Origin: Dried roots or roots and rhizomes of Cephaelis ipecacuanha, known as Rio or Brazilian Ipecacuanha, or of C. acuminata, known as Cartagena, Nicaragua or Panama Ipecacuanha  (Fam. Rubiaceae). Ipecacuanha contains not more than 2% of foreign organic matters and yields not less than 2% of total alkaloids, calculated as emetine.

1. SUBTERRANEAN ORGANS
By
Dr. Mostafa Mahmoud Hegazy ( PH.D.)

2. Radix Ipecacuanha ‫الذهب‬ ‫عرق‬
• Origin: Dried roots or roots and rhizomes of Cephaelis ipecacuanha, known
as Rio or Brazilian Ipecacuanha, or of C. acuminata, known as Cartagena,
Nicaragua or Panama Ipecacuanha (Fam. Rubiaceae).
• Ipecacuanha contains not more than 2% of foreign organic matters and
yields not less than 2% of total alkaloids, calculated as emetine.

3. Morphological Description
• 1. Rio or Brazilian Ipecacuanha:
• The root occurs in cylindrical, slightly tortuous pieces, dark brown in color.
• Externally, it is smooth, closely annulated, with thickened, rounded, almost complete rings,
usually exhibiting transverse deep cracks.
• The rhizome occurs in short pieces attached to roots, finely longitudinally wrinkled but
without annulations.
• 2. Cartagena or Panama Ipecacuanha:
• It differs from Rio Ipecacuanha in being larger, greyish-brown or reddish-brown, with
transverse ridges at intervals of 1-3 mm, extending about halfway round the circumference
and fading at the extremities.
• Ipecacuanha has a faint characteristic odor, which is irritant and sternutatory when in fine
powdered form and a bitter acrid taste.

4. Histological Description
• Rio Ipecacuanha:
• I-Root: It shows the following layers:
• 1. The Cork: It forms a narrow zone of several layers of thin-walled cells, with brown granular contents.
• 2. The Phelloderm: It is formed of a wide zone of parenchyma containing numerous starch granules and
scattered idioblasts with bundles of raphides of calcium oxalate.
• 3. The Phloem: It forms very narrow zone with short wedges of sieve tissue, projecting into the parenchyma,
but no fibers.
• 4. The Xylem: It is wholly lignified, consisting of tracheids, tracheidal vessels and substitute fibers with
oblique, slit-like pits containing starch and traversed by medullary rays.
• II- The Rhizome: It shows the following layers:
• 1. The Pericycle: with sclerenchymatous cells.
• 2. The Phloem: with fibers.
• 3. The xylem: with fibers having linear pits.
• 4. The pith: with lignified, isodiametric, thin-walled cells.

5. Microscopical Identification
• Powdered: greyish-brown color, faint, characteristic, irritating and sternutatory
odor and its bitter acrid taste.
• Microscopically, it is characterized by:
• Numerous fragments of thin-walled parenchymatous cells filled with starch granules and
scattered cells with bundles of raphides of calcium oxalate.
• Few brown fragments of cork.
• Few fragments of wood showing tracheids, tracheidal vessels and substitute fibers with
starch granules.
• Raphides of calcium oxalate scattered throughout the powder.
• Numerous starch granules, mostly compound, individual granules are oval, rounded or
muller-shaped, up to 15 microns in diameter in Rio variety and up to 22 microns in
diameter in the Cartagena variety.
•

7. Active Constituents
• Alkaloids emetine, cephaeline and psychotrine. The Rio drug contains 2-2.4% alkaloids, of
which 60-75% is emetine. The Panama drug yields 2-3.5% alkaloids, 30-50% of which is
emetine.
• Crystalline glucosidal tannin (Ipecacuanhin).
• Starch and calcium oxalate.
• Emetine has a more expectorant and less emetic action than cephaeline, so the Brazilian
variety of the drug is preferred to the Cartagena variety.
•Chemical Identification
• Test for emetine:
• Mix 0.5 g of powdered Ipecacuanha with 20 mL of HCl and 5 mL of water, filter and to 2 mL of
the filtrate, add 0.01 g of potassium chlorate; a yellow color appears, gradually changing to red
on standing for one hour.

8. Therapeutic Uses
• As an expectorant and emetic: Ipecacuanha has been used as an expectorant in productive
cough (p.1547) in doses of up to about 1.4 mg of total alkaloids. Ipecacuanha may also be
used in larger doses as an emetic but is of very limited value (see Emesis Induction in Acute
Poisoning). Its action due to an irritant effect on the gastrointestinal tract and a central action
on the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
• Treatment of amoebic dysentery: Emetine, an alkaloid of ipecacuanha, is a tissue
amoebicide acting principally in the bowel wall and in the liver. It has been given by deep
subcutaneous or intramuscular injection in the treatment of severe invasive amoebiasis,
including hepatic amoebiasis in patients who do not respond to metronidazole. Emetine has
also been included in combination preparations for the symptomatic relief of cough.
• The alkaloids have antitumor properties
Adverse Effects
Large doses of ipecacuanha have an irritant effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and persistent bloody vomiting
or bloody diarrhoea may occur. Mucosal erosions of the entire gastrointestinal tract have been reported. The
absorption of emetine, which is most likely if vomiting does not occur after emetic doses of ipecacuanha, may
give rise to adverse effects on the heart, such as conduction abnormalities or myocardial infarction. These,
combined with dehydration due to vomiting may cause vasomotor collapse followed by death.

10. SENEGA ‫السينجا‬ ‫جذور‬
• Origin: Dried roots and root-stocks of Polygala senega (Fam. Polygalaceae).
• Senega contains not more than 5% of its stems and not more than 12% of
foreign organic matters.

11. Morphological Description:
• odor: a slight characteristic, similar to that of oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate)
taste: sweet, which becomes acrid and irritant to the throat.
• The drug consists of large, knotty tortuous crown or root-stocks, bearing numerous,
purplish, short stem bases and buds, and of a long tapering root, which is slender,
conical, twisted and brownish-grey in color.
• Externally, it is transversely wrinkled, sometimes annulated especially on the convex
side in the upper part. It is also longitudinally wrinkled with a longitudinal ridge.
• The keel runs spirally and is prominent on the concave side.
• The fracture is short, being smooth in the bark and splintery in the wood.
• Internally, it consists of a narrow bark, which is strongly developed on one side and
protruding to form the keel, and of a uniform wood or irregularly developed
anomalous wood. Anomalous wood appears in cross section, oval, semicircular or
wedged, with one or more parenchymatous medullary rays.

12. Histological Description
• I- The Root:
• 1. The Cork: It forms a narrow zone of several layers of tangentially elongated,
thin-walled cells.
• 2. The Cortex: It forms a narrow zone containing large lacunae and formed of
several layers of isodametric collenchymatous cells.
• 3. The Phloem: It is wholly replaced by parenchyma in some parts, but is
abnormally developed in the keel region, where it consists of radial rows of
parenchyma, small groups of sieve tissue and is traversed by medullary rays.
• 4. The Cambium: It forms a circular zone.
• 5. The Xylem: It is wholly lignified, except the parenchyma wedges and consists
of tracheids, vessels and thin-walled fibers. The parenchyma cells contain oil
globules, but no starch or calcium oxalate.
• II-The Root-stock: It has polygonal cork cells, irregularly disposed xylem
elements and thin-walled parenchymatous pith.

13. Microscopical Identification
• Powdered Senega is characterized by its grey color,
its characteristic, sternutatory odor resembling that
of methyl salicylate. The drug possesses a sweet
taste, that rapidly becomes acrid and irritant to the
mouth.
• Microscopically, it is characterized by:
• Few fragments of cork.
• Numerous fragments of wood, showing tracheids
and few vessels, crossed with medullary rays.
• Numerous small oil globules, free or in cells.
• Fragments of aerial stems, showing long non-
lignified fibers and fragments of scale leaves,
with ranunculaceous stomata (Anomocytic) and
unicellular, warty, simple hairs with solid tips.
•

14. Active Constituents
• Triterpenoid saponins called senegin saponins A, B, C and D.
• Sorbitol and its anhydride polygalitol.
• Minor constituents e.g. sterols, fats and traces of methyl salicylate.
• Chemical Identification:
• Test for saponins: Shake the aqueous decoction of Senega; a
persistent froth is formed.
• Extract 10 g of powdered Senega with ether, then with ether
acidified with dilute HCl. Divide the ethereal extract into two
portions:
• Test for salicylic acid: Add one portion of the extract to 20 mL of warm
water in an evaporating dish and then add one drop of FeCl3 T.S.; a reddish-
violet color is produced.
• Test for phytosterol: Evaporate the other portion to dryness and dissolve
the residue in 2 mL of chloroform. Transfer to a test tube and add few drops
of sulfuric acid carefully on the side of the tube; a deep reddish-brown ring
is formed between the two layers and the sulfuric acid layer shows a faint
greenish fluorescence within 24 hours.

15. Therapeutic Uses
• It is a stimulant expectorant in chronic bronchitis and
is prescribed with other expectorants e.g.
Ipecacuanha.
• Adulterants
• White Senega:
• The roots and rootstocks of Polygala alba. It is lighter
in color, has no keel. It has a normal woody taste and
is less active.
• Indian Senega:
• The roots and root-stocks of Polygala chinensis. It
resembles official Senega, but the cells of the cortex
contain amorphous brown contents, producing oily
drops by addition of KOH

16. JALAP ‫الجلب‬ ‫درنة‬
• Dried tuberous roots of Ipomea purga (Fam. Convolvulaceae),
known as Vera Cruz Jalap or Mexican Jalap.
• Jalap contains not more than 2% of foreign organic matters and yields
not less than 10% of resin.

17. Morphological Description
• Jalap has a characteristic odor and a sweetish, then acrid
disagreeable taste.
• It occurs as an entire tuber, which is fusiform, irregularly
ovoid and usually tapering at the base.
• Externally, it is reticulated, longitudinally wrinkled,
sometimes furrowed and showing numerous transverse
lenticels.
• It is very hard and compact and the fracture is even.
• Internally, it is horny, showing a narrow dark bark with
numerous dark points (resin cells), a distinct, continuous
dark cambium ring and a wide, central, paler part with
numerous dark islets, surrounded by tertiary cambia, the
lines of which sometimes form complete rings.

18. Histological Description
• 1. The Cork: It consists of several layers of
brown, thin-walled cells.
• 2. The Phloem: It is parenchymatous,
constituting almost the whole of the bark, showing
clusters of calcium oxalate, starch, scattered
isolated sclereids with thick, pitted walls and
numerous resin cells in longitudinal rows.
• 3. The Secondary Xylem: It lies inside the main
cambium ring; which of parenchymatous cells
contain starch granules and clusters of calcium
oxalate.
• It shows numerous abnormally formed concentric
bundles of few vessels, surrounded by tertiary
cambia.
• Starch granules, which are present in all the
parenchymatous cells, are sometimes gelatinized
during the drying process and this causes the
hardness of the tuber.

19. Microscopical Description
• Powdered Jalap is characterized by its light
greyish brown color, characteristic odor. The
taste starts sweet then turns to acrid and
disagreeable.
• Microscopically, it is characterized by:
• Brown fragments of cork(1).
• Abundant fragments of parenchyma cells,
containing starch granules, cluster crystals of
calcium oxalate and occasional resin cells(3,9).
• Numerous globules of resin(8).
• Few isolated sclereids with thick, pitted walls(6).
• Cluster crystals of calcium oxalate (11).
• Simple and compound starch granules, which are
partly gelatinized (2).

20. Active Constituents
• Glycosidal resin (4-18%), known as Jalap resin, and is 90% soluble in ether. Main constituent of the
resin is the ether insoluble portion known as jalapin (or convolvulin).
• Coloring matter and phytosterol.
• Starch, sugars and calcium oxalate.
• Chemical Identification
• With Iodine T.S.: The contents of resin cells stained yellow.
• With alkanna tincture: The contents of resin cells stained red.
• Therapeutic Uses
• It is a hydragogue cathartic, it exerts a laxative effect in small doses and a purgative effect in large
doses. An antispasmodic e.g. Belladonna is prescribed with Jalap to decrease its griping effect.
• it has a drastic purgative and irritant action. It has been superseded by less toxic laxatives.

21. ACONITE ‫الذئب‬ ‫خانق‬ ‫درنة‬
• Synonyms: wolfsbane tuber
• Dried tuberous roots of Aconitum napellus (Fam. Ranunculaceae).
• Aconite contains not more than 5% of its stems, not more than 2% of
foreign organic matters and yields not less than 0.6% of total alkaloids
calculated as aconitine.

22. Morphological Description
• Aconite has a very slight odor and a slight taste,
producing a tingling sensation in the mouth, followed
by numbness.
• The drug occurs in entire form, obconical in shape and
broad at the crown.
• Roots are enlarged, filled with reserve material and
each bears a bud at the apex known as daughter roots.
• The daughter tuber is plumpy and slightly ridged,
while the parent root is usually larger, shrivelled and
strongly ridged.
• Externally, root-tubers are dark brown to greyish
brown in color, bearing numerous scars.
• The fracture is short. Internally, it shows a thick bark, a
dark stellate line with 5 to 8 angles (cambium) and
paler wide pith.

23. Histological Description
• 1. The Metaderm: It consists of tabular, polygonal, suberised cells,
with dark-colored walls.
• 2. The Primary Cortex: It is a narrow zone with pitted parenchyma
containing starch granules and showing scattered thick-walled,
pitted sclereids. The endodermis consists of longitudinally
elongated, rectangular cells.
• 3. The Pericycle: It consists of several layers of parenchyma with
occasional sclereids.
• 4. The Phloem: It is formed mainly of parenchymatous cells
containing starch granules but no fibers. Primary phloem lies
immediately within the pericycle and is alternating with the angles
of the cambium.
• 5. The Xylem: It consists of a group of primary xylem and wedge-
shaped groups of secondary xylem within the angles of the stellate
cambium.
• 6. The PithIt is formed of large parenchyma cells, filled with starch
granules.
• Stem-base: It shows a fibrous pericycle, with groups of thick-
walled fibers connected with groups of sclerenchymatous cells.

24. Microscopical Identification
• Powdered Aconite is characterized by its greyish-brown
color, its slight odor.
• taste: It produces a persistent tingling sensation in the
mouth, followed by numbness.
• Microscopically, it is characterized by:
• Abundant fragments of thin-walled (7) and
thick-walled parenchyma (4) cells containing
starch granules.
• Few sclereid cells (8), which are rectangular,
thick-walled, with simple pits and a large
lumen.
• Few fibers from the stem (6). They are long,
with lignified walls and oblique pits.
• Simple and compound starch granules (2).

25. Active Constituents
1.Diterpene Alkaloids (0.3-1.2%), most important of which is
aconitine (30% of total alkaloids). Other alkaloids are neopelline,
napelline and neoline.
2.Starch and aconitic acid.
•
•Therapeutic Uses
• Locally (in a tincture form), as a peripheral stimulant to the sensory
nerves, which is followed by depression. In cases of facial neuralgia,
rheumatism and toothache.
1.As a cardiac depressant in high arterial tension of cardiac origin.
 Internal use is avoided due to toxicity.

26. GENTIAN ‫جنطانيا‬
 Dried fermented roots and rhizomes of Gentiana lutea (Fam.
Gentianaceae).
 Gentian contains not more than 2% of foreign organic matters.

27. Morphological Description
Gentian has a characteristic odor and a taste, which is
sweet at first but persistently bitter afterwards.
• It occurs in nearly cylindrical pieces, entire or
longitudinally split, yellowish brown to dark brown
in color.
• Externally, the root is longitudinally wrinkled and
furrowed.
• The rhizome has transverse annulations of encircling
leaf scars, it is branched and frequently terminates
in a bud.
• The fracture is short when dry, but tough and
flexible when moist. Internally, it shows a yellowish
bark, a well-marked wavy cambium ring and a large
yellowish brown xylem. Pith is present in the
rhizome only.

28. Histological Description
• 1. The Cork: It consists of few layers of polygonal,
tabular cells with slightly wavy walls.
• 2. The Cortex (or phelloderm in root): The outer
layers are collenchymatous, sometimes containing
oily globules and minute acicular crystals of calcium
oxalate. The inner layers consist of tangentially
elongated parenchyma, with large intercellular spaces
and containing minute acicular crystals of calcium
oxalate.
• 3. The Phloem: It consists of polygonal cells, sieve
tissue and companion cells.
• 4. The Xylem: It consists of thin-walled parenchyma
containing minute crystals of calcium oxalate and oil
globules, large lignified vessels and small groups of
interxylary phloem.
• 5. The Pith: It is parenchymatous, present in the
rhizome only and contains paches of intraxylary
phloem.

29. Microscopical Identification
• Powdered Gentian is characterized by its
yellowish brown color and its characteristic
odor. Its taste is sweet at first but becomes
persistently bitter afterwards.
• Microscopically, it is characterized by:
• Abundant fragments of parenchyma,
containing minute acicular crystals of calcium
oxalate and oily globules (2, 8).
• Fragments of yellowish brown cork cells (1, 4).
• Occasional small starch granules (7).
• Numerous minute acicular crystals of calcium
oxalate.
• Few fragments of lignified reticulately
thickened vessels (3, 5, 6).

30. Active Constituents
• Bitter glycosides e.g. gentiopicroside (Secoiridoids), which is the main
constituent and is nauseating and irritating but it is hydrolyzed during
fermentation.
• Alkaloids (0.03%) (gentianine and gentialutine).
• Flavonoid derivatives (e.g. gentisin).
• Sugars (gentianose, gentiobiose and sucrose), converted to glucose
and fructose by fermentation. Overfermentation converts sugars to
alcohol and carbon dioxide.
• Xanthone pigment.
Therapeutic Uses
• Appetite loss; digestive disorders: As stomachic because it promotes secretion
of saliva secretion and gastric juice and stimulates appetite.The drug is helpful
for digestion, circulation, pancreatitis, and parasitic infection.
• A bitter tonic
• It kills plasmodia (malaria causing organisms) and worms.
• In the preparation used for
a) Respiratory-tract disorders; sinusitis
b) Anxiety; insomnia