Porophyllum ruderale (Asteraceae) is a ruderal aromatic herb, known as "couve-cravinho". It is used in folk medicine for cicatrisation, as anti inflammatory, fungicide,anti bacterial, anti stress, to combat arterial hypertension, leishmaniosis, traumatism,, antidote against snake poison, pain relief and rheumatism. Cicatrizing activity has been related with concentration of tannin, a type of phenolic compound. The objectives of this work were to characterize the secretory structures as to the histolocalization of the phenolic and lipid compounds and to describe the anatomy of root, stem and leaf collected from five cultivated plants, during the pre blossom phase, and fixed in FAA 50 or in solution of ferrous sulfate in formalin (for observation of the phenolic compounds). The slides were collected using traditional methodology. The roots are tetrarch, develop secondary structure, and have cortex ducts. Stem possesses relatively thick unisserial epidermis re-covered by cuticle; cortical parenchyma is interspersed with sub epidermic chollenchyma; the marrow is parenchematic and the beams are collateral. The ducts were present in the stems, but only in the young stem phenolic compound reaction was positive. In the leaves, the contour of the cells is winding, the epidermis consisting of a single layer of cells and covered with a thin cuticle; the two or three layers of subepidermic chollenchyma are evidenced and the collateral beam is immersed in the basic parenchyma. In the foliar limb, ducts were found to be delimited by several layers of epithelial cells whose content reacted positively indicating the presence of lipid and phenolic compounds. It was concluded that the stem and leaf ducts are probably the structures responsible for tannin secretion and only the leaf ducts are responsible for lipid compound secretion.
phenolic compounds; lipid compounds; couve cravinho; secretory structures; Porophyllum ruderale
