	+
2	N / 50 Iodine solution	Starch	Black	In the Cortex	+
3	Dil. Ferric chloride	Tannin	Bluish green	Phloem Parenchyma	+
4	Dragendorff’s Reagent	Alkaloid	Brown	Outer cortex	+
5	Picric acid	Protein	Intense yellow	Phloem	+
6	Toluidine blue	Flavonoids	Bluish green	Cortex region	+

Note: + - Indicates the presence

Fig no: 15 Sclerides-cortex region Fig no: 16 Black-cortex

Fig no:17 Bluish green-Phloem parenchyma Fig no:18Brown-Outer cortex

Fig no:19 Intense yellow-Phloem cells Fig no: 20 Bluish green-cortex region

Quantitative microscopy:

Linear measurement of fibres:

The length and width of the fibres were measured and the results were shown in table no: 2

Table no: 2 Length and width of the fibres

Dimension	Minimum (µm)	Average (µm)	Maximum (µm)
Length	365	423	531.2
Width	49.8	54.78	66.4

Physiochemical Constants:

Physiochemical constants like total ash values, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, extractive values, loss on drying, selling index, foaming index, foreign organic matter were studies and reported in table no:3

Table no: 3 Physicochemical analysis of the bark of Sterculia foetida Linn.

S.NO	Physio-chemical constants	Results (%W/W)
I	ASH VALUE
1.	Total ash	18.50±0.16
2.	Water soluble ash	8.26±0.75
3.	Acid insoluble ash	3.69±0.33
4.	Sulphated ash	11.68±0.36
II	EXTRACTIVE VALUE
1.	Water soluble extractive	3.56±0.42
2.	Alcohol soluble extractive	6.89±0.53
3.	Ether soluble extractive	5.63±0.21
4.	Non-volatile ether soluble extractive	4.64±0.52
III	Loss on drying	1.88±0.50
IV	Foaming index	Nil
V	Swelling index	Nil
VI	Foreign organic matter	0.96±0.54

Values are expressed as Mean ± SD, n=3

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

Standardization of bark of Sterculia foetida Linn was determined as per the WHO guidelines. Determinations of sensory, microscopic and physicochemical constants were done for establishing the identity, purity and quality of the plant material. Macroscopic studies revealed the bark is quilled with smooth fracture. Microscopic study of both bark and powdered bark showed the presence of cork, cortex, parenchyma, medullary rays and sclereids. The length and width of the fibres were measured. Various physiochemical parameters were done to standardize the powdered bark. This study concludes that various parameters which are reported here will be useful to identify and standardize the bark of this plant.

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Received on 27.09.2015 Modified on 29.03.2016

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2016; 8(2): 75-80

DOI: 10.5958/0975-4385.2016.00014.5