Caracterização anatômica e histoquímica de Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae).

Abstract

Schinus molle L. (pepper-tree) is a South America native species, which belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, having socioeconomic and cultural importance, being widely used in popular medicine for possessing therapeutic properties, some of them established scientifically. Therefore, in order to expand scientific information about the species, this study had as purpose the Schinus molle L anatomic and histochemical characterization. For the study, were collected samples of the plant aerial parts, subsequently submitted to plant anatomy techniques and histochemical tests, in order to observe and describe its structure and chemical composition. The stalk has trichomes not very occurring from tector type, the cortex has isolated or gathered calcium oxalate crystals, with sclerenchymatous endoderm, being the vascular bundle of bicolateral type with secretory canals associated with metafloema. The leaf has in its petiole stomata in furrows or on epidermis level, with clorenchyma in the cortical region, being the vascular tissue divided in bicollateral bundle with secretory canals associated to the metafloema, restricted to the dorsal region. The leaf blade has few tectors trichomes restricted to the adaxial face, with anomiocytic and ciclocytic stomata on both faces. The mesophyll is isolateral with secretory canals and the bundles occur in the midrib associate to the canals. The histochemical texts showed the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in every observed part; lipids, tannins and essential oils on epidermis; steroids in the spongy tissue; lignin, in the xylem; alkaloids in the palisade tissue and phenolic compound in the epidermis and mesophyll. It is expected that the results favor the plant reliable and precise identification, expending the botanical knowledge about the species and genus, as well as favoring a greater control of the extraction and its chemical compounds utilization.