Nutmeg Monography

1. Nutmeg
(Pharmacognosy, monography)
Presented by May Thu Toe

2. NUTMEG
 Botanical name - Myristica Fragrans
 Part used - Dried Kernels of seeds
 Habitat - Evergreen tree (10-2 h)
to Molucca islands
Family - Myristicaceae

8. DRIED KERNELS OF
SEEDS

9. CULTIVATION
& COLLECTION
OF
NUTMEG

10. CULTIVATIONS
 Are grown from fresh seed
 Germinate about 5 weeks
 Transplanted at 6 months old
 Sex can be determined bet: 5-8 years

11. COLLECTION
 Obtain fruit from 8 or 9 years
 To mature for about 20-30 years
 Fruit is like peach
 When ripe, expose the seed with its
lobed
Red arillus
2 or 3 caps are collected annually

14. Nutmeg

15. PREPARATION
 Nutmegs are dried in shells
 Lare quantites are dried in ovens & in brick
buildings
 Are placed on traysn over low charcoal fires
 Kernel is free from seed coat ( bristtle testa)
 Testa is cracked by wooden truncheon, mallet or
special machine
 After cracking, nutmegs are graded & sized.

16. MICROSCOPICAL CHARACTERS
 Shape - Broadly oval
 Length 2-3 cm, Breadth 2 cm
 Colour - Brown or grayish brown Reticulated
furrowed
 Odor - Strong & aromatic Pungent
 Taste - slightly bitter

17.  Logitudinal section has a lustrous
 Dark brown perisperm penetrate light brown
endosperm foldung branching
 Perisperm has fibrovascular bundles

20. MACROSCOPICAL CHARACTERS
 Outer perisperm cells – radically flattened
Insoluble in KOH or chloral hydrate
 Inner perisperm – expensive lamellae
penetrating into endosperm
 Lamellae – composed of parachymatous cells,
oval oil cells
 Endosperm - composed of parachymatous cells,
starch, aleurone grains feathery crysstals of fats
 Tannin & Starch – scattered in endosperm

24. ALLIED DRUGS
 Papua Nutmegs -derived from Myristica
argenta
Longer than official nutmegs, uniform scurfy
surface little odor & a disagreeable taste

25. Bombay nutmegs
from M. malabrica
Very long , narrow,
lack characteristics aroma of
genuine drug

26. MACE
(BRIGHT RED COLOR)
 Common or Banda Mace consists of dried
arillus or arillode of M.. Fragrams
 Removed entire – forms double blade mace
 If in 2 pieces , known as single blade mace
 Bombay mace is almost valueless as a spice
 Odorless, used to extract 30% of light petroleum
 Papua mace dull brownish surface, lack of
aroma , acrid taste

27. CONSTITUENTS
 Volatile oil ( Myristicin, elemicin, eugenol, isoeugenol,
p-cymene)
 Fat
 Protein
 Starch
 Phytosterin
 Amylodextrin
 Coloring matter

28. USES
 Carminative
 Astrigent
 Flatulency
 Nausea & Vomiting
 Source of myristica oil
 Antibacterial activity

29. Nutmeg

30. ADVERSE EFFECT (LARGE QUANTITIES)
 Drownsiness
 Stupor
 Death

31. NUTMEG OIL
 By distillation from kernels
 Differences bet: West & East Indian Oils
(a) Optical rotation
(b) Weight per millimeter
(c) Solubility in alcohol

35. NUTMEGS CONTAIN
A. Protein
B. Starch
C. Tannin
D. Potassium hydroxide
E. Nutmeg butter
T T T F T

36. THE IMPORTANT CONSTITUENTS OF VOLATILE
OIL IN NUTMEGS ARE
A. Myristicin
B. Elemicin
C. Eugenol
D. P-cymene
E. Phytosterin
F. Amyolodextrin
T T T T F F

37. NUTMEGS ARE USED FOR
A. Stupor
B. Astrigent
C. Carminative
D. Flatulence
E. Drownsiness
F T T T F

38. NUTMEG OIL CAN BE OBTAINED BY
A. Distillation from mace
B. Distillation from kernels
C. Expression from kernels
D. Extraction from mace

39. DISFFERENCES BET WEST & EAST INDIAN
NUTMEGS
A. Have same properties
B. Weights are equal
C. Optical rotation are different
D. Are different in solubility in alcohol
E. Are different in weight per centimeter
FFTTF