Abstract
This research investigated the chemotaxonomic properties of Solanum lycopersicum Linn belonging to Solanaceae. The annual herbaceous free branching cultivated crop grows up to 60 cm or more in height. It has simple uniseriate trichomes densely dispersed all over the plant with adaxial and abaxial foliar trichome indices of 27.19% and 19.44% respectively. The compound leaves measure up to 6±3 cm long and 4 ± 2cm wide with serrated margin. The inflorescence has a cyme of 3 to 5 flowers or more. The petals are yellowish, up to 2±1 cm long and 1.5±0.7 cm wide with greenish sepals up to 1.5±0.7 cm long and 0.7±0.3 cm wide. Flowers are axile, hexa-pentamerous up to 1 cm in diameter with bilocular 2 celled ovary. The berry fruit is greenish when unripe and reddish when ripe, up to 5 cm in diameter with seed measuring up to 0.3 cm in diameter. The epidermal studies revealed anisocytic stomata with adaxial and abaxial stomatal indices of 19.30% and 19.64% respectively. The anatomy of mid-ribs and petioles showed bicollateral vasculation. The node is unilacunar. The stem anatomical section is made of 5 to 6 vascular bundles, with petioles associated with 2 rib traces at primary growth phase while at secondary growth phase, the mid-rib and petiole revealed vascular arcs and the stem, rings of open vascular system. Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phlobatannins, flavonoids and combined anthraquinones were present while free anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides were absent.Keywords: Morphological, Anatomical, Cytological, Phytochemical, Studies
Highlights
Solanaceae, the egg plants family comprises 95 genera (Watson and Dallwitz, 1992; Hutchinson and Dalziel, 1958)
Solanum lycopersicum Linn. is an annual plant commonly known as tomato
Residue yields were noted and a portion was used for the phytochemical screening
Summary
Study Area: The study area was Choba, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Test for combined anthraquinones: Five grams (5g) of each plant extract was boiled with 10ml aqueous sulphuric acid and filtered while hot. A pink, red or violet coloration in the ammonia phase (lower layer) indicated the presence of anthraquinone derivatives in the extract (Trease and Evans, 1989). Test for phlobatannins: Deposition of a red precipitate when an aqueous extract of the plant part was boiled with 1 percent aqueous hydrochloric acid was taken as evidence for the presence of phlobatannins (Trease and Evans, 1989). Test for cardiac glycosides: Lieberman’s test was used in which 0.5g of the extract was dissolved in 2ml of acetic anhydride and cooled in ice. One milliliter (1ml) of Sulphuric acid was carefully added in drops until a color change from violet to blue to green indicated the presence of a steroidal aglycone portion of the cardiac glycoside (Shoppee, 1964). Statistical Analysis: The mean ± standard deviation for trichome and stomatal characteristics of Solanaceae studied was done
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