Inter. J. of Phytotherapy / Vol 3 / Issue 2 / 2013 / 47-49.

e - ISSN - 2249-7722
Print ISSN - 2249-7730

International Journal of Phytotherapy

www.phytotherapyjournal.com

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PRELIMINARY

PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON TRICALYSIA SPHAEROCARPA
(DALZELL) GAMBLE
G. Anandhi* and A. Pragasam
Department of Plant Science, Kanchi Mamunivar centre for post graduate studies, Lawspet, Puducherry-605008.
ABSTRACT
The present work has been taken up to study the crude drug of Tricalysia sphaerocarpa (Dalzell)Gamble of
the family Rubiaceae. The morphological characters of the plant; the anatomical characters of the leaf, stem, and root,
microscopic observations of the crude drug; qualitative analysis of primary and secondary metabolites such as
carbohydrates, alkaloids, tannins etc., of the powder as well as different solvent extracts of leaf and ash values were
studied. Qualitative phytochemical observations revealed the presence of many primary and secondary metabolites.
The values calculates/ data collected could be used for the identification and standardization of the powdered drug of
this taxon.
Key words: Tricalysia sphaerocarpa, Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry.

INTRODUCTION
Human beings come on this earth as guests of
plants is a monumental ancient aphorism. Since time
immemorial, nature is own supreme creation, man has
completely been dependent on plants and as citizen
developed, he has learnt to emplit natural resources and to
make use of every bit of it. Infact from the start of life to
the last breath, almost every aspect of human life is
deeply associated with plants. Primitive man tried to cure
diseases from plants growing abundantly around him. His
experience through trial and taught him a lot about the
medicinal properties of different plants.
Survey on medicinal plants used by ethnic
people of north western Tanzania revealed the use of
Tricalysia sphaerocarpa (Dalzell)Gamble for various
ailments. Tricalysia pallensa root decoction is drunk
against malaria. Tricalysia coricea sbsp. Nyassaea root
decoction mixed with leaf juice is drunk, and the body
bathed with a root decoction. Tricalysia coriacea is also
used for skin diseases, epixstasis and malaria/ yellow

fever (jaundice). To the best of our knowledge, nobody

has investigated form the angle of anatomy,
histochemistry, phytochemistry, the present study was
taken up.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Anatomical works were carried out in leaf, stem
and root by preparing the peelings and transverse
sections. Mature leaves were cleared by using 5% NaOH
and chloral hydrate solution, washed in water, stained and
mounted in 50% glycerine. Maceration was carried out
with stem and root materials following Jeffreys method
[1]. Histochemical color reactions were done by treating
free hand sections with different reagents. Phytochemical
tests were done with dried powdered drugs as well as
different solvent extracts [2].
RESULTS
Morphological features-A small tree with smooth leaves
and very small flowers. Leaves dark green,

Corresponding Author:-G. Anandhi Email: sachithananthakumarkumar@yahoo.com

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Inter. J. of Phytotherapy / Vol 3 / Issue 2 / 2013 / 47-49.

Flowers minute, white, scented, Fruits greenish yellow,

berry globose, the seeds flat, smooth, leaves elliptic or
lancaolate, obtusely acute, smooth, the main nerves about
6-8 pairs, not prominent, nor the reticulation.
Anatomical features:Leaf peelings:
Adaxial : Cells small in size, cell wall undulate, thin, no
stomata.
Abaxial: Intercostal region: cells irregular, wall undulate,
cell medium sized, stomata rubiaceous type, different in
size.
Costal region: Cells small when compared to the
intercostal region, cell wall undulate, giant size stomata
are seen, unicellular hairs present. Epidermal cell number,
stomatal number, stomatal index, palisade ratio, vein islet
number and veinlet termination number have been
calculated and presented in the Table 1.
Stem peeling: Cells fairly large, cell wall thick, straight,
basal cells very broad, tip cells tapering, stomata frequent,
rubiaceous type.
Venation pattern: Veins reticulate, showing lateral
branches; cells elongated with thin walls; vein-islet fairly
large, each islet containing 3-4 termination points. Veinislet number and veinlet termination number are presented
in Table 1.
Transverse section: Leaf: The midrib portion of the leaf
is not much differentiated form the lamina. It is slightly
thicker than the lamina. The xylem is omega shaped with
10-15 rays of xylem cells. Phloem is seen on the abaxial
surface. Both the epidermis is uniseriate, with thick
Table 1. Quantitative values of foliar epidermis
Quantitative Values
Epidermal cell/mm
Stomata/mm
Stomatal index
Palisade ratio
Vein islet number
Veinlet termination number

cuticle. 2 layers of palisade parenchyma are seen below

the upper epidermis. Stomata are seen only on the abaxial
surface.
Stem: The stem in its outline is mostly dumble shaped.
Epidermis is unilayered with high cuticle. Cortex is
parenchymatous with 4-6 layered. Even the very younsg
stem undergoes secondary thickening. The secondary
xylem and phloem are continous. A single layer of
scleroids are seen as an outer ring. The pith is very broad
and formed of circular parenchymatous cells.
Root: The root in its outline is circular and formed of 810 layers of parenchyma cells. The rhizodermis peeled
off. Secondary xylem and phloem are present. There is no
cortex. Rays are clearly seen. Xylem seen in the centre
and the phloem towards the periphery.
Phytochemical studies - The preliminary phytochemical
studies in methanol, aqueous and powder drug revealed
the marked presence of carbohydrate, glycosides,
alkaloids, tannin, flavanoids, moderate presence of
protein, phenol, terpenoids and saponin and absence of
triterpenoids, anthraquiones, catachins, coumarins (Table
4).
Histochemical colour reactions - Presence of starch,
protein and tannin and absence of lignin and mucilage
(Table 3). The total ash, acid insoluble ash and water
soluble ash were 4 percent, 0.84 percent and 3.24 percent
respectively (Table 2). Fluorescence analysis shows
mostly dark green in day light whereas orange in UV light
(Table 5).
Abaxial Epidermis
1122.8/sq.mm
336/sq.mm
26.9
6.2
93.8
57.4

Table 2. Analytical ash values of leaf of T. sphaerocarpa

Parameter
Total ash
Acid insoluble ash
Water soluble ash
Table 3. Histochemical colour reactions of leaf of T. sphaerocarpa
Test for
Starch
Proteins
Tannin
Lignin
Mucilage
(+) Indicates presence; (-) Indicates absence.

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Adaxial Epidermis
1414/sq.mm
Results (%)
4
0.84
3.24
Status of the substance
+
+
+
-

Inter. J. of Phytotherapy / Vol 3 / Issue 2 / 2013 / 47-49.

Table 4. Phytochemical colour reactions of leaf of T. sphaerocarpa.

Chloroform
Diethylether
Ethylacetate
Phytochemicals
extract
extract
extract
Alkaloids
++
++
Anthraquinones
Carbohydrates
++
++
Catechins
Coumarins
Flavonoids
++
Gums, oils and resins
Glycosides
++
++
Proteins
+
Phenolic group
+
Saponins
+
Tannins
+
Terpenoids
+
Triterpenoids
(++) Marked presence; (+) Moderate presence, (-) Absence
Table 5. Fluorescence analysis of leaf of T. sphaerocarpa.
Chemicals
Day light
Powder as such
Green
Solvent
Acetone
Dark green
Benzene
Dark green
Chloroform
Dark green
Ethanol
Green
n-butyl alcohol
Yellowish green
Water
Green
Reagents
10% FerricChloride
Reddish brown
50% Sulphuric Acid
Reddish brown
1 NHCl
Green
5% Ammonia
Green
1% Thionyl Chloride
Green
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The qualitative microscopic characters are useful
in the identification of the crude drug sample [3]. This
features are believed to be constant for a given species
[4]. Hence, the need for evolving criteria for standard
samples of crude drugs has become very important in
pharmacognosy. Methanolic extract, aqueous extract and
crude drug powder shows the similar results in the
phytochemical analysis. The plant T. sphaerocarpa was
subjected to pharmacognosticalstudies to identify the

Methanol
extract
++
++
++
++
++
+
+
+
+
-

Aqueous
extract
++
++
++
++
++
+
+
+
+
-

Powder as
such
++
++
++
++
+
+
+
+
+
-

Leaf
UVlight
Yellow
Orange
Orange
Orange
Orange
Orange
Dark brown green
Black
Dark brown
Green
Green
Dark green

plant materials and to differentiate them from the spurious

crude drugs. In light of the above, a combination of
characters such as epidermal cell number, stomatal
number, stomatal index, palisade ratio, venation pattern,
vein-islet numbers, vein-let termination number are found
to be very significant micro-morphological characters in
the identification of crude drug of Tricalysia
sphaerocarpa could be successfully used for the
identification of the powdered drug of this taxon.

REFERENCES
1. Johensen DA. Plant Microtechnique. Mc Graw Hill Book Co. inc, New York, 1940.
2. Khandelwal KR, Pawar AP, Kokate CK, Gokhale SB. Practical pharmacognosy techniques and experiments, IIIed .
Nirali Prakashan. 1996, 140-141.
3. Trease GE and Evans WC. Pharmacognosy, XIII ed. WB Saunders Ltd UK. 1996, 516-547.
4. Suseela A and Pream S. Pharmacognostic studies on Lagascea mollis. J. Phytol. Res, 20(1), 2007, 95-102.

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