Comparative micromorphological and phytochemical studies on the roots of three Viburnum (Caprifoliaceae) species

Abstract

In this study, the roots of Viburnum punctatum Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don, Viburnum coriaceum Blume, and Viburnum erubescens Wall. ex DC. were collected from the Nilgiri and Coimbatore hills in Tamil Nadu, India. Transverse sections of plant roots were prepared with the aid of a rotary microtome. The sections, each at a thickness of 10 μm, were stained and fixed in Canada balsam and the morphoanatomical features of each specimen were noted. The specimens were powdered using a mechanical grinder and were mounted in suitable media for starch grains, sclereids, druses, fibres, and vessels. Morphoanatomical features of diagnostic importance were recorded under different magnifications, followed by the determination of dimension and histological features of root components using a calibrated eyepiece micrometer and a polariser. The starch grains averaged 12, 17, and 20 μm in diameter in V. erubescens, V. punctatum, and V. coriaceum, respectively. The fibres were about 1 mm long in V. punctatum and V. coriaceum, whereas those found in V. erubescens specimens were around 700 μm. Qualitative chemical screening indicated that phytosterols, triterpenoids, and phenolic compounds and their glycosides were among the commonly found phytoconstituents. © TÜBİTAK.