4.3.

Basella alba

Family: Basellaceae Synonym: B. rubra L. Vemacular names English: Indian Spinach Hindi: Poi

Sanskrit: Upodika or Potaki Putika Tamil: Pasalaikkeerai or Kodippasalai 4.3.1: Morphological characters This is a perennial, twining herb, less commonly ound in plains, scrub !ungles and waste lands, but o ten culti"ated as ornament and or spinach. They are ound up to #$$ m %SL. The stem is &eshy, "ery long, much branched, sub'succulent and slender. Branch'lets are terete. Petiole is &eshy and up to # cm in length and with a long and deep trench on the ada(ial sur ace. Basal region o the petiole is rounded. Lea"es are simple, alternate, much &eshy and thick in culti"ated plants, broadly o"ate to elliptic to oblanceolate, )$' petiolate, e(stipulate, glabrous and sub'succulent in plants grown in drier parts, but, )* ( +')$ cm in si,e, base truncate to cordate to rounded, decurrent, ape( acute to acuminate to epiculate, margin entire and lateral ner"es are -. pairs. Spikes are a(illary and appear rom September to /ebruary. Peduncles are long up to *$ cm, &eshy, thick and slender. Buds are crowded in the ape( but matured ones are arther apart. /lowers are sessile, ureolate and hermaphrodite. Bracts are minute and bracteoles are *, Perianth o"ate, incur"ed and tip acute. Stamens are # on the mouth o the perianth tube. /ilament is straight and ).# mm in length. 2nther is oblong, "ersatile and one mm in length. 1"ary /ruits pseudoberry, globose and one seeded. Basella alba ar. alba tube is &eshy, 0 mm long and # lobed. 1uter * lobes are larger than others. Lobes are

is globose and o"ule subsessile. Style is 0'branched, ).# mm in length. Stigma is pillose.

This is called as 3Patchaippasali3 45reen Spinach6 in Tamil. Stem, petiole, lea and peduncles are green in color 4/ig. +-6. The perianth tube is greenish white in the basal and pink in apical regions. Basella alba ar. rubra This is called as 3Sigappuppasali3 47ed Spinach6 in Tamil. Stem, petiole, aba(ial sur ace o the lea and peduncles are pink in color 4/ig. .)6.

In order to study whether the color o the "arieties "i,. "ar. alba and "ar. rubra are genetically 8(ed or not, we raised the seedlings o both the "arieties or three generations in two di9erent growth conditions. 1ne set o seedlings, *# in each "ariety, was grown in

drought condition and another set were grown in irrigated condition. 2 ter 0 generations we obser"ed that the green "ariety 4"ar. alba6 in both the growth conditions remained unchanged in the color and as well as other characters o the plant. :owe"er, the pink the 8rst generation itsel . The pink color is restricted only to the basal region o the "eins and margins o lea . In the &oral parts, the pink color is restricted to the apical region o "ariety 4"ar. rubra6 grown in irrigated conditions showed reduction in the purple color in

the perianth lobes. It was also obser"ed that when the o9spring3s o the irrigated'grown 8rst generation o "ar. rubra was grown in drought condition, the pink coloration o the lea and &oral parts were reappeared.

4.3.!: "escription o# the use#ul parts In resh specimen, lea"es o "ar. alba is green and "ar. rubra is pink is color. :owe"er, both are mucilaginous. The dried powder is green in "ar. alba where as it is dark green is "ar. rubra. Te(ture is so t, odor strong and pleasant and taste indistinct, but mucilaginous. 4.3.3: $natomical characters rubra, unless otherwise stated. %etiole

The ollowing anatomical descriptions apply e;ual to both the "arieties, "ar. alba and "ar.

In TS, petiole is circular in outline with a urrow and two re&u(ed arms on the ada(ial sur ace 4/ig. +#6. The ollowing ,ones are "isible, epidermis, ground tissue and "ascular bundles. <pidermis is single layered with a thin cuticle and stomatal openings. These cells are regular, barrel shaped and *$'-$ ( -#'=# in si,e. It is ollowed by parenchymatous ground tissue. >ells are thin walled, polygonal to irregular circle in shape with clear intercellular spaces and ranges rom )#$'*=# in si,e. Tip o the each re&e(ed arm has a patch o collenchyma cells, which are 0#'-$ in si,e. Stomatal ca"ities are small. 2n arc o -'? "ascular bundles is centrally located. 2 single, large arc shaped collenchymatous cap o *' 0 layers is present in the aba(ial side o the "ascular bundle. These cells are polygonal and 0$'0# in si,e. @ascular bundles are collateral and open. Aylem is endarch there are ='+ smaller "ascular bundles e(tending into the arms. >alcium o(alate crystals respecti"ely. Starch grains o +')* in si,e are abundant in the ground tissue.

and "essels are 0#'?* in diameter. 2part rom these centrally located "ascular bundles, and mucilage cells are present in the ground tissue. They are =$')-$ and +$')=$ in si,e

&ea# midri' In TS, lea midrib shows a distinct aba(ial ridge and a groo"e in ada(ial region. It consists o epidermis, ground tissue and centrally located "ascular bundles 4/ig. +? and .*6. <pidermis is single layered co"ered with a thin cuticle. In the aba(ial region, inner to the epidermis, one or * layers o

collenchyma cells are present. 5round tissue is

parenchymatous, thin walled, polygonal in shape and )*$')?# in si,e. @ascular bundle is centrally located. <ndodermis is not distinct. 2 collenchymatous cap o 0'- layers is >alcium o(alate crystals 4/ig. .06 and mucilage cells are present in the ground tissue. Starch grains are rarely present. &ea# lamina present in the aba(ial side o the bundle. Aylem is endarch and "essels are )+'## in si,e.

In TS, lea lamina shows upper and lower epidermis enclosing the mesophyll 4/ig. ++ and .-6. <pidermis is single layered with thin cuticle. The cells are barrel shaped and 0$'-$ ( -$'0# in si,e. Stomatal openings are present on both the sur aces. %esophyll is undi9erentiated. >ells are parenchymatous, thin walled, round to irregular polygonal in shape with clear intercellular spaces and =$')#? in si,e. Large si,ed mucilage cells o +$' )=$ in si,e are also present 4/ig. .-6. 7osette type o calcium o(alate crystals o =$')-$ in si,e is abundant in the central region o the mesophyll 4/ig. .#6. 7ound to o"al shaped starch grains are abundant in the mesophyll cells 4/ig. .= and .?6. They are

+')* in si,e. In sur ace "iew, epidermal cells are wa"y in margin 4/ig. +. B .$6 with both paracytic and anisocytic stomata. 2natomical characters o two "arieties o B. alba are similar. There is no ;ualitati"e or ;uantitati"e "ariation in petiole, lea midrib and lea lamina among the "arieties. 4.3.4: (uantitati e Microscopy

Cuantitati"e microscopical "alues like stomatal inde(, "ein islet number and "ein termination number o the two "arieties o B. alba are gi"en in Table A@. In general, in both the "arieties, the stomatal inde( is lower in upper sur ace than lower sur ace. In "ar. number are higher than that o "ar. alba. 4.3.): $nalytical alues 2nalytical "alues like total ash, acid insoluble ash, loss on drying, solubility in alcohol and water and e(tracti"e "alues in petroleum ether, ben,ene, chloro orm, alcohol and water are gi"en in Table A@I. 2sh "alues and loss on drying are higher in "ar. rubra than rubra, stomatal inde( on both the sur aces, "ein islet number and "ein termination

that in "ar. alba. Solubility percentage o "ar. alba is higher in alcohol and lower in water than "ar. rubra. <(tracti"e "alues in di9erent sol"ents "ary between the "arieties. 4.3.*: Study o# po+der Beha"ior o lea powder o two "arieties o B. alba on treatment with di9erent chemical reagents and &uorescent beha"ior are gi"en in table A@II and A@III respecti"ely. They re"eal both similarities and dissimilarities. 4.3.,: (ualitati e phytochemical studies

Cualitati"e phytochemical analysis o lea e(tracts o two "arieties o B. alba is gi"en in Table AIA. The color and physical consistency o the e(tracts o both the "arieties are identical, e(cept that the color o the chloro orm e(tract is green and brownish green in "ar. alba and "ar. rubra respecti"ely. 5ums and mucilageDs content are higher in "ar. alba reducing sugars in water e(tract is higher in "ar. alba than the other. 1ther chemical constituents show both similarities and dissimilarities. 4.3.-: (uantitati e estimation o# total saponins Total saponins estimated in dry lea powder o "ar. alba is ound to be lower 4).*E6 than that in "ar. rubra 4).0=E6. 4.3... T&/ studies 7 "alue o anthocyanins pigments in lea o "ar. rubra is $.*+. In "ar. alba these pigments are absent. than "ar. rubra. 7educing sugars in alcoholic e(tract is higher in "ar. rubra and non'

Ta'le 01V: (uantitati e microscopical alues o# lea es o# t+o arieties o# B. alba Sl. Fo Pararneter Studied "ar. alba "ar. rubra

) Stomatal Fumber Upper sur ace Lower sur ace * @ein islet number 0 @ein termination number +.))')*.+?')?..# )$.+')0.)+')?.)$ $.+=').*?').#$ $.+=').0)').?# ).0?').+*'*.=* $.?#').+)'*.?# 0.)0'?.).')$.+) 0.+-'..)#')-.??

Ta'le 0V: $nalytical alues o# lea es o# B. alba Sl. Fo ) * 0 Pararneter Studied Total ash "alue Loss on drying Solubility E in 2lcohol Gater # <(tracti"e "alues in Petroleum ether Ben,ene 2lcohol Gater >hloro orm 2cid insoluble ash "alue ).0 .).$ )$.$ 0*.$ 0.0$* ).+=$..** )$.0?* *+.*#w "ar. alba )$.0 "ar. rubra )).$ 0.$ .*.? =.$ 0?.$ -.#.* $.??# $.*+)+.$0)+.*+

Ta'le 0V1: 2eha ior o# B. alba on treatment +ith di3erent chemical reagents 4o. Sl. %o+der 5 6eagent used ar. alba 5reen ar. rubra Hark green

1 Powder as such ! P I >onc. :*S13 P I >onc. :>l 4 P I :F$0 ) P I 2cetic acid * P I )$E Fa1: , P I )F :>I - P I Iodine solution

Hark green Hark green Hark green Hark green Brown Brown 5reen Black Brown 5reen 5reen Black Brown

Hark green 5reen

. P I #E /erric chloride Brown

Ta'le 0V11: Fluorescent 'eha ior o# lea# po+der o# B. alba Sl. %o+der 5 6eagent 4o used ) * ar. alba Visi'le light 7V light 5reen 7eddish brown 5reen Blackish brown Visi'le light ar. ru'ra 7V light

Powder as such P I #$E :F$0

Hark green Hark green Pinkish brown Blackish brown

0 P I IF :>I 5reen 5reen Hark brown Hark green

PI IF Fa1: in water

5reen

Blackish green Black

Hark green Black

PI IF Fa1: in alcohol Hark green

Hark green Black.

Ta'le 0V111: %reliminary phytochemical analysis on lea es o# t+o arieties o# B. alba Sl 7eagents UsedJ Test or %ethods adopted <(tracts o Petroleum ether @ar. lon. Brown oily 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 8 @ar. lat. Brownis h black oily 55 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 8 Ben,ene @ar. lon. @ar. lat. >hloro orm @ar. lon. @ar. lat. 2lcohol @ar. lon. @ar. lat. Hark oily 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 8 8 5 5 5 5 green @ar. lon.

Fo.

Gate

@a

>olor B Physical consistency ) 2lkaloids. Picric acid Hragondro9 %ayer3s * Gagner3s >arbohydrates%olish3s /ehling3s 0 Tannins B Phenols Benedicts /erric chloride 5elatin Lead acetate # = ? /la"onoids 5umsB %ucilageDs /i(ed oils B ats Saponins Shinoda3s test 2lcoholic Spot test /oam test Precipitation

5reen 5reen 5reen sticky sticky oily 5 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 5 5

Brownis Hark oily 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 5 8 oily

h green green 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 8 5 5 8

Brown Br

clayey cla

55 8 8 8 8 5 5 5 5 8 8 5 8 5