Histological and Micromeritic Differences Between the Two Varieties of Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) Kunth ex DC. (Fabaceae)

Abstract

Purpose: Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) kunth ex DC. (Fabaceae) is a tropical plant used in ethnomedicine as an analgesic, appetite stimulant, antibacterial and cytotoxic agent. This study aims to establish histological and micromeritic parameters as standards for the leaves of brown and white varieties. Methods: The leaves of both varieties were collected, dried under shade and pulverized. Microscopic evaluations were done on both the fresh and powdered samples. Micromeritic properties were determined for the plant organs collected. Carr’s index, angle of repose and Hausner’s ratio were calculated. Chemomicroscopic and fluorescence evaluations were also done on the powders. Results: The results obtained from the microscopy of the fresh leaves revealed hypostomatic stomatal distribution and anomocytic type of stomata for the brown variety and paracytic type of stomata for the white variety both on abaxial surfaces. The epidermal cell shapes for the abaxial and adaxial surfaces were both irregular. The stomatal number was found to be 36.9 ± 0.71 and 17.8 + 0.97 for the brown and white varieties respectively. The stomatal index was 8.13 %. and 7.45 % for the brown and white varieties respectively. The angle of repose for the brown and white varieties were 33.7 ± 0.72 and 40.05 ± 0.57 respectively. The chemomicroscopic result revealed that both leaves contained cellulose, mucilage, lignin, protein and starch. Conclusion: The results obtained from this study can be used to distinguish between the two varieties, and could also serve as pharmacopeial standards for quality assurance of the medicinal plant as a herbal drug. Keywords: Lonchocarpus sericeus, Carr’s index, Hausner’s ratio, micromeritic, histological