Authentication of the therapeutic Lamiaceae taxa by using pollen traits observed under scanning electron microscopy |
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| Authors: | Saraj Bahadur Sehrish Taj Mushtaq Ahmad Muhammad Zafar Saba Gul Muhammad Shuaib Maryam Akram Butt Uzma Hanif Mir Muhammad Nizamani Fida Hussain Muhammad Romman |
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| Affiliation: | 1. College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization In South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, China;3. Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan;4. School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China;5. Department of Botany, University of Kotli Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Azad Jammu & Kashmi, Pakistan;6. Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan;7. Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources, Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China;8. Department of Botany, Islamia College Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan;9. Department of Botany, University of Chitral, Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
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| Abstract: | Herbal medicines are gaining popularity worldwide for human healthcare because of their therapeutic potential. However, adulteration and use of unauthentic raw herbals as substitutes have become a major issue for the local communities and industry for reasons of safety and efficacy. Therefore, the authentication of medicinal plants before their use in herbal medicines is a need of time. Hence, the present study was designed with an aim, to authenticate the therapeutic Lamiaceous taxa by using pollen traits observed under scanning electron microscopy. Pollen micro-morphological studies solve the problem through discrimination and correct identification of the Lamiaceae species from the adulterants. Based on pollen features, Lamiaceae were further divided into two sub-families Lamioideae (tricolpate) and Nepetoideae (hexa-colpate). The pollen grains of Lamioideae were found as small to medium-sized, tricolpate, radially/bilateral symmetrical, sub-spheroidal and oblate shape. Besides, exine patterns bireticulate, reticulate and micro-reticulate, colpus surface sculpturing as psilate, gemmate, scabrate, and verrucate have also been reported. A significant variation was found in the pattern of the reticulum, thickness, and the number of secondary lumina per primary lumen. Similarly, Nepetoideae has a hexa zono-colpate pollen but tri and tetra zono-colpate pollen have also been observed. Hence, this study contributes to the authentication and correct identification of medicinally important Lamiaceae taxa by using scanning electron microscopic techniques and can help to solve the adulteration problem. Highlights - Authentication of medicinally important Lamiceous taxa was carried out through scanning electron microscopic techniques.
- Chemotaxonomic characterization was used for the accurate identification of the therapeutic taxa.
- The medicinal, palynological and phytochemical significance of Lamiaceae taxa were evaluated.
- A significant variation was seen in the palynological traits that help in the determination and authentication of the therapeutic Lamiaceous species.
- Based on the chemotaxonomic characterization, our study can help to solve the adulteration problem for the reason of safety and efficacy.
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| Keywords: | authentication phytochemicals pollen micro-morphology scanning electron microscopy therapeutic Lamiaceae taxa |
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