Abstract
Fadogia agrestis Schweinf. ex Hiern ( Vangueria agrestis (Schweinf. ex Hiern) Lantz), Rubiaceae, is an African traditional medicinal plant also used as a dietary supplement in the US. The present paper is the first report of the pharmacognostic study of the leaf, stem and root of F. agrestis by microscopy, HPTLC and total phenolic/flavonoid content analyses. Noteworthy microscopic features that can help in identification and quality control are septate and lignified non-glandular trichomes on leaf and stem epidermises, paracytic stomata on leaf abaxial epidermis, numerous cells containing yellow substances of presumably phenolic compounds in leaf and stem, calcium oxalate druses and prismatic crystals in leaf and styloids in stem, primary phloem fibers in stem, brachysclereids in stem and root, spherical starch grains in root, and vessels with vestured pits and simple perforated end walls. In addition to microscopy, a total phenolic/flavonoid content determination and an HPTLC method were also developed for rapid chemical fingerprint analyses of Fadogia samples and dietary supplements.
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VR created the project. JMB and VR prepared specimens, conducted microscopy studies and wrote the article. JZ, JB and BA conducted HPTLC and UV Spectroscopy analyses. AGO and ZA isolated and identified the major compounds. IAK contributed to critical reading of the manuscript. All authors have read the final manuscript and approved the submission.
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Raman, V., Budel, J.M., Zhao, J. et al. Microscopic characterization and HPTLC of the leaves, stems and roots of Fadogia agrestis - an African folk medicinal plant. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 28, 631–639 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2018.07.006
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2018.07.006