Abstract
The bark of the underground stem of Tontelea micrantha (Mart. ex. Schult.) A. C. Sm., a native Brazilian Cerrado species, is used in folk medicine for treating kidney ailments. The structures of the underground and the aerial stems were examined and their barks were analyzed for the presence of secondary metabolites. Bark fragments were processed according to conventional techniques in plant anatomy and their chemical compositions examined using histochemical and phytochemical tests, thin layer chromatography, and high-efficiency liquid chromatography. The underground stem is a sobol with unusual cambial activity. Laticifers that secrete terpenoids were present in the cortex and phloem of both organs and can contribute to the identification of the species in field. Druses were present in both barks, but mono-crystals were only observed in the sobol. Tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids occurred in both types of bark, but carotenoids were only detected in the sobol. The similarities between these two organs indicate that the aerial stem bark has potential medicinal use and represents a plausible alternative to harvesting the sobol, which could contribute to the preservation of natural populations of this species.
Highlights
Representatives of the family Celastraceae are well known in popular medicine for their pharmacological properties, especially species of the genus Maytenus used for treating gastric ulcers (Leite et al 2010, Santos et al 2007, Silva et al 2011)
The underground stem of T. micrantha has a woody consistency with an intense natural orange external coloration that facilitates its identification in the field (Figs. 1A-C)
The periderm of the sobol has suber composed of thin-walled cells that are predominantly suberized, some are lignified, with the orange color typical of that structure; lenticels can be observed; phellogen activity gives rise to a compact phelloderm composed of layers of radially disposed cells (Fig. E)
Summary
Representatives of the family Celastraceae are well known in popular medicine for their pharmacological properties, especially species of the genus Maytenus used for treating gastric ulcers (Leite et al 2010, Santos et al 2007, Silva et al 2011). Cheiloclinium and Salacia likewise comprise species that have been. C. Sm. is a native medicinal species of the Brazilian Cerrado (savanna), and alcoholic extracts of the bark of its underground stem are used for treating kidney problems.
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