Comparison on histology of root tubers and fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus and ophiopogonins content / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study the yield of the fibrous roots of Ophiopogon japonicus in Sichuan province and to compare the microscopic characteristics and the content of total ophiopogonins between the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus. Methods: The ratio for root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus was compared by statistics; The microscopic characteristics of epidermal cell, cortex, stele arrangement, and pith were observed by microscope and photomicrography system; The total saponins in the extract from the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus were determined by UV, and the content of ophiopogonin D in the extract from the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus was determined by HPLC-ELSD. Results: The average ratio of fibrous root weight and root tuber weight was 0.68, and there were some differenes in the epidermal cell shape, stele arrangement, and proportion of the cortex between the fibrous roots and root tubers of O. japonicus. The average contents of total saponins in the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus were 1.204% and 2.847%, and the contents of ophiopogonin D were 0.034% and 0.041% in the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus. Conclusion: The resource of fibrous roots of O. japonicus is rich, which has the histological differences in the epidermal cell shape, stele arrangement, and proportion of the cortex between the fibrous roots and root tubers of O. japonicus. There is no significant difference in powder between the root tuber and fibrous root; The the content of total saponin in the fibrous roots is obviously higher than that in the root tubers while the content of ophiopogonin D between the root tubers and fibrous roots of O. japonicus is similar.