Table 4 Comparative characteristics of the root powder of the studied RDS of family Apocynaceae used in ISM (Additional file 1: Figs. S1, S2)
Plant name | Organoleptic characters | Type of xylem vessel fragments | Starch grains | Crystals | Other microscopic structures observed in root powder | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colour | Odour | Taste | Texture | Type | Size | Type | Prismatic crystal size | |||||
Length ± SE (range) µm | Breadth ± SE (range) µm | Length ± SE (range) µm | Breadth ± SE (range) µm | |||||||||
A. curassavica | Creamish brown | Bitter or pungent characteristic | Bitter | Sandy or granular | Simple pitted | Few compound starch grains of variable shapes, singly or in a group of up to 4 units | 10.85 ± 1.16ab (5.53–19.38) | 9.58 ± 1.11ab (5.55–17.42) | Rosettes and prismatic | 25.07 ± 2.80 cd (10.34–38.32) | 16.90 ± 2.14b (6.41–26.95) | Few golden–brown fragments Few sclerenchyma cells fragments |
C. gigantea | Creamish white | Faint characteristic | Bitter | Nearly soft | Simple pitted | Abundant oval to circular compound starch grains singly or in a group of up to 4 units | 14.14 ± 1.43a (8.87–22.55) | 12.74 ± 1.30a (7.08–20.60) | Polygonal prismatic | 22.40 ± 2.36 cd (12.44–36.59) | 18.25 ± 1.99b (8.52–28.43) | Cork cells fragments Parenchyma cells fragments Few coloured fragments Few sclerenchyma cells fragments |
C. procera | Light brown or pale with faintly pale fragments | Faint characteristic | No taste | Flaky, smooth | Border pitted | Abundant circular to oval compound starch grains singly or in a group of 3 units | 12.18 ± 1.21ab (5.34–17.17) | 9.22 ± 0.82ab (4.04–12.52) | Numerous rosette and prismatic, few acicular | 39.01 ± 3.49ab (24.58–63.16) | 30.71 ± 3.40a (19.20–58.19) | Cork cells fragments Few reddish-brown fragments |
C. carandas | Creamish white with a slight pale tinge | Soil like faint characteristic | No taste | Flaky, granular | Border pitted | Numerous circular to oval compound starch grains singly or up to 4 or more units | 9.43 ± 1.06ab (4.75–15.33) | 8.20 ± 0.74b (4.34–12.89) | Prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 22.26 ± 1.80 cd (11.57–28.14) | 18.19 ± 2.08b (8.13–26.18) | Reddish-brown fragments Numerous sclereids fragments |
C. spinarum | Creamish white with a slight pale tinge | Soil like faint characteristic | No taste | Flaky, gritty, granular | Border pitted | Numerous circular to oval compound starch grains singly or grouped up to 3 or more units | 11.71 ± 1.22ab (6.02–17.34) | 9.65 ± 1.02ab (3.95–15.15) | Prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 18.42 ± 2.30 cd (12.09–36.94) | 11.92 ± 1.35b (7.35–22.42) | Reddish-brown fragments Numerous sclereids fragments |
C. roseus | Pale with few light brown fragments | Faint characteristic | Unpleasant bitter | Flaky, sandy | Simple pitted | Few oval to circular starch grains mostly singly | 10.19 ± 1.09ab (5.20–14.55) | 8.50 ± 0.90ab (4.50–12.60) | Prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 46.03 ± 4.08a (29.44–67.81) | 33.06 ± 3.66a (20.58–54.01) | Few cork cells fragments Several golden-brown fragments Few sclereids fragments |
C. dubia | Dark brown with few light brown fragments | No odor | No taste | Gritty, flaky | Border pitted | Abundant circular compound starch grains singly or up to 4 units | 10.42 ± 1.19ab (4.89–18.34) | 9.60 ± 1.09ab (4.61–16.85) | Prismatic crystals mostly of the rectangular shape | 13.52 ± 1.54 cd (8.12–25.26) | 9.97 ± 0.64bc (7.61–13.35) | Few cork cells fragments Parenchyma cells fragments with starch grains Few golden-brown fragments Few sclereids fragments |
H. indicus | Light brown with several dark brown fragments | No odor | No taste | Granular, smooth | Border pitted | Abundant oval to elongated compound starch grains singly or up to 3 units | 11.46 ± 0.69ab (8.87–16.27) | 8.77 ± 0.59b (6.42–12.36) | Prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 21.95 ± 2.69 cd (13.87–34.69) | 13.68 ± 1.11b (10.33–22.09) | Several reddish-brown fragments Few sclerenchyma cell fragments |
H. pubescens | Pale with few dark brown fragments | Faint characteristic | Faint bitter | Rough, gritty | Border pitted | Numerous oval to elongated, compound starch grains singly or up to 3 units | 9.02 ± 0.66ab (4.87–12.04) | 6.97 ± 0.41ab (4.49–9.33) | Rosette and prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 16.87 ± 1.46 cd (9.62–25.10) | 15.06 ± 1.51b (7.92–22.86) | Few deep-reddish fragments Sclereids fragments |
I. frutescens | Medium brown with few dark brown fragments | No odor | No taste | Rough, gritty | Border pitted | Numerous oval to circular, compound starch grains mostly singly | 11.43 ± 0.62ab (7.21–13.76) | 8.81 ± 0.57b (5.28–10.88) | Prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 22.28 ± 1.59 cd (15.52–30.43) | 16.28 ± 1.34b (11.74–24.82) | Several deep-reddish fragments Sclereids fragments |
M. tenacissima | Creamish white | Faint pleasant characteristic | Faint bitter | Smooth (flour-like) with slight granular touch | Few with simple pits | Few oval to circular, abundant compound starch grains singly or grouped up to 9 units | 9.08 ± 1.15ab (5.28–16.63) | 7.81 ± 0.94b (4.46–13.52) | Rosette crystals only, prismatic crystals not observed | - | - | Numerous sclereids fragments Colored fragments not observed |
N. oleander | Light brown | Faint characteristic | Bitter | Flaky texture | Simple pitted | Few oval to elongated, compound starch grains singly or up to 3 units | 7.10 ± 0.73b (3.73–10.48) | 5.83 ± 0.47b (3.34–7.75) | Rosette and prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 28.37 ± 4.93bc (12.81–58.41) | 17.87 ± 4.64b (7.96–52.09) | Few deep-reddish fragments Few sclereids fragments |
R. serpentina | Creamish white with few faintly pale fragments | Characteristic | Bitter | Flaky, smooth | Simple pitted | Abundant compound starch grains of various shapes singly or up to 4 or more units | 11.88 ± 1.55ab (5.37–19.15) | 10.08 ± 1.26ab (4.74–15.81) | Few prismatic crystals of varying shapes | 22.25 ± 1.77 cd (15.50–35.01) | 12.34 ± 1.48b (8.11–23.04) | Cork cells fragments Few coloured fragments Few sclereids fragments |
T. divaricata | Pale brown with few dark brown fragments | Slightly pleasant | No taste | Rough, gritty | Simple pitted | Oval to circular starch grains singly or in groups up to 2 units | 8.56 ± 0.53b (6.21–10.79) | 7.91 ± 0.47b (6.18–9.95) | Rosette and prismatic crystals are mostly rectangular | 22.07 ± 2.77 cd (9.05–34.52) | 15.66 ± 2.40b (5.61–30.25) | Few golden-brown fragments Few sclereids fragments |