SYSTEMATIC AND PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF SELECTED HERBS OF FAMILY FABACEAE - S. Shaheen; M. Ahmad; S. Khalid; M. Zafar; A. Aftab; S. Sultana (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2013)
The present work deals with the investigation on Cassia fistula (Linn.), Cassia occidentalis (Linn.) and Dalbergia sissoo (Linn.) based upon multiple parameters including anatomy (LM & SEM), palynology (LM & SEM), UV and IR analysis, organoleptography, fluorescence, solubility and phytochemical analysis. The systematic attempt based upon multiple parameters of the selected medicinal plants of family Fabaceae showed a lot of variations. Such as while studying anatomical parameters different types of stomata were recognized like diacytic, paracytic, anisocytic and hypostomatal within the selected species. Also the presence or absence of trichomes, as well as their types can be useful in characterizing the species studied. Multicellular trichomes were observed in Cassia fistula on both abaxial and adaxial epidermis, whereas in Cassia occidentalis and Dalbergia sisso only adaxial side possessed trichomes. No silica bodies were observed in Cassia occidentalis and Dalbergia sisso where as in Cassia fistula both the abaxial and adaxial sides showed the presence of silica bodies. In this respect the presence of silica bodies emerged as useful taxonomic feature to delimit different taxa studied from each other. In the present investigation macro-hairs were observed in the two species i.e., Cassia fistula and C. occidentalis but no macro-hairs were found in the Dalbergia sisso. Studying the palynology the pollen characters obtained were generally compatible with those determined in previous studies except for pollen sizes, the number of pores and several ornamentation features. A striking fact of the evolutionary order of these selected species was that pollen characters related to Dalbergia species were established as porate, and reticulate; those related to Cassia fistula which were psilate, perfolate, oblate-spheroidal to prolate-spheroidal or sub prolate. Pollen shape was generally uniform in the polar view in all the three species. However in equatorial view it varied to spheroidal to sub- spheroidal, oblate-spheroidal, prolate-spheroidal and elleptic to cup-shaped. No colpi were found in the Cassia fistula, the number of colpi in the pollen of Cassia occidentalis may be 2 or 3 whereas in Dalbergia sisso they were always 3. The variation was also observed in the interspecific distance of colpi. Dalbergia sisso showed lowest interspecific difference 3.5 (2-5) µm whereas Cassia occidentalis showed highest interspecific difference 5 (3-7) µm. A distinct comparison of these species can also be seen on the basis of Ultra Voilet, infra-red, organoleptography, fluorescence, solubility and chemical analysis.
Keywords: journal article; Systematic analysis; Phytochemical analysis; Fabaceae; Epidermal leaf anatomy; Palynology; Organoleptography