Anatomical study of the leaf of Lepechinia speciosa (A. St.- Hil. ex. Benth) Epling

• Autor(a) principal: Moura, R. B.
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Outros Autores: Leo, R. R. T., Fragoso, M. P.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Fitos
• Texto Completo: https://revistafitos.far.fiocruz.br/index.php/revista-fitos/article/view/113
• topic: Lepechinia speciosa; Lamiaceae; Leaf Anatomy; Medicinal Plants; Lepechinia speciosa; Lamiaceae; Anatomia Foliar; Plantas Medicinais

Phytotherapy has been retaken in Brazil during the 70’s and 80’s, and has provided an increment in the search for new drugs of plant origin. In that context, the family Lamiaceae with 500 species distributed in 28 genera native to Brazil, aroused interest of researchers, led by medical evidence of the potential of some of its species. Lepechinia speciosa is an endemic species of this family, with antimicrobial proven effectiveness of its essential oil. Nevertheless, until now there is no work providing the description of its anatomical characteristics, which is essential to identify the sources of substances secreted to allow the therapeutic application in phytotherapy. With the aim of providing subsidies for this species pharmacognostic study, the anatomical characterization of L. speciosa leaves was carried out from extended leaves collected from a single individual. Epidermal dissociation and serial transverse sections of 5 μm from apex, main vein, board and petiole prepared in histological paraffin blocks were obtained. Specific staining reactive was used. In the frontal view of the epidermis, the upper surface consists of polyhedral cells, anticlinal walls straight and thick, anysocytic stomata, branched, pluricellular tector trichomes, or simple, pluricellular and capitate. Down surface epidermis composed of cells with sinuous anticlinal walls, abundance of branched or simple pluricellular trichomes; stomata of anomocytic, anysocytic and paracytic types. Mesophyll dorsiventral. Petiole cylindrical, with central sulcus in the upper region, with 4 collateral vascular bundles and one large arc-shaped central bundle. Main prominent vein on the abaxial surface with little thicker cuticle; vascular colateral bundle arch-shaped, with anficrival ends. Rondure board, with large elevations (roughness), where it is possible to visualize the vascular bundles.