title: Structure, histochemistry and phytochemical profile of the bark of the sobol and aerial stem of Tontelea micrantha (Celastraceae - Hippocrateoideae).
abstract: The bark of the underground stem of Tontelea micrantha (Mart. ex. Schult.) A. C. Sm., a native Brazilian Cerrado species, is used in folk medicine for treating kidney ailments. The structures of the underground and the aerial stems were examined and their barks were analyzed for the presence of secondary metabolites. Bark fragments were processed according to conventional techniques in plant anatomy and their chemical compositions examined using histochemical and phytochemical tests, thin layer chromatography, and high-efficiency liquid chromatography. The underground stem is a sobol with unusual cambial activity. Laticifers that secrete terpenoids were present in the cortex and phloem of both organs and can contribute to the identification of the species in field. Druses were present in both barks, but mono-crystals were only observed in the sobol. Tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids occurred in both types of bark, but carotenoids were only detected in the sobol. The similarities between these two organs indicate that the aerial stem bark has potential medicinal use and represents a plausible alternative to harvesting the sobol, which could contribute to the preservation of natural populations of this species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Olívia
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Mercadante-Simões
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Hellen C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Mazzottini-Dos-Santos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lays A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioprospecção e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Peracio R B
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Micropropagação Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Leonardo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioprospecção e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Royo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioprospecção e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Dario A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D029753:Celastraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry*; D013053:Spectrophotometry