Pharmacognosy II

Herbs
Lecture 1 By Dr. Rola Milad

Herbs
Content: Introduction to herbs. Herbs containing Volatile oil e.g. Mentha & Thyme. Herbs containing Alkaloids e.g. Lobelia, Hyoscyamus & Catharanthus. Herbs containing Resin e.g. Cannabis. Thallophytes. Miscellaneous herbs.

Definition of Herb
In Botany: a plant with non-woody & non permanent stem, which dies after fruiting. In Pharmacognosy: it is a drug formed of a tender part of the plant axis (stem) together with the leaves, flowers & fruits. Examples:
1. 2. 3. Upper part of the aerial shoot i.e. tops e.g. Cannabis. Whole aerial parts e.g. Lobelia. Whole undifferentiated plant body or thallus e.g. Carrageen & Ergot.

Herb
Herbs are collected from:
1.

Annual plants [live for one season & die after production of seeds]. Biennial plants [live for 2 seasons before production of seeds & then die]. Perennial plants [live for more than 2 years, surviving e.g. trees].

2.

3.

Stem
1. General characters. 2. Shape. 3. Kind. 4. Branching. 5. Surface. 6. Fracture. 7. Structure. 8. Secondary thickening.

1- General Character of Stem

Main axis. Bearing leaves & flowers. Nodes & internodes. Aerial or subterranean. Conducting water & minerals to the leaves & the elaborated food from the leaves to the root.

2- Shape of Stem
Cylindrical

1. 2.

Cylindrical. Angular: with angles & sides; It may be:

A. B. C. Triangular. Quadrangular or square. Pentagonal.

stem

3.

Ribbed: marked with alternate ridges & furrows e.g. Broom tops.

Ridged stem

2- Shape of Stem (contd.)

2. 3. Winged: marked with wings e.g. Lobelia. Flattened or Collapsed: either normally or by compression or due to shrinkage during drying e.g. Belladonna. Tortuous: Twisted, usually by winding e.g. Convolvulus.

4.

Winged stem

3- Kind of the Stem

1. Herbaceous: Soft, easily broken, usually green e.g. Mentha.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

2. Succulent: Thick, Fleshy due to stored water e.g. Euphorbia.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

3. Woody: In case of shrubs & trees with large amounts of secondary xylem e.g. Eucalyptus. It is usually covered with cork.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

4. Suffruiticose or shrubby stem: When lower parts are woody & herbaceous in the upper part e.g. Thyme.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

5. Culm: When having hollow internodes & enlarged nodes e.g. Maize.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

Creeping: With the main axis of plant lies along the ground. At each node, roots & aerial shoots are given.
6.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

Runner: when it is a prostrate branch, where the end of the branch on coming in contact with the soil becomes rooted & turned upwards to give a new young shoot e.g. Strawberry.
7.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

Climbing:

8.

When it attaches itself to a support by means of tendrils or hooks due to its low content of supporting elements e.g. Piper.

3- Kind of the Stem (contd.)

9. Twining: Winding itself around a support e.g. Convolvulus.

4- Branching of the Stem

1.

Axillary or lateral:
a) Monopodial or Racemose or Indefinite Branching; in which the main axis continues to grow, giving off lateral branches that dont exceed length. b) Sympodial or Cymose or Definite Branching; in which main axis stops growing because apical bud is destroyed or developed into flower or transformed into tendrils.

2.

Dichotomous or Apical: in Thallophytes e.g.

Chondrus.

Dichotomus branching

5- Surface of the Stem

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Smooth or glossy. Rough. Glabrous. Hairy. Spiny. Striated or wrinkled.

6- Fracture of the Stem

1.

Short: when breaks quickly & straight across smooth fractured surface. Fibrous: when resist during breaking showing fibrous projections protruding from the broken surface. Splintery: when breaking irregularly giving jagged projecting points in the broken surfaces. Flexible: when readily bending & breaks only by twisting. Horny: when it is hard to break. Granular: when the broken surfaces show grain-like appearance.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7- Structure of the Stem

T.S. in Monocot stem

T.S. in Dicot stem

7- Structure of Dicot Stem

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

An epidermis. A cortex. An endodermis. A pericycle. Vascular bundle. Pith.

Stele

7- Structure of the Stem (contd.)

1.

Epidermis:
Outermost layer. Polygonal, axially elongated cells. Shows stomata & trichomes.

2.

Cortex:
Narrow in Dicotyledons & absent in monocot. It exhibits 3 regions:
Outer region: usually formed of collenchyma or parenchyma. Middle region: parenchyma but may show sclerenchyma e.g. Broom tops. Inner region (endodermis): with no intercellular spaces. The cells may be cutinised or lignified (Casparian strip) e.g. Lobelia, or numerous starch (Starch sheath) e.g. Solanaceous herbs.

7- Structure of the Stem (contd.)

3.

The Stele:
A. Pericycle: Outer sheath of the vascular bundles. vary in thickness from a single layer to generally several layers. It may be:
Parenchymatous. Isolated groups of fibres e.g. Solanum. Occasionally sclerenchyma e.g Cinnamon.

7- Structure of the Stem (contd.)

B.

Vascular Bundle:
Collateral. Bicollateral. Concentric {vasocentric or amphivasal).

Remember: Phloem: sieve tubes + phloem parenchyma+ phloem fibres. Cambium: intra-fascicular or inter-fascicular. Xylem: Lignified, formed either of 1ry xylem only or it may show a little amount of 2ry tissues. In stems, xylem is always endarch. Xylem consists of vessels of various types of thickening + wood fibres + wood parenchyma + tracheids.

7- Structure of the Stem (contd.) C- Pith: Parenchyma in the young stems. contain starch, calcium oxalate crystals, mucilage or tannins, scattered isolated or grouped sclerenchymatous cells. The pith may be solid or hollow.

8- Secondary Thickening

Herbs containing Volatile Oil

Mentha. Thyme.

Mentha
Syn.: Herba Menthae Piperitae; Peppermint. Origin: Dried leaves & flowering tops of Mentha piperita Family Labiatae (Lamiaceae)

Thyme
Syn.: Herba Thymi; Common Thyme Origin: Dried aerial parts of Thymus vulgaris & other Thymus species, Family Labiatae (Lamiaceae)

Mentha

Thyme

Mentha

Thyme

Morphology: Stem: quadrangular, green to Stem: quadrangular, grayishdark purple, nearly glabrous; brown or purplish & hairy. *suffruiticose Herbaceous Leaves : opposite decussate, Leaves: opposite decussate, petiolate; ovate lanceolate, light *sessile or shortly petiolate. or dark green with purplish tinge, acute apex; sharply serrate margin. Inflorescence: verticillaster. Fruit: nutlet. Inflorescence: verticillaster. Fruit: nutlet.

Mentha
Histology: Outline: quadrangular. Cortex: collenchyma in the corners only. Narrow xylem & wide pith. Less hairy; Glandular hair: (Labiaceous & Capitate). Non- glandular hair: (multicellular uniserriate).***** Diacytic stomata Odor: aromatic Taste: aromatic followed by a cold sensation

Thyme
Quadrangular or circular. Collenchyma is one continuous layer. Narrow pith & wide xylem. Hairy; As in Mentha Non-glandular hair (Unicellular conical & bent hair)***. Diacytic stomata. Odor: aromatic. Taste: aromatic, spicy.

Mentha

Labiaceous hair Diacytic stomata

Capitate hair Spherical Pollen grain Non gl. Hair

Thyme

Labiaceous hair Diacytic stomata, covered with striated cuticle

Bent hair Spherical Pollen grain

Mentha
Active constituent: Volatile oil (0.7 to 1.5%), which contains up to 78% of free menthol & up to 20% of menthol combined as esters. 6 to 12 % tannin (higher). Flavonoid.

Thyme

1% volatile oil (containing phenolic compounds, mainly thymol & carvacrol). Tannins Flavonoids*****. Saponin.

Mentha
Uses & actions: 1-G.I.T:
Spasmolytic. Carminative. Digestive. Anti-emetic. Promotion of liver & gall bladder function (choleretic & cholagogue).

Thyme
1- Respiratory tract:****
Expectorant (secretolytic, secretomotor, disinfectant & antispasmodic) in cases of whooping cough, bronchitis. Disinfectant in inhalations.

2-G.I.T:
Carminative. Digestive. Antispasmodic (Flavonoids) Anthelmintic (vermifuge). Antimicrobial.

2- Externally:
Locally anesthetic***. Antiparasitic. Antipruritic. 3- Respiratory tract: Decongestant.

The oil should be administered in the form of enteric-coated capsules.

Mentha
Pharmaceutical preparation: 1. Tooth paste. 2. mouth washes & gargles. 3. Soft gelatin capsules. 4. Aromatherapy****. Aromatherapy is now a significant Complementary therapy involving the use of volatile oils to heal or improve well being

Thyme
1. Cough syrups. 2. Dental preparations as Antiseptic. 3. Anthelmentic.

Pharmaceutical Preparation

Mentha

Thyme

Chemical Tests: 1. Positive microchemical tests 1. Positive microchemical with Sudan lll. tests with Sudan lll. Special chemical test: Menthol crystals + few drops Conc. H2SO4 + few drops Of vanillin / H2SO4 orangeyellow color + H2O violet color
2.

Special chemical test: Thymol crystals + 1ml of glacial acetic acid + few drops conc. H2SO4 + 1 drop of HNO3 a deep bluish green color is developed.
2.