MICROSCOPICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF ROOT COCOS NUCIFERA LINN.

Abstract

In the present study, dried and powdered root of Cocos Nucifera linn was extracted with various solvents of increasing polarity. The present study deals with microscopical and phytochemcial investigation. This root consists of wide outer and inner cortex and solid circular stele. The cortex is differentiated into outer compact parenchymatous zone. The sub epidermal part concist of two or three layers of thick walled lignified sclerenchyma cells. Stele is centrally placed in circular shape. Some of the diagnostic features of the root are presence of air chambers, metaxylum element, outer cortex, pith, phloem, partition filaments are the diagnostic features of thin root. Diagnostic features of thick root are air chambers, meta xylem element , outer cortex, secretory canal. Powder characters of the root are a bundle of xylem elements and fibres with dark inclusion, xylum elements with annular thickenings, xylems elements with spiral and scalariform thickenings. The phytochemical investigation shows positive result for Carbohydrates, Proteins, Amino acids and glycosides.