COMMON CHARACTERS OFOF UMBELLIFEROUS FRUITS1- They are usually cremocarps either entire or separated into its mericarps.2- At the apex of fruit, there may be five small inconspicuous sepals, e.g., coriander, and in the centre are the two styles surrounded below by disc-like nectary forming the stylopod 3- Each mericarp has 2 surfaces, a flat surface called the commissural surface and arounded one called the dorsal surface.4- The dorsal surface shows 5 raised ridges over the vascular bundle called primary ridge between which may be found 4 ridges over the secretory canals and called secondary ridges; primary ridges are mostly more prominent except in coriander where the secondary ridges are more conspicuous.5- There is a minute thread lies between the 2 mericarps usually attached basally to the pedicel and apically to the stylopod, it is called carpophore.6- Each mericarp encloses a single seed derived from anatropous ovule. The seeds shows a large oily endosperm, small apical embryo and a raphe in the middle of the commissural side.7- Mostly, the mericarp is longitudinally traversed by 5 vascular bundles in the primary ridges and by 6 schizogenous secretory ducts called vittae, 4 on the dorsal surface and 2 on the commissural one. The vittae may be simple as in fennel, branched as in anise or almost inconspicuous as in Hemlock.8- The endocarp mother cells are divided into groups of narrow parallel cells which may be parallel to each other forming parallel arrangement or variously oriented forming parquetry arrangement.9- The endosperm cells contain aleurone grains enclosing a globoid and one or more micro- rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.10- Umbelliferous fruits usually contain volatile oil secreted by the vittae but other constituents are reported in Ammi visnage which contain bitter principles and in Hemlock which contains alkaloids.

Unbelliferous fruits

1- Fennel –Botanical Source: Fennel is the dried fruits of Foeniculum capillaceum (sweet fennel) family Umbelliferae.Geographical source:The plant is native to the Mediterranean coasts, cultinated now in Europe, India, china and Egypt.

Morphology of the fruitThe fruit consists of entire cremocarp. The fruit is oval oblong, yellowish green to yellowish brown, and glabrous. The mericarps are elliptical, tapering slightly towards both ends, 5-sided with wide commisulal side. Each mericap is crowned with a short conical stylopod and bears 5 paler prominent primary ridges. The commissural surface shows two dark brownish ereas over the vittae.The transverse cut shows the presence of primary ridges in each mericarp, in each of which is a vascular strand , 6 brown vittae, 4 in the dorsal side and 2 in the commissural side, large oily endosperm and a small apical embryo.

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Microscopical examination

I – Pericarp

a- Epicarp consists of thick- walled rectangular polygonal cells with smooth cuticle showing few anomocytic stomatata and hairs.

b- Mesocarp is formed of rather thick- walled parenchyma traversed by 6 large vittae appearing elliptical in T.S. and having epithelial cells, and in the ridges by vascular bundles, each having 2 lateral phloem stands and an inner xylem accompanied by an upper and lower groups of characteristic lignified reticulate parenchyma. These thickned cells have large oval or rounded pits.

c- Endocarp it is formed of a single layer of narrow elongated cells arranged in groups of 6 or more cells, with their axes parallel but set obliquely to the long axes of the adjoining groups forming parquetry arrangement.

II- Seed

a- Seed–coat is thin formed of brownish tangentialy elongated cells, within it is a collapsed hyaline layer.

b- Endosperm is formed of thick-walled polygonal cellulosic parenchyma containing fixed oil, several aleurone grains enclosing a globoid and one or more micro rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

III- Carpophore oftenly not splitted, showing very thick-walled sclerenchyma in two strands.The powder:It is yellowish – brown to greenish brown in color with agreeable aromatic odour and aromatic sweet taste. It is characterized microscopically by:1- Fragments of colorless, thick walled polygonal endosperm cells containing globules of fixed oil And aleurone grains containing micro- rosette crystals of calcium oxalate2- Fragments of epidermal cells of the pericarp, usually polygonal with smooth cuticle

and very few anomocytic stomata.3- Few fragments of yellowish – brown vittae generally crossed by the endocarpal cells.4- Fragment of lignified reticulate parenchyma generally accompanied by narrow fibers with numerous oblique simple pits.5- Hairs and starch granules are generally absent.

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Constituents:

Fennel contains from 2-5% and not less than 1.4% of volatile oil which contains mainly anethole (60-80%) and the terpene ketone fenchone. The fruit also contains about 20% of proteins and 12-18% of fixed oil.

Uses:

Fennel is an agreeable aromatic carminative. The volatile oil has a pronounced estrogenic activity. The fixed oil is suggested as a

suestitute for cocoa butter in the preparation of suppositories.2- Anise fruit, Aniseed

Anise is the dried ripe fruits of Pimpinella anisum family Umbelliferae.

Geographical source.

It is indigenous to Egypt, Greece and Turkey, now cultivated in Russia, Spain and Bulgaria.

Morphology:

It occurs as entire cremocarps with the pedicels attached but partly separated into mericarps. The cremocarp is ovoid conical, pear-shaped, grayish-brown or grayish and crowned by a short bifurcate stylopod . The outer surface is rather rough due to the presence of numerous very short, stiff hairs and shows 5 very raised pale brown primary ridges. The T.S. shows a pericarp with 20-40 vittae on the dorsal surface due to the branching of the original 4 vittae and 2 vittae on the commissural side. The endosperm is not deeply grooved. Anise has strong aromatic characteristic agreeable odour and sweet aromatic taste.

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Microscopical Characters

I- Pericarp

Epicarps consists of polygonal cells with striated cuticle, many of which project into short conical curved thick–walled unicellular, occasionally bicellular covering hairs with bluntly pointed apex and finely warty cuticle.

Mesocarp consists of parenchyma traversed by numerous schizogenous vittae with brown epithelial cells and ineach primary ridge by a small vascular bundle. Few porous cells are present only in the middle of the commissural side.

Endocarp is composed of narrow tangentially elongated thin – walled cells except when adjacent to porous cells where it consists of porous lignified cells.

II Seed: Seed–coat is formed of on epidermis of polygonal brown cells with collapsed layer underneath.

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Endosperm is formed of thick- walled cellulosic cells containg fixed oil and aleurone grains and micro-crystals of calcium oxalate.

III Carpophore, splites passing at the apex into the raphe of each mericarp and is traversed by a vascular strand of fibers and spiral vessels.

Powdered Anise :

It is grey, greenish-brown or yellowish brown in color with characteristic sweet agreeable and aromatic odour and taste.

The powder microscopically shows the following:

1- Numerous warty simple hairs which is conical curved with thick walls, bluntly pointed apices and finally warty cuticle.

2- Fragments of pericarp with yellowish–brown comparatively narrow branching vittae, usually crossed by cells of the endocarp.

3- Numerous fragments of the endosperm cells with thick cellulosic walls and containg fixed oil globules and aleurone grains containing microrostte crystals of calcium oxalate.

4- Fragments of epicarp formed of polygonal cells with striated cuticle and anomocytic stomata.

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Plate 82Constituents :

The fruits yield from 1.5-3.5% of volatile oil containing up to 90% of the phenolic ether anethole. It also contains proteins and about 8-11% of fixed oil.

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Uses:

Anise is employed as an aromatic and carminative. The oil is used widely in pharmaceutical preparation. Marked estrogenic activity is reported for the volatile oil.

3- Coriander fruits, fructus coriandri

Coriander is the dried ripe fruits of Coriandrum sativum, family Umbelliferae.

Geographical Source:

It is cultivated in Russia, Hungary, North Africa and India. The unripe fruit has strong disagreeable odour, whence the name coriander from a Greek name means a bug.

Description:

The drug usually consists of the whole cremocarp, which are sub-spherical, 3-5mm in diameter, nealy glabrous, brownish– yellow or brown in color, each is crowned by 5 small sepals and a short conical stylopod. The mericarps are usually united by their margins. The dorsal surface of each mericarp shows 5 inconspicuous wavy primary ridges and 4 more prominent straight secondary ridges. The transverse section of fully ripe mericarp shows only 2 vittae in the commissural side but no vittae in the dorsal one, an almost complete ring of sclerenchyma in the dorsal side, a large oily endosperm and a small curved apical embryo. Coriander has aromatic odour and aromatic spicy and characteristic taste.

Microscopical charavters:

I – Pericarp

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a- Epicarp is composed of polygonal tubular thick- walled cells and showing occasional small prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, few anisocytic stomata and no hairs.

b- Mesocarp is formed of 3 different zones, the outer zone consists of few layers of tangentially elongated parenchymatous cells usally collapsed, showing degenerated vittae as tangentially flattened cavities and longitudinally traversed by 10 vascular stands with small spiral vessels. The middle zone is formed of a broad layer of sclerenchyma consisting of strongly lignified pitted fusiform fibres in 2 sinous bands crossing each other at right angles, the outer 5 to 6 rows run longitudinally while the inner, 1 to 3 rows rung tangentially, in the secondary ridges almost all the cells runs tangentially. The inner zone is composed of 2-3 rows of large tangentially elongated thin walled parenchyma.

The inner most layer of the mesocarp conists of flattened hexagonal thin – walled sclerenchyma. Mesocarp on the commissural side shows no sclerenchyma but two large elliptical yellowish brown vittae.

c- Endocarp is formed of very narrow elongated thin – walled cells, arranged in variously oriented groups i.e., parquetry arranged .

II- Seeds the seed coat is formed of polygonal brown cells with narrow collapsed layer underneath. The endosperm is composed of thick- walled cellulosic cells containing fixed oil and aleurone grains including globoids and micro rosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

III- Carpophore, splits, passing at the apex of each mericarp into the raphe and at the base to the pedicel.

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Powder coriander

Powder coriander is light brown to brown in color with aromatic odour and characteristic aromatic taste. It is characterised microscopically by:

1- Numerous irregular fragments of endosperm cells containing globules of fixed oils and aleurone grains containing micro-rossette crystals of calcium oxalate.

2- Fragments of endocarp cells associated with hexagonal sclerenchyma of the innermost layer of the mesocarp.

3- Fragments of characteristic irregularly curved yellowish pitted lignified fusiform fibers of the mesocarp in sinuous rows, often crossing at right angles.

4- Fragments of parenchymatous cells of the mesocarp without reticulate thickening.

5- Very few fragments showing pieces of yellowish brown vittae.

6- Hairs and starch granules are completely absent.

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plate 84Constituents :

Coriander fruits of good quality yield from 0.8-1.0% of volatile oil, the chief constituent of which is the terpene alcohol linalol (65-90%). It also contains fixed oil and proteins.

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Uses:

It is used as a flavoring agent and carminative, the powdered fruits find wide use in the Egyptian kitchen as a spice and the oil is used in perfumery.

4- Ammi Visnaga, Visnaga fruit,khelle, Khilla !

Ammi Visnaga fruit is the dried ripe fruit of ammi visnaga, family Umbelliferae.

Geographical source:

The plant is indigenous to the Nile Delta, the Fayoum, the Mediterranean region and the Near East. The name khelle is Egyptian and visnaga is cultivated in Egypt.

Description:

The drug consists of separate mericarps with few entire cremocarps. The mericarp is small ovoid and surmounted by a pyramidal stylopod bearing at its apex a refluxed style. The outer surface is brownish to greenish brown colour with a violet tinge, glabrous and marked with 5 distinct pale brownish rather broad primary nidges and 4 inconspicuous secondary ridges.

A transverse section of the mericarp is an almost regular pentagone showing a pericarp with 6 vittae, 4 in the dorsal and 2 in the commissural side with 5 vascular stands. The seed has a large oily endosperm and a small apical embryo. The fruit has slightly aromatic odour and aromatic bitter and slightly pungent taste.

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Microscopical characters:

I- Pericarp :

Epicarp is formed of polygonal cells, elongated on the ridges with occasional crystals of calcium oxalate and finely striated cuticle showing few anomocytic stomata and no hairs.

Mesocarp is composed of parenchyma traversed longitudinally by the schizogenous vittae, on the outer side of which is a group of radiating club-shaped cells, and in the ridges, by 5 vascular bundles, forming a cresent around a comparatively large schizogemous duct. The vascular bundles are accompanied by fibres and reticulate lignified parenchyma. The inner most layer of the mesocarp consists of large polygonal, brown –walled cells with porous inner wall, so called porous layer. Endocarp consists of narrow tangentially elongated cells, some of these being regularly arranged in variously oriented groups i.e., parquetry arranged.

II- The Seed: Seed–coat is formed of brownish polygonal cells within it is a collapsed hyaline layer. The endosperm is formed of thick- walled polygonal cellulosic parenchyma containing fixed oil and several aleurone grains enclosing a globoid and one or more microrosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

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Powdered Ammi Visnaga:

Powdered Ammi visnaga is brown in color and possesses a faint aromatic odour and an aromatic bitter slightly pungent taste. It is characterised microscopically by the following fragments:

1- Fragments of pericarp with few brownish pieces of vittae, reticulate cells, vessels and fibers.

2- Fragments showing porous cells of the innermost layer of mesocarp crossed by and intimately united with endocarpal cells showing parquetry arrangement.

3- Numerous fragments of the endo-sperm, formed of polygonal thick walled cellulosic cells containing oil droplets and aleurone grains with microrosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

4- Fragments of epicarp, formed of polygonal cells with striated cuticle and occasional crystals of calcium oxalate.

5- No hairs and starch granules are present.

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Active constituents:

Khilla contains up to 1 but not less than 0.5% of the bitter priniciple called khellin. Other constituents are visnagin, 0.1% and khellol - glucoside, 0.3%. In addition the fruits contain about 18% of fixed oil and 12% of proteins.

Chemical test :

Boil about 0.1 gm of powdered khilla with 5ml of water for a minute, filter, add 1 or 2 drops of the filterate to a pellet of sodium hydroxide, a rose red color is produced within 2 minutes.

Uses :

The drug relaxes smooth muscles and lower the tonicity of the ureter, so it is used to ease the passage of kidney calculi. It is also a potent coronary vasodilator and has been used in the treatment of Angina pectoris and bronchial asthma. The drug is also used as a source of khellin.

5- Caraway fruit, Fructus caravi " #

Botanical source. Caraway is the dried ripe fruits of Carum carvi, family Umbelliferae

Geographical Source:

It is cultivated in central and Northern Europe, Morocco and Egypt. It was well Known to the Arabian physicians.

Morphology and characters :

Commercial drug consists chiefly of separated mericarps. The mericarp is norrow, curved or cresent –shaped tapering towards both ends, 4 to 7 mm. long and 1mm broad, almost equally 5-

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sided. The outer surface is grayish –brown to dark brown, glabrous and marked with 5 yellowish longitudinal primary ridges and sometimes secondary ridges may be seen. A transverse section of the mericarp is an almost regular pentagon in out line, the commissural surface being slightly longer. It shows 6 vittae and 5 vascular bundles in the pericarp which encloses a seed with a large oily endosperm and small apical embryo. Caraway has characteristic agreeable aromatic odour and taste.

Microscopical characters:

I- Pericarp: Epicarp consists of rectangular to polygonal cells with rather thick walls with occasional stomata and striated cuticle.

Mesocarp is parenchymatous without reticulate thickening. It shows in each primary ridge a vascular stand accompanied by a very small secretory duct above and by pitted parenchyma. It is traversed by 6 large vittae, 4 on the dorsal and 2 on the commissural side.

Endocarp consists of very narrow, thin – walled cells, usually regularly arranged parallel to one another i.e., parallel arrangement .

II- Seed : Seed coat is formed of a single layer of polygonal brown cells with narrow collapsed band below it . Endosperm cells is formed of thick – walled cells containg fixed oil and aleurone grains.

III – Carpophore : split, passing at the apex into the raphe of each mericarp, each with a small strand of sclerenchyma.

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plate 86The powder

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It is yellowish- brown to brownish- grey with characteristic aromatic odor and taste. It is characterised microscopically by :

1- Numerous fragments of endosperm with thick- walled polygonal parenchymatous cells containg fixed oil globules and aleurone grains containing microrosette crystals of calcium oxalate.

2- Brownish fragments showing pieces of vittae generally crossed by the endocarp cells.

3- Few fragments of pericarp, showing epidermal cells with striated cuticle.

4- Few fragments of fibers and spiral vessels.

5- Fragments of lignified and pitted parenchyma but no reticulate cells.

6- Hairs and starch granules are absent.

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Constituents

Caraway contains from 3.5 to 7 but not less than 3.5% of volatile oil, the principle constituent of it is carvone (53-63%),

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dihydrocarvone, carveol and limonene. It also contain fixed oil and proteins.

Uses :

Large quantities of caraway fruits are used for culinary purposes. The fruits and the oil are extensively used in medicine as a flouring agent and as an aromatic carminative.

6- Dill, Fructus Anethi $ % #

Botanical Source:

Dill is the dried ripe fruits of Anethum graveolens, family Umbelliferae.

Geogrraphical Source :

The plant is indigenous to the Mediterranean, South Russia, England, Germany and Roumania.

Description :

Dill usually consists of separate broadly oval mericarps, about 4 mm. long and 2 mm broud. They are dorsally compressed, the two ventral ridges being prolonged into membranous wings. The fruits have aromatic odour and taste.

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Microscopical characters

Each mericarp has an outer epidermis with a striated cuticle and the mescocarp contains lignified reticulate parenchyma.

Constituents:

The chief constituents is the volatile oil, 3-4% which contains carvone (53-63%) and limonene.

Uses :

Dill is employed as an aromatic stimulant and carminative to relieve flatulence particularly for infants.

7- Hemlock Fruits, Fructus conii %

Hemlock is the dried unripe fruits of Conium maculatum, family Umbelliferae.

It is poisonous plant indigenous to Britain and Europe and was used by the Greeks for preparing a draught by means of which criminals were put to death.

Description :

The fruit is grayish- green in color, broadly ovoid and slightly laterally compressed, about 3mm long and bears a small

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stylopod with the remains of the stigma. Each mericarp has 5 palar prominent ridges, which are irregularly enlarged at intervals giving them a wavy appearance . There are no vittae in the pericarp, the endocarp is developed as a layer of cells containing alkaloids and called coniine layer.

plate 89

Constituents

Hemlock contains mainly a steam volatile alkaloid called coniine (1-2.5%) together with N- methyl coniine, and conhydrine.

Chemical test for identification :

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Hemlock on treatment with solution of potassium hydroxide develops a strong mouse- like odor owing to the liberation of coniine. It gives also a positive Mayer's test for alkaloids.Uses :

Hemlock is used in spasmodic and convulsion diseases as tetanus and epilepsy and whooping cough. The alkaloid depresses the motor nerve endings so in large doses resulting death from respiratory paralysis.

8. Ammi majus &' !

Ammi majus is the dried ripe fruits of Ammi majus, family Umbelliferae

Geographical source

The plant is indigenous to Egypt

Description:

Ammi majus is closely resemble Ammi visnage but can be differentiated by the :

1- Ammi majus is larger in size, about 3 mm. long and 1.5 mm wide.

2- The mericarp is oval, ablong almost cylindrical with yellowish brown outer surface but with no violet tinge.

3- The outer surface is glabrous and marked with 5 distinct primary ridges and 4 prominent secondary ridges

4- The vascular bundles show neither schizogenous duct nor reticulate parenchyma.

5- The epicarp is formed of papillosed cells with striated cuticle, each cell contains one

or more calcium oxalate crystals in the forms of small prisms.

6- The cells of the inner most layer of the mesocarp have thick nonporous inner walls.

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Constituents:

Ammi majus contains bitter principles formerly known as ammoidin but it was found to be a mixture of 3 bitter principles which are: xanthotoxin, bergapten and imperatorin. It also contain fixed oils and protein.

Uses :

A paint from the fruit is used in the treatment of leucodermia.

9- Cumin, Fructs cumini,Cumin is the dried ripe fruits of Cuminum cyminum, familyUmbelliferae.

Geographical source

The plant is indigenous to Egypt and now cultivated in Morocco, Sicily, Malta, Cyprus and India.

Description :

Cumin occurs as entire cremocarps or separated mericarps. The mericarp is elongated ellipsoidal, 4 to 6 mm. long and 2 mm broad and slightly compressed laterally. It shows 5 yellowish straight primary ridges which bear bristly emergencies (shaggy hairs). I has aromatic characteristic odor and aromatic spicy some what bitter taste

Constituent :

Cumin contains from 2.5 – 4% of volatile oil (Egyptian cumin contains up to 7.5 %), the oil contains up to 50 % of cuminic aldehyde , periladehyde, α – pinene and α – terpineol it contains also fixed oil and flavonoids.

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Uses :

Cumin is used as one of the commonest spice, as stimulant and carminative, in folk medicine as a remedy for colic.

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