Lecture 3 Seeds

3
􀂄 􀂄 Cardamom.
􀂄 􀂄 Nutmeg
Both of them contain:

1. Perisperm
2. Outgrowth
3. Volatile oil
The dried ripe or nearly ripe seeds of
Elettaria cardamomum
Family: Zingiberaceae,
The seeds must be kept in the fruits

until required for use why?
1. To avoid the loss of volatile oil
(present in the testa)
2. To protect the starch rich-seeds from
the attack of rodents
3. Differentiation between different
types of Ellettaria from the fruit
easier than seeds.
.
Prosenchymatus epidermal
cells (fiber-like) Oil cells (testa) Perisperm packed with
starch and 1-2 Caox prism
Epidermal cells crossed at right

angles by the cells of hypodermis. Sclerides with funnel shaped lumen &
Silica nodules
 Volatile oil oil layer [terpinyl acetate and cineole].
The oil is lost from the seeds if separated from the
pericarp.
 Fixed Oil (embryo & endosperm).
 Starch, Caox (perisperm).
• aromatic, carminative, stimulant, stomachic,

expectorant, and flavouring agent.
• also used as a spice in cooking.
identified by:
-Pitted fibres and spiral vessels of the fibrovascular
bundles
-abundant empty parenchymatous cells.
-less volatile oil

Dried kernels of the seeds of Myristica fragrans
(Fam. Myristicaceae)
a characteristic ruminated appearance why?
due to the thin dark brown perisperm penetrating into

the yellowish-brown endosperm by numerous
enfoldings.
fragments of outer perisperm fragments of inner and ruminating
with prismatic crystals perisperm with large circular oil cells
Fragments of endosperm, with parenchyma containing starch granules,

aleurone grains and fat crystals (feathery with chloral hydrate).
 Volatile oil [ which is related structurally
related and possesses the same stimulant and
psychomimetic action as amphetamine].
 fat.
 Starch.
 Saponin.
 Tannins.
• Nutmeg is aromatic, carminative, flavouring
agent, for flatulence.
• Since it irritates uterus it can cause abortion.
• In large doses, they are toxic, producing

convulsions, hallucinogenic action due to
myristicin.
 Dried arill or arillode of the
seeds of Myristica fragrans,
Family Myristicaceae.
 Active Constituents:
- 4-15% volatile oil.
-No starch****.
 Uses:
condiment Carminative.
 Nux vomica
 Colchicum
Dried ripe seeds of
Linne
(Fam. ).
 Shape: Disc or button-shaped.
 It is covered with numerous short hairs

radiating from the center (
).
 The presence of
from the micropyle to the centre at the
hilum position why? due to crossing of hairs.
􀂄 Odor: odorless.
􀂄 Taste: intense bitter & persistent why?.
Epidermis: lignified
thick-walled cells; each
cell extends into a hair,
having ten strongly ribs
Endosperm
• consisting of hemicellulose
• contains protoplasmic threads (plasmodesma).
• The oil plasma containing aleurone grains, fixed
oil and the alkaloids strychnine and brucine.
sclerenchymatous
Fragments of trichome rods.
epidermis of the testa
Constituents of the seeds:
 Alkaloids (strychnine and brucine).
is concentrated in the
while is abundant in
 Strychnine is therapeutically active and toxic alkaloid
 Brucine is dimethoxystrychnine, less toxic and has very

little physiological action.
The inner part of the
endosperm gives a purple colour with
ammonium vanadate & sulphuric acid.
The outer part of

endosperm gives yellow to orange colour
with conc. nitric acid.
 Test for hemicellulose: A blue colour is

obtained in the endosperm cell wall with
iodine and sulphuric acid.
Strychnine
Stimulant on
CNS GIT Respiratory Circulatory
used in respiratory stimulant in

experimental
increasing certain cases of
Increases blood
research appetite; poisoning. pressure
Stimulate peristalsis of intestinal

muscle, used in chronic
constipation
• In toxic doses strychnine causes violent convulsions
involving the respiratory muscles and death takes place due to
asphyxia and respiratory failure.
• Brucine closely resembles strychnine in its action but is

slightly less poisonous
1. When a transverse section or powder of
nux-vomica is mounted with Mandelin's
reagent, a ………….. is produced in the
innermost part of endosperm due to
……………….
2.while A mount of transverse section or
powder in nitric acid shows an …………..
especially in the outermost part
of the endosperm due to ………….
Dried ripe seeds of
Linne,
family
􀂄 Outgrowth: *****.
􀂄 Type of seed: albuminous (horny endosperm).
􀂄 Type of ovule: amphitropous.
A very poisonous alkaloid called Colchicine.
 resin, called colchicoresin,
 Fixed oil, glucose and starch.
 withconc. sulphuric acid or HCl produces

yellow colour due to the presence of
colchicines.
 treatment of gout and rheumatic complaints to relieve
pain and inflammation.
 It is a spindle poison. This effectively stops the tumor cells

from dividing, thus causing remission of used as anticancer.
(Leukaemia)
 A very toxic plant,
 The alkaloid is a plant hormone used to stimulate

polyploidy; it inhibits the action of the spindle in mitosis
so that the divided chromosomes fail to separate from the
equatorial plate, thus yielding a nucleus with double the
number of chromosomes. It is used as a mutagen.
􀂄 􀂄 Castor seed
􀂄 􀂄 Ignatus Beans
The dried seeds of
Linn.
Family: .
Glycerides of oleic.
o Castor seeds contains fixed oil and ricinoleic acid represent 88% of
the oil.
o The ricinoleic acid have both a double bond and a hydroxyl group.
2. Poisonous toxins known as .
(non-toxic alkaloid).
was widely used as a domestic
purgative and in hospital used for
administration after food poisoning and as a
preliminary to intestinal examination.
 The purgative actions are due to

which are produced by
hydrolysis in the duodenum.
 Owing to the presence of toxic ricins, the

seeds are not used as a purgative.
The dried seeds of Strychnos ignatii Family Loganiaceae.
• The seed differ from those of nux-vomica, in being:

o Non lignified
o devoid of satiny sheen
o Seeds are irregularly ovoid.
Q: Differntiate between Nux-vomica and Ignatus beans

 List official and non-official toxic seeds,
mention the symptoms and active
constituents responsible for this toxicity and

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3

Both of them contain:

The seeds must be kept in the fruits

Epidermal cells crossed at right

 Fixed Oil (embryo & endosperm).

 Starch, Caox (perisperm).

• aromatic, carminative, stimulant, stomachic,

-less volatile oil

a characteristic ruminated appearance why?

due to the thin dark brown perisperm penetrating into

Fragments of endosperm, with parenchyma containing starch granules,

• Since it irritates uterus it can cause abortion.

• In large doses, they are toxic, producing

 It is covered with numerous short hairs

 Alkaloids (strychnine and brucine).

 Strychnine is therapeutically active and toxic alkaloid

 Brucine is dimethoxystrychnine, less toxic and has very

The outer part of

 Test for hemicellulose: A blue colour is

CNS GIT Respiratory Circulatory

used in respiratory stimulant in

Stimulate peristalsis of intestinal

• Brucine closely resembles strychnine in its action but is

 withconc. sulphuric acid or HCl produces

 It is a spindle poison. This effectively stops the tumor cells

 A very toxic plant,

 The alkaloid is a plant hormone used to stimulate

2. Poisonous toxins known as .

 The purgative actions are due to

 Owing to the presence of toxic ricins, the

• The seed differ from those of nux-vomica, in being:

Q: Differntiate between Nux-vomica and Ignatus beans

mention the symptoms and active

constituents responsible for this toxicity and

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