75

PHR 243

PHARMACOGNOSY & MEDICINAL PLANTS (II)

COMMON CHRATERS OF

OF UMBELLIFEROUS FRUITS

1- They are usually cremocarps either entire or separated into

its mericarps.

2- At the apex of fruit, there may be five small inconspicuous

sepals, e.g., coriander, and in the centre are the two styles

surrounded below by disc-like nectary forming the stylopod

.

3- Each mericarp has 2 surfaces, a flat surface called the

commissural surface and arounded one called the dorsal

surface.

4- The dorsal surface shows 5 raised ridges over the vascular

bundle called primary ridge between which may be found 4

ridges over the secretory canals and called secondary ridges;

primary ridges are mostly more prominent except in

coriander where the secondary ridges are more conspicuous.

5- There is a minute thread lies between the 2 mericarps

usually attached basally to the pedicel and apically to the

stylopod, it is called carpophore.

6- Each mericarp encloses a single seed derived from

anatropous ovule. The seeds shows a large oily endosperm,

small apical embryo and a raphe in the middle of the

commissural side.

7- Mostly, the mericarp is longitudinally traversed by 5

vascular bundles in the primary ridges and by 6

schizogenous secretory ducts called vittae, 4 on the dorsal

surface and 2 on the commissural one. The vittae may be

simple as in fennel, branched as in anise or almost

inconspicuous as in Hemlock.

8- The endocarp mother cells are divided into groups of

narrow parallel cells which may be parallel to each other

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forming parallel arrangement or variously oriented forming

parquetry arrangement.

9- The endosperm cells contain aleurone grains enclosing a

globoid and one or more micro- rosette crystals of calcium

oxalate.

10- Umbelliferous fruits usually contain volatile oil secreted by

the vittae but other constituents are reported in Ammi

visnage which contain bitter principles and in Hemlock

which contains alkaloids.

Unbelliferous fruits

1- Fennel بسبــاس، كمـــون حلو –شمارى ھاؤوت ، شمـــر

Botanical Source: Fennel is the dried fruits of Foeniculum capillaceum (sweet

fennel) family Umbelliferae.

Geographical source:The plant is native to the

Mediterranean coasts, cultinated now in Europe, India, china

and Egypt.

plate 78

77

Morphology of the fruit

The fruit consists of entire cremocarp. The fruit is oval oblong,

yellowish green to yellowish brown, and glabrous. The

mericarps are elliptical, tapering slightly towards both ends, 5-

sided with wide commisulal side. Each mericap is crowned with

a short conical stylopod and bears 5 paler prominent primary

ridges. The commissural surface shows two dark brownish ereas

over the vittae.

The transverse cut shows the presence of primary ridges in

each mericarp, in each of which is a vascular strand , 6 brown

vittae, 4 in the dorsal side and 2 in the commissural side, large

oily endosperm and a small apical embryo.

78

plate 79

79

Microscopical examination

I – Pericarp

a- Epicarp consists of thick- walled rectangular polygonal

cells with smooth cuticle showing few anomocytic

stomatata and hairs.

b- Mesocarp is formed of rather thick- walled parenchyma

traversed by 6 large vittae appearing elliptical in T.S. and

having epithelial cells, and in the ridges by vascular

bundles, each having 2 lateral phloem stands and an inner

xylem accompanied by an upper and lower groups of

characteristic lignified reticulate parenchyma. These

thickned cells have large oval or rounded pits.

c- Endocarp it is formed of a single layer of narrow

elongated cells arranged in groups of 6 or more cells,

with their axes parallel but set obliquely to the long axes

of the adjoining groups forming parquetry arrangement.

II- Seed a- Seed–coat is thin formed of brownish tangentialy

elongated cells, within it is a collapsed hyaline layer.

b- Endosperm is formed of thick-walled polygonal

cellulosic parenchyma containing fixed oil, several

aleurone grains enclosing a globoid and one or more

micro rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

III- Carpophore

oftenly not splitted, showing very thick-walled sclerenchyma in

two strands.

The powder:

It is yellowish – brown to greenish brown in color with

agreeable aromatic odour and aromatic sweet taste. It is

characterized microscopically by:

1- Fragments of colorless, thick walled polygonal

endosperm cells containing globules of fixed oil and

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aleurone grains containing micro- rosette crystals of

calcium oxalate.

2- Fragments of epidermal cells of the pericarp, usually

polygonal with smooth cuticle and very few anomocytic

stomata.

3- Few fragments of yellowish – brown vittae generally

crossed by the endocarpal cells.

4- Fragment of lignified reticulate parenchyma generally

accompanied by narrow fibers with numerous oblique

simple pits.

5- Hairs and starch granules are generally absent.

81

Plate 80

82

Constituents:

Fennel contains from 2-5% and not less than 1.4% of volatile oil

which contains mainly anethole (60-80%) and the terpene

ketone fenchone. The fruit also contains about 20% of proteins

and 12-18% of fixed oil.

Uses:

Fennel is an agreeable aromatic carminative. The volatile oil has

a pronounced estrogenic activity. The fixed oil is suggested as a

suestitute for cocoa butter in the preparation of suppositories.

2- Anise fruit, Aniseed أنيســــون،الينســـون Anise is the dried ripe fruits of Pimpinella anisum family

Umbelliferae.

Geographical source.

It is indigenous to Egypt, Greece and Turkey, now cultivated in

Russia, Spain and Bulgaria.

Morphology:

It occurs as entire cremocarps with the pedicels attached

but partly separated into mericarps. The cremocarp is ovoid

conical, pear-shaped, grayish-brown or grayish and crowned by

a short bifurcate stylopod . The outer surface is rather rough due

to the presence of numerous very short, stiff hairs and shows 5

very raised pale brown primary ridges. The T.S. shows a

pericarp with 20-40 vittae on the dorsal surface due to the

branching of the original 4 vittae and 2 vittae on the

commissural side. The endosperm is not deeply grooved. Anise

has strong aromatic characteristic agreeable odour and sweet

aromatic taste.

83

Plate 80

Microscopical Characters

I- Pericarp Epicarps consists of polygonal cells with striated cuticle,

many of which project into short conical curved thick–walled

unicellular, occasionally bicellular covering hairs with bluntly

pointed apex and finely warty cuticle.

Mesocarp consists of parenchyma traversed by numerous

schizogenous vittae with brown epithelial cells and ineach

primary ridge by a small vascular bundle. Few porous cells are

present only in the middle of the commissural side.

Endocarp is composed of narrow tangentially elongated

thin – walled cells except when adjacent to porous cells where it

consists of porous lignified cells.

II Seed: Seed–coat is formed of on epidermis of polygonal

brown cells with collapsed layer underneath.

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Endosperm is formed of thick- walled cellulosic cells containg

fixed oil and aleurone grains and micro-crystals of calcium

oxalate.

III Carpophore, splites passing at the apex into the raphe of

each mericarp and is traversed by a vascular strand of fibers and

spiral vessels.

Powdered Anise :

It is grey, greenish-brown or yellowish brown in color

with characteristic sweet agreeable and aromatic odour and

taste.

The powder microscopically shows the following:

1- Numerous warty simple hairs which is conical curved

with thick walls, bluntly pointed apices and finally warty

cuticle.

2- Fragments of pericarp with yellowish–brown

comparatively narrow branching vittae, usually crossed by

cells of the endocarp.

3- Numerous fragments of the endosperm cells with thick

cellulosic walls and containg fixed oil globules and

aleurone grains containing microrostte crystals of calcium

oxalate.

4- Fragments of epicarp formed of polygonal cells with

striated cuticle and anomocytic stomata.

85

Plate 82

Constituents :

The fruits yield from 1.5-3.5% of volatile oil containing up to

90% of the phenolic ether anethole. It also contains proteins and

about 8-11% of fixed oil.

86

Uses:

Anise is employed as an aromatic and carminative. The oil is

used widely in pharmaceutical preparation. Marked estrogenic

activity is reported for the volatile oil.

3- Coriander fruits, fructus coriandri الكزبـــــرة

Coriander is the dried ripe fruits of Coriandrum sativum, family

Umbelliferae.

Geographical Source:

It is cultivated in Russia, Hungary, North Africa and India. The

unripe fruit has strong disagreeable odour, whence the name

coriander from a Greek name means a bug.

Description:

The drug usually consists of the whole cremocarp, which are

sub-spherical, 3-5mm in diameter, nealy glabrous, brownish–

yellow or brown in color, each is crowned by 5 small sepals and

a short conical stylopod. The mericarps are usually united by

their margins. The dorsal surface of each mericarp shows 5

inconspicuous wavy primary ridges and 4 more prominent

straight secondary ridges. The transverse section of fully ripe

mericarp shows only 2 vittae in the commissural side but no

vittae in the dorsal one, an almost complete ring of

sclerenchyma in the dorsal side, a large oily endosperm and a

small curved apical embryo. Coriander has aromatic odour and

aromatic spicy and characteristic taste.

Microscopical charavters:

I – Pericarp

87

a- Epicarp is composed of polygonal tubular thick- walled

cells and showing occasional small prismatic crystals of

calcium oxalate, few anisocytic stomata and no hairs.

b- Mesocarp is formed of 3 different zones, the outer zone

consists of few layers of tangentially elongated

parenchymatous cells usally collapsed, showing

degenerated vittae as tangentially flattened cavities and

longitudinally traversed by 10 vascular stands with small

spiral vessels. The middle zone is formed of a broad layer

of sclerenchyma consisting of strongly lignified pitted

fusiform fibres in 2 sinous bands crossing each other at

right angles, the outer 5 to 6 rows run longitudinally while

the inner, 1 to 3 rows rung tangentially, in the secondary

ridges almost all the cells runs tangentially. The inner zone

is composed of 2-3 rows of large tangentially elongated

thin walled parenchyma.

The inner most layer of the mesocarp conists of

flattened hexagonal thin – walled sclerenchyma. Mesocarp

on the commissural side shows no sclerenchyma but two

large elliptical yellowish brown vittae.

c- Endocarp is formed of very narrow elongated thin – walled

cells, arranged in variously oriented groups i.e., parquetry

arranged .

II- Seeds the seed coat is formed of polygonal brown cells with

narrow collapsed layer underneath. The endosperm is composed

of thick- walled cellulosic cells containing fixed oil and

aleurone grains including globoids and micro rosette crystals of

calcium oxalate.

III- Carpophore, splits, passing at the apex of each mericarp

into the raphe and at the base to the pedicel.

88

plate 83

89

Powder coriander

Powder coriander is light brown to brown in color with aromatic

odour and characteristic aromatic taste. It is characterised

microscopically by:

1- Numerous irregular fragments of endosperm cells

containing globules of fixed oils and aleurone grains

containing micro-rossette crystals of calcium oxalate.

2- Fragments of endocarp cells associated with hexagonal

sclerenchyma of the innermost layer of the mesocarp.

3- Fragments of characteristic irregularly curved yellowish

pitted lignified fusiform fibers of the mesocarp in sinuous

rows, often crossing at right angles.

4- Fragments of parenchymatous cells of the mesocarp

without reticulate thickening.

5- Very few fragments showing pieces of yellowish brown

vittae.

6- Hairs and starch granules are completely absent.

90

plate 84

Constituents : Coriander fruits of good quality yield from 0.8-1.0% of volatile

oil, the chief constituent of which is the terpene alcohol linalol

(65-90%). It also contains fixed oil and proteins.

91

Uses: It is used as a flavoring agent and carminative, the

powdered fruits find wide use in the Egyptian kitchen as a spice

and the oil is used in perfumery.

4- Ammi Visnaga, Visnaga fruit,khelle, Khilla الخــــلة

Ammi Visnaga fruit is the dried ripe fruit of ammi visnaga,

family Umbelliferae.

Geographical source:

The plant is indigenous to the Nile Delta, the Fayoum, the

Mediterranean region and the Near East. The name khelle is

Egyptian and visnaga is cultivated in Egypt.

Description:

The drug consists of separate mericarps with few entire

cremocarps. The mericarp is small ovoid and surmounted by a

pyramidal stylopod bearing at its apex a refluxed style. The

outer surface is brownish to greenish brown colour with a violet

tinge, glabrous and marked with 5 distinct pale brownish rather

broad primary nidges and 4 inconspicuous secondary ridges.

A transverse section of the mericarp is an almost regular

pentagone showing a pericarp with 6 vittae, 4 in the dorsal and 2

in the commissural side with 5 vascular stands. The seed has a

large oily endosperm and a small apical embryo. The fruit has

slightly aromatic odour and aromatic bitter and slightly pungent

taste.

92

Microscopical characters:

I- Pericarp :

Epicarp is formed of polygonal cells, elongated on the ridges

with occasional crystals of calcium oxalate and finely striated

cuticle showing few anomocytic stomata and no hairs.

Mesocarp is composed of parenchyma traversed longitudinally

by the schizogenous vittae, on the outer side of which is a group

of radiating club-shaped cells, and in the ridges, by 5 vascular

bundles, forming a cresent around a comparatively large

schizogemous duct. The vascular bundles are accompanied by

fibres and reticulate lignified parenchyma. The inner most layer

of the mesocarp consists of large polygonal, brown –walled cells

with porous inner wall, so called porous layer. Endocarp

consists of narrow tangentially elongated cells, some of these

being regularly arranged in variously oriented groups i.e.,

parquetry arranged.

II- The Seed: Seed–coat is formed of brownish polygonal cells

within it is a collapsed hyaline layer. The endosperm is formed

of thick- walled polygonal cellulosic parenchyma containing

fixed oil and several aleurone grains enclosing a globoid and

one or more microrosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

93

Plate 85

Powdered Ammi Visnaga:

Powdered Ammi visnaga is brown in color and possesses a faint

aromatic odour and an aromatic bitter slightly pungent taste. It is

characterised microscopically by the following fragments:

1- Fragments of pericarp with few brownish pieces of vittae,

reticulate cells, vessels and fibers.

2- Fragments showing porous cells of the innermost layer of

mesocarp crossed by and intimately united with

endocarpal cells showing parquetry arrangement.

3- Numerous fragments of the endo-sperm, formed of

polygonal thick walled cellulosic cells containing oil

droplets and aleurone grains with microrosette crystals of

calcium oxalate.

4- Fragments of epicarp, formed of polygonal cells with

striated cuticle and occasional crystals of calcium oxalate.

5- No hairs and starch granules are present.

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Active constituents:

Khilla contains up to 1 but not less than 0.5% of the bitter

priniciple called khellin. Other constituents are visnagin, 0.1%

and khellol - glucoside, 0.3%. In addition the fruits contain

about 18% of fixed oil and 12% of proteins.

Chemical test :

Boil about 0.1 gm of powdered khilla with 5ml of water for a

minute, filter, add 1 or 2 drops of the filterate to a pellet of

sodium hydroxide, a rose red color is produced within 2

minutes.

Uses :

The drug relaxes smooth muscles and lower the tonicity of the

ureter, so it is used to ease the passage of kidney calculi. It is

also a potent coronary vasodilator and has been used in the

treatment of Angina pectoris and bronchial asthma. The drug is

also used as a source of khellin.

5- Caraway fruit, Fructus caravi ثمار الكراوية

Botanical source. Caraway is the dried ripe fruits of Carum

carvi, family Umbelliferae

Geographical Source:

It is cultivated in central and Northern Europe, Morocco and

Egypt. It was well Known to the Arabian physicians.

Morphology and characters :

Commercial drug consists chiefly of separated mericarps. The

mericarp is norrow, curved or cresent –shaped tapering towards

both ends, 4 to 7 mm. long and 1mm broad, almost equally 5-

95

sided. The outer surface is grayish –brown to dark brown,

glabrous and marked with 5 yellowish longitudinal primary

ridges and sometimes secondary ridges may be seen. A

transverse section of the mericarp is an almost regular pentagon

in out line, the commissural surface being slightly longer. It

shows 6 vittae and 5 vascular bundles in the pericarp which

encloses a seed with a large oily endosperm and small apical

embryo. Caraway has characteristic agreeable aromatic odour

and taste.

Microscopical characters:

I- Pericarp: Epicarp consists of rectangular to polygonal cells

with rather thick walls with occasional stomata and striated

cuticle.

Mesocarp is parenchymatous without reticulate thickening. It

shows in each primary ridge a vascular stand accompanied by a

very small secretory duct above and by pitted parenchyma. It is

traversed by 6 large vittae, 4 on the dorsal and 2 on the

commissural side.

Endocarp consists of very narrow, thin – walled cells, usually

regularly arranged parallel to one another i.e., parallel

arrangement .

II- Seed : Seed coat is formed of a single layer of polygonal

brown cells with narrow collapsed band below it . Endosperm

cells is formed of thick – walled cells containg fixed oil and

aleurone grains.

III – Carpophore : split, passing at the apex into the raphe of

each mericarp, each with a small strand of sclerenchyma.

96

plate 86

The powder

97

It is yellowish- brown to brownish- grey with characteristic

aromatic odor and taste. It is characterised microscopically by :

1- Numerous fragments of endosperm with thick- walled

polygonal parenchymatous cells containg fixed oil

globules and aleurone grains containing microrosette

crystals of calcium oxalate.

2- Brownish fragments showing pieces of vittae generally

crossed by the endocarp cells.

3- Few fragments of pericarp, showing epidermal cells with

striated cuticle.

4- Few fragments of fibers and spiral vessels.

5- Fragments of lignified and pitted parenchyma but no

reticulate cells.

6- Hairs and starch granules are absent.

98

plate 87

Constituents Caraway contains from 3.5 to 7 but not less than 3.5% of

volatile oil, the principle constituent of it is carvone (53-63%),

99

dihydrocarvone, carveol and limonene. It also contain fixed oil

and proteins.

Uses : Large quantities of caraway fruits are used for culinary

purposes. The fruits and the oil are extensively used in medicine

as a flouring agent and as an aromatic carminative.

6- Dill, Fructus Anethi ثمــــار الشبــــت

Botanical Source: Dill is the dried ripe fruits of Anethum graveolens, family

Umbelliferae.

Geogrraphical Source :

The plant is indigenous to the Mediterranean, South Russia,

England, Germany and Roumania.

Description :

Dill usually consists of separate broadly oval mericarps, about 4

mm. long and 2 mm broud. They are dorsally compressed, the

two ventral ridges being prolonged into membranous wings. The

fruits have aromatic odour and taste.

100

plate 88

Microscopical characters Each mericarp has an outer epidermis with a striated cuticle and

the mescocarp contains lignified reticulate parenchyma.

Constituents: The chief constituents is the volatile oil, 3-4% which contains

carvone (53-63%) and limonene.

Uses : Dill is employed as an aromatic stimulant and carminative to

relieve flatulence particularly for infants.

7- Hemlock Fruits, Fructus conii الشوكران Hemlock is the dried unripe fruits of Conium maculatum, family

Umbelliferae.

It is poisonous plant indigenous to Britain and Europe and was

used by the Greeks for preparing a draught by means of which

criminals were put to death.

Description :

The fruit is grayish- green in color, broadly ovoid and slightly

laterally compressed, about 3mm long and bears a small

101

stylopod with the remains of the stigma. Each mericarp has 5

palar prominent ridges, which are irregularly enlarged at

intervals giving them a wavy appearance . There are no vittae in

the pericarp, the endocarp is developed as a layer of cells

containing alkaloids and called coniine layer.

plate 89

Constituents

Hemlock contains mainly a steam volatile alkaloid called

coniine (1-2.5%) together with N- methyl coniine, and

conhydrine.

Chemical test for identification :

102

Hemlock on treatment with solution of potassium hydroxide

develops a strong mouse- like odor owing to the liberation of

coniine. It gives also a positive Mayer's test for alkaloids.

Uses :

Hemlock is used in spasmodic and convulsion diseases as

tetanus and epilepsy and whooping cough. The alkaloid

depresses the motor nerve endings so in large doses resulting

death from respiratory paralysis.

8. Ammi majus الخـــــ'ل

Ammi majus is the dried ripe fruits of Ammi majus, family

Umbelliferae

Geographical source

The plant is indigenous to Egypt

Description:

Ammi majus is closely resemble Ammi visnage but can be

differentiated by the :

1- Ammi majus is larger in size, about 3 mm. long and 1.5

mm wide.

2- The mericarp is oval, ablong almost cylindrical with

yellowish brown outer surface but with no violet tinge.

3- The outer surface is glabrous and marked with 5 distinct

primary ridges and 4 prominent secondary ridges

4- The vascular bundles show neither schizogenous duct nor

reticulate parenchyma.

5- The epicarp is formed of papillosed cells with striated

cuticle, each cell contains one or more calcium oxalate

crystals in the forms of small prisms.

6- The cells of the inner most layer of the mesocarp have

thick nonporous inner walls.

103

Constituents:

Ammi majus contains bitter principles formerly known as

ammoidin but it was found to be a mixture of 3 bitter principles

which are: xanthotoxin, bergapten and imperatorin. It also

contain fixed oils and protein.

Uses :

A paint from the fruit is used in the treatment of leucodermia.

9- Cumin, Fructs cumini, الكـــــمون Cumin is the dried ripe fruits of Cuminum cyminum, family

Umbelliferae.

Geographical source

The plant is indigenous to Egypt and now cultivated in

Morocco, Sicily, Malta, Cyprus and India.

Description :

Cumin occurs as entire cremocarps or separated mericarps. The

mericarp is elongated ellipsoidal, 4 to 6 mm. long and 2 mm

broad and slightly compressed laterally. It shows 5 yellowish

straight primary ridges which bear bristly emergencies (shaggy

hairs). I has aromatic characteristic odor and aromatic spicy

some what bitter taste

Constituent :

Cumin contains from 2.5 – 4% of volatile oil (Egyptian cumin

contains up to 7.5 %), the oil contains up to 50 % of cuminic

aldehyde , periladehyde, α – pinene and α – terpineol it contains

also fixed oil and flavonoids.

104

Uses :

Cumin is used as one of the commonest spice, as stimulant and

carminative, in folk medicine as a remedy for colic.