Odontonema Cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze, Family Acanthaceae, Cultivated in Egypt
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M. S. Refaey et al /J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 7(12), 2015, 1076-1089 Botanical Studies of The Aerial Parts of Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze, Family Acanthaceae, Cultivated in Egypt. M. S. Refaey1, Ahmed M. M. Hassanein1, Mahmoud A. H. Mostafa1 , Alaa M. Nafady1, A. A. Ali.2 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Assiut 71524, Egypt . 2Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt. Abstract Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze is commonly known as cardinal’s guard, mottled toothedthread and fire spike. It is a perennial shrub belonging to family Acanthaceae. It is native to Mexico and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas as an ornamental plant for its attractive red flowers. The present investigation attempts to study the Pharmacognostical features of the aerial parts (leaf, stem and flower) of Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze. Pharmacognostical evaluation includes macroscopic, microscopy (for leaf, stem and flower) and surface preparation (for leaf and stem). This study will be useful in establishing Pharmacognostical standard measure which helps in identification and classification of the plant. Key words: Odontonema cuspidatum, Acanthaceae, leaf, stem and flower. 1. INTRODUCTION toothedthread are known botanically as O. strictum Family Acanthaceae, a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering (synonym: Odontonema cuspidatum) [13, 16, 17]. plants, deemed as one of the richest families with medicinal Odontonema cuspidatum is a perennial shrub and attains 6 plants [1]. It includes about 346 genera and around 4300 ft in height. Stems are subquadrangular, pilose, older stems species [2-4]. The most common genera are Barleria (230 are glabrate. Leaves are opposite decussate, petiolate, spp.), Blepharis (129 spp.), Acanthus (50 spp.), Anisotes blades elliptic to ovate, glabrous, margin entire to undulate. (23 spp.) [5], Andrographis (20 spp.) and Adhatoda The inflorescence is a terminal raceme or panicle with 3 to (20spp.) [4] and Odontonema. The plant under many flowers in fascicles; the flowers are red in color. [15, investigation belongs to genus Odontonema which is a 18]. The literature scrutiny revealed that nothing could be member of family Acanthaceae. Odontonema is native to deeply traced concerning the anatomical features of the New World and comprises about 20-30 species Odontonema cuspidatum aerial parts. Thus, the present distributed in Mexico, Central and South America and the study will delineate the Pharmacognostical profile of the Caribbean [6] and they are commonly cultivated as stem, flower and leaves of Odontonema cuspidatum to ornamentals in nurseries, greenhouses, and gardens in hasten its identification. tropical and subtropical regions [6, 7]. The genus Odontonema are widely used in folk medicine as a remedy 2. TAXONOMY for several ailments: Odontonema callistachyum ground Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze can be classified leaves and the stem applied on open wounds in order to according to United State Department of Agriculture heal them in Sierra Mazateca (Mexico) [8]. Odontonema (USDA) which Retrieved on 12 January 2015 from tubiforme (Bertol.) kuntze leaves used by Kuna and Teribe (http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ODCU) as Indians as an anti-inflammatory and for inducing child birth follow: Kingdom: Plantae, Subkingdom: Tracheobionta [9]. Odontonema cuspidatum the plant under investigation (Vascular plants), Superdivision: Spermatophyta (Seed used in Burkina Faso for the treatment of hypertension [10] plants), Division: Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants), and recently, the methanolic extract of Odontonema Class: Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons), Subclass: Asteridea, cuspidatum aerial parts has reported for its antioxidant and Order: Scrophulariales, Family: Acanthaceae, Genus: hepatoprotective activity on Ccl4-induced liver injury in Odontonema Nees (toothedthread) and Species: O. rats [11]. The plant reported to have flavonoids, saponin, cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze (mottled toothedthread). glycosides, tannins, steroids and terpenoids in leaves extracts [12] . Odontonema cuspidatum is native to Mexico 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS [6, 13]. It has been widely cultivated as an ornamental and 3.1. Collection of Plant materials can now be found naturalized in the southern United States The fresh aerial parts of Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) (Florida), Central and South America, West Indies and Kuntze collected from El- Orman Botanical Garden Giza, several islands in the Pacific Ocean [6, 13-15]. Cardinal’s Egypt (on May 2013). The plant was botanically crest, scarlet fire spike, scarlet flame and mottled authenticated by Agr. Eng. Therese Labib, consultant of 1076 M. S. Refaey et al /J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 7(12), 2015, 1076-1089 plant taxonomy at the Ministry of Agriculture and ex. The texture is rough. The petiole has a green color, director of El-Orman Botanical Garden, Giza, Egypt. A cylindrical to subcylindrical in shape and measures about voucher specimen has deposited at the herbarium of 0.3-0.5-1.3 cm in length and 0.3-0.4-0.5 cm in diameter. pharmacognosy department, faculty of pharmacy, Al- The leaf has faint odour and slightly disagreable taste. Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt under registration number 4.1.2. The stem (OC02- 2013). Photos were taking using Panasonic digital The main stem of the plant is erect, perennial, quadrate to camera 10 megapixels. Care was kept in mind to select quadrate-sulcate, sparsely pubscent, reaching about 1.8 healthy plants and for normal organs. The plant material meter in height and 0.5 cm in diameter. It is monopodially used in this study was taken from the fresh samples, as well branched carrying numerous branches and showing more or as the samples preserved in alcohol (70%)- glycerine-water less long internodes, up to 9-11 cm in the lower parts and (1:1:1). The required samples of different organs removed shorter in the upper ones. The young upper part has smooth from the plant and transverse sections made, dyed and fixed surface except at internodes, while the old one has rough for microscopically examination. The different parts of the surface covered with brownish cork. The stem is broken plant were air-dried in the shade, reduced to a fine powder with complete fracture in its upper part and with fibrous for microscopically examination and stored in well-closed fracture in its lower one. It has faint odour and slightly containers. disagreeable taste. 3.2. Preparation of samples for microscopical 4.1.3. The flower examination The flower is up to 3 cm long, pedicellate, irregular, Light green, safranine, phloroglucinol, concentrated bracteolate, hermaphrodite, zygmorphic, pentamerous, hydrochloric acid, iodine and chloral hydrate used for hypogenous and possesses the following floral formula: preparation the plant sections and the powder. 3.3. Microscopic studies Transverse sections previously prepared using microtome (SLEE, Germany), surface preparations as well as the powder of the leaves, stem and flowers used for The calyx : observation of various microscopic features. All sections It is persistant, gamosepalous, comprising 5 fused sepals, and powder pictures were done by using microscope with green in color with a reddish cast. The outer surface is camera, Leica® (Germany). pubscent or nearly glabrous. The margin is entire and the apex is acuminate. The sepals measure about 2 – 5.5 mm in 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION length and 0.8-1.3 mm in width. 4.1. Macromorphology The corolla : Odontonema cuspidatum (Nees) Kuntze (Fig. 1) is a The corolla is gamopetalous, formed of five united petals member of the Acanthaceae family. The genus has 20-30 forming a funnel form, arranged in one whorl. The corolla species. Odontonema cuspidatum occurs in tropical and is red in color. tubular, 25-35 mm long, glabrous, weakly subtropical regions of Mexico southward through Central bilabiate, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes elliptic-ovate, ciliolate, America. It’s a perennial, evergreen shrub grow up to 6 ft upper lip 2-lobed, lobes elliptic-ovate, apically rounded. (1.8 m) tall. The stem is upright, green woody below and The androecium: semi-woody above. The young stem is smooth while the It is tetrandrous, didynamous (2 long and 2 short), one older one is glabrate. It is subquadrangular in shape and whorled and diadelphous. Filament is strap-like and white develop few stiff branches. The leaves are opposite in color. The anther is oblong in shape, yellowish brown in decussate, petiolate, blades elliptic to ovate, glabrous, color. It is bilobed, basifixed and epipetalous. stamens of margin entire to undulate, long tapering, pointed sharp tips pin flowers with filaments attached 17-19 mm from base of and having a glossy dark green color. The inflorescence is a tube, free portions 2.5-3 mm long, stamens of thrum terminal raceme or panicle with 3 to many tubular flowers flowers with filaments attached 24-25 mm from base of in fascicles; the flowers are red in color. The blooming tube, free portions 7-9 mm long, thecae 2.3-3.5 mm long, appears from late summer to winter. The fruits are clavate staminodes are 1.5 mm long. capsules containing maximum of four flat seeds. [15, 18]. The gynaecium: 4.1.1. The leaf The popular in Acanthaceae family is bicarpellary ovary The leaves are simple, opposite decussate, petiolate, but the plant under investigation is tricarpellary, trilocular, petioles are up to 30-60 mm long, blades are ovate-elliptic each carple has six ovules attached to axile placentation. to elliptic in shape and measure 39-310 mm long, 15-130 The ovary is sessile or subsessile, superior, yellowish in mm wide, glabrous, margin entire to undulate with color, oblong to subcylindrical in shape and nearly acuminate to falcate at apex, acute to attenuate at base, glabrous. The style is simple, yellowish white, slender in surfaces pubescent with cualine-type trichomes (especially shape, style of pin flowers is 26-28 mm long, style of thrum along midvein on the lower surface) or glabrate. Leaves are flowers is 21 mm long, distal portion of style pale reddish.