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Starch and Ca-Oxalate

This document describes experiments to identify starch and calcium oxalate crystals microscopically. It provides details on the structures of starch and different types of calcium oxalate crystals found in plants. Microscopic characteristics are given to distinguish between rice, maize, and potato starches. Practical experiments are described using reagents like Smith's solution to examine starches from different plants under 4X and 10X objectives. Calcium oxalate crystals from plants like senna and rhubarb are also observed using chloralhydrate solution.

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
325 views18 pages

Starch and Ca-Oxalate

This document describes experiments to identify starch and calcium oxalate crystals microscopically. It provides details on the structures of starch and different types of calcium oxalate crystals found in plants. Microscopic characteristics are given to distinguish between rice, maize, and potato starches. Practical experiments are described using reagents like Smith's solution to examine starches from different plants under 4X and 10X objectives. Calcium oxalate crystals from plants like senna and rhubarb are also observed using chloralhydrate solution.

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Grgt
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Philadelphia university

Faculty of pharmacy
Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry lab
Eman Al-Shahrori
Experiment 2
Microscopical identification for starch & Calcium oxalate
crystals.
 Starch is generally a mixture of two structurally different polysaccharides:

 One of the components is amylose (present as 25% of the starch), a linear


molecule composed of 250-300 D-glucopyranose units uniformly linked by α-
1,4-glucosidic bonds, which cause the molecule to adopt a helix-like shape.

 The other component is amylopectin (present as 75% of the starch), which


consists of 1000 or more glucose units, most of them also connected by α-1,4-
glucosidic bonds, but a number of α-1,6 linkages also occur at branch points.
Because of these structural differences.

 amylose is more soluble in water than amylopectin.


 Uses of starch in pharmaceutical industry:

1- Dusting powder (in which adsorbent properties are important).

2- Antidote in treatment of iodine poisoning.

3- Skin emollient, basis for enemas.

4- Tablet disintegrant.

5- Lubricant for surgeons gloves (sterializable maize starch).


 Macroscopical characteristics:

 Starch occurs in irregular, angular masses or as a white powder.

 It is insoluble in cold water, but it forms a colloidal solution upon boiling with
about 15 times its weight of water. The solution forms a translucent jelly on
cooling.

 A starch mucilage is colored deep blue with solution of iodine. The color
disappears on heating, but it reappears on cooling.

 When starch is heated with water, the granules first swell and then undergo
gelatinization.

 Maize starch is neutral, but other commercial starches show an acid (wheat and
potato) or alkaline (rice) reaction.
Macroscopical characteristics for different types of starch

Starch type Color Shape Size Touch Odor taste

Maize starch White No diff. No diff. Smooth No diff. Starchy then sweet

Potato starch Off-white No diff. No diff. Smooth No diff. Starchy then sweet

Rice starch White No diff. No diff. Smooth No diff. Starchy then sweet
 Microscopical characteristics:

 Starch can be identified by microscopical examination.

 They should be mounted with water or Smith's reagent. The size, shape and
structure of starch granules from any particular plant vary within definite limits,
so that it is possible to distinguish between starches derived from different
species.

 Starch granules may be simple or compound, and the description of starch


granules as 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-compound refers to the number of component granules
present in the compound granules.
 The microscopic differentiation between starch types:
• Shape of granules:
1. Ovoid.
2. Spherical.
3. Angular or polyhedral.
• Size of granules:
1. Small.
2. Medium.
3. Large.
• Aggregation of granules:
1. Simple.
2. Compound.
• Hilum:
The starting point of the starch granules:
• Position of the hilum:
a) Central.
b) Eccentric.
• Shape of the hilum:
a) Dot
b) Cleft Simple.
Multiple.
• Striation:
The starch granule is built up by deposition of successive layers around the
hilum, and the concentric rings or striations are often clearly visible in larger
granules, e.g. potato
 Microscopical characteristics of different types of starch:
• Rice starch granules:
1. Origin: is obtained from the grains of the fruits of Oryza sativa Poaceae.
2. Shape: polyhedral or subspherical.
3. Hilum: small central points.
4. Striation: absent.
5. Aggregation: mainly compound.
• Maize starch granules:
1. Origin: is obtained from the grains of the fruit of Zea mays Poaceae.
2. Shape: polyhedral or subspherical
3. Hilum: central cleft with three to five rays.
4. Striation: not visible.
5. Aggregation: simple.
• Potato starch granules:
1. Origin: is obtained from the tubers of Solanum tuberosum Solanaceae.
2. Shape: ovoid to subspherical.
3. Hilum: eccentric point near the narrower end of ovoid granules.
4. Striation: well marked concentric.
5. Aggregation: mostly simple occasionally compound.
How to Write a Scientific Name Correctly?
 Genus Name:
1. The genus name is written first.
2. The genus name is always underlined or italicised.
3. The first letter of the genus name is always capitalized
Example: Oryza or Oryza
 Species Name:
1. The species is written second.
2. The species is always underlined or italicised.
3. The first letter of the species name is never capitalized.
Example: sativa or sativa.
 Family Name:
1. The Family is written third.
2. The family is not underlined or italicised.
3. The first letter of the family name is capitalized.
Example: Solanaceae.
Practical part (1):

Potato starch Maize starch Rice starch

 Reagent used in this experiment is Smith’s reagent.


 Objective lens used at first used 4X then 10X.
Ca-oxalate crystals.
 Calcium oxalate crystals: are found in plants as a result of interaction of oxalic
acid (a metabolic product) with calcium salt; e.g. Ca-sulphate, and the
consequent precipitation upon super saturation of the cell sap with this salt.

 Different types of calcium oxalate crystals with various shapes can be used as
a diagnostic element for plant identification.

 Types of Ca-oxalate crystals in plants:

• Cluster (Rosette): Rhubarb , Senna, Clove.

• Acicular crystals : Cinnamon.


• Crystal sheath: Senna , Liquorice.

• Raphides: Squill.

• Microsphenoidal crystals: Belladona.

• Crystal layer: Senna.

 Idioplast : the cells containing calcium oxalate differ from those which don’t
contain calcium oxalate in size, form or content, and are often called.
Practical part (2):
 Clear different plant powders using chloralhydrate solution and examine the
various types of calcium oxalate crystals.

 Reagent used:
Chloralhydrate + Phloroglucinol/HCl

 Plant used: Senna powder.

 Reagent used:
Chloralhydrate.
 Plant used: Rhubarb powder.

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