ABSTRACT:
The present study describes the morphological and anatomical characteristics of vegetative organs and powder of the Piper ovatum Vahl, in order to use the obtained data as reference in the quality control tests of pharmaceutical samples, investigating their authenticity. The roots, stems, petioles and leaves were fixed, freehand sectioned and stained according to usual microtechniques. The transverse and paradermal sections were analyzed by optical microscopy and the leaf surface was also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The vegetative organs of the P. ovatum show morphology and anatomy similar to other species of Piper. However, cellular inclusions were not observed in the P. ovatumleaves. The SEM analysis showed the presence of glandular trichomes consisting of a unicellular stalk and globular secretory portion covered by cuticle on the abaxial surface of the leaves. The SEM also had shown one thick cuticle forming crusts in the limit of the epidermal cells, on both leaf surfaces. In the mesophyll, we observed oil idioblasts, which are typical features of other species of Piperaceae. Moreover, in the powder of the P. ovatumwe observed hypodermis and oil idioblasts in leaf fragments, fragments of sclerenchyma fibers from the stem and isolated sclereids or in petiole groups. The chromatographic profile of the hydroethanolic extract of the P. ovatum leaves was obtained by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this analysis, we identified the amides piperovatine and piperlonguminine in the retention times of 10.25 and 10.81 min., respectively, as majority compounds present in the extract.
Piper ovatum ; pharmacobotany; piperovatine; piperlonguminine; chromatographic profile
