4.3. Basella alba
Family: Basellaceae
Synonym: B. rubra L.
Vemacular names
English: Indian Spinach
Sanskrit: Upodika or Potaki Putika
Hindi: Poi
Tamil Pasalaikkeerai or Kodippasalai
4.3.1. Morphological characters
This is a perennial, twining herb, less commonly found in plains, scrub jungles and waste lands, but often cultivated as ornament and for spinach. They are found up to 500 m MSL. The stem is fleshy, very long, much branched, sub-succulent and slender. Branch-lets are terete. Petiole is fleshy and up to 5 cm in length and with a long and deep trench on the adaxial surface. Basal region of the petiole is rounded. Leaves are simple, alternate, petiolate, exstipulate, glabrous and sub-succulent in plants grown in drier parts, but, much fleshy and thick in cultivated plants, broadly ovate to elliptic to oblanceolate, 10- 12 x 8-10 cm in size, base truncate to cordate to rounded, decurrent, apex acute to acuminate to epiculate, margin entire and lateral nerves are 49 pairs. Spikes are axillary and appear from September to February. Peduncles are long up to 20 cm, fleshy, thick and slender. Buds are crowded in the apex but matured ones are farther apart. Flowers are sessile, ureolate and hermaphrodite. Bracts are minute and bracteoles are 2, Perianth tube is fleshy, 3 mm long and 5 lobed. Outer 2 lobes are larger than others. Lobes are ovate, incurved and tip acute. Stamens 5 on the mouth of the perianth tube. Filament is straight and 1.5 mm in length. Anther is oblong, versatile and one mm in length. Ovary is globose and ovule subsessile. Style 3-branched, 1.5 mm in length. Stigma pillose. Fruits pseudoberry, globose and one seeded.
Basella alba var. alba
This is called as 'Patchaippasali' (Green Spinach) in Tamil. Stem, petiole, leaf and peduncles are green in color (Fig. 84). The perianth tube is greenish white in the basal and pink in apical regions.
Basella alba var. rubra
This is called as 'Sigappuppasali' (Red Spinach) in Tamil. Stem, petiole, abaxial surface of the leaf and peduncles are pink in color (Fig. 91).
In order to study whether the color of the varieties viz. var. alba and var. rubra are genetically fixed or not, we raised the seedlings of both the varieties for three generations in two different growth conditions. One set of seedlings, 25 in each variety, was grown in drought condition and another set were grown in irrigated condition. After 3 generations we observed that the green variety (var. alba) in both the growth conditions remained unchanged in the color and as well as other characters of the plant. However, the pink variety (var. rubra) grown in irrigated conditions showed reduction in the purple color in the first generation itself. The pink color is restricted only to the basal region of the veins and margins of leaf. In the floral parts, the pink color is restricted to the apical region of the perianth lobes. It was also observed that when the offspring's of the irrigated-grown first generation of var. rubra was grown in drought condition, the pink coloration of the leaf and floral parts were reappeared.
4.3.2. Description of the useful parts
In fresh specimen, leaves of var. alba is green and var. rubra is pink is color. However, both are mucilaginous. The dried powder is green in var. alba where as it is dark green is var. rubra. Texture is soft, odor strong and pleasant and taste indistinct, but mucilaginous.
4.3.3. Anatomical characters
The following anatomical descriptions apply equal to both the varieties, var. alba and var. rubra, unless otherwise stated.
Petiole
In TS, petiole is circular in outline with a furrow and two refluxed arms on the adaxial surface (Fig. 85). The following zones are visible, epidermis, ground tissue and vascular bundles. Epidermis is single layered with a thin cuticle and stomatal openings. The cells are regular, barrel shaped and 20-40 x 45-65 m in size. It is followed by parenchymatous ground tissue. Cells are thin walled, polygonal to irregular circle in shape with clear intercellular spaces and ranges from 150-265 m in size. Tip of the each reflexed arm has a patch of collenchyma cells, which are 35-40 m in size. Stomatal cavities are small. An arc of 4-7 vascular bundles is centrally located. A single, large arc shaped collenchymatous cap of 2- 3 layers is present in the abaxial side of the vascular bundle. These cells are polygonal and 30-35 m in size. Vascular bundles are collateral and open. Xylem is endarch and vessels are 35-72 m in diameter. Apart from these centrally located vascular bundles, there are 6-8 smaller vascular bundles extending into the arms. Calcium oxalate crystals and mucilage cells are present in the ground tissue. They are 60-140 m and 80-160 m in size respectively. Starch grains of 8-12 m in size are abundant in the ground tissue.
Leaf midrib
In TS, leaf midrib shows a distinct abaxial ridge and a groove in adaxial region. It consists of epidermis, ground tissue and centrally located vascular bundles (Fig. 87 and 92). Epidermis is single layered covered with a thin cuticle. In the abaxial region, inner to the epidermis, one or 2 layers of collenchyma cells are present. Ground tissue is parenchymatous, thin walled, polygonal in shape and 120-175 m in size. Vascular bundle is centrally located. Endodermis is not distinct. A collenchymatous cap of 3-4 layers is present in the abaxial side of the bundle. Xylem is endarch and vessels are 18-55 m in size. Calcium oxalate crystals (Fig. 93) and mucilage cells are present in the ground tissue. Starch grains are rarely present.
Leaf lamina
In TS, leaf lamina shows upper and lower epidermis enclosing the mesophyll (Fig. 88 and 94). Epidermis is single layered with thin cuticle. The cells are barrel shaped and 30-40 x 40-35 m in size. Stomatal openings are present on both the surfaces. Mesophyll is undifferentiated. Cells are parenchymatous, thin walled, round to irregular polygonal in shape with clear intercellular spaces and 60-157 m in size. Large sized mucilage cells of 80-160 m in size are also present (Fig. 94). Rosette type of calcium oxalate crystals of 60-140 m in size are abundant in the central region of the mesophyll (Fig. 95). Round to oval shaped starch grains are abundant in the mesophyll cells (Fig. 96 and 97). They are
8-12 m in size. In surface view, epidermal cells are wavy in margin (Fig. 89 and 90) with both paracytic and anisocytic stomata. Anatomical characters of two varieties of B. alba are similar. There is no qualitative or quantitative variation in petiole, leaf midrib and leaf lamina among the varieties.
4.3.4. Quantitative microscopy
Quantitative microscopical values like stomatal index, vein islet number and vein termination number of the two varieties of B. alba are given in Table XV. In general, in both the varieties, the stomatal index is lower in upper surface than lower surface. In var. rubra, stomatal index on both the surfaces, vein islet number and vein termination number are higher than that of var. alba.
4.3.5. Analytical values
Analytical values like total ash, acid insoluble ash, loss on drying, solubility in alcohol and water and extractive values in petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, alcohol and water are given in Table XVI. Ash values and loss on drying are higher in var. rubra than that in var. alba. Solubility percentage of var. alba is higher in alcohol and lower in water than var. rubra. Extractive values in different solvents vary between the varieties.
4.3.6 Study of powder
Behavior of leaf powder of two varieties of B. alba on treatment with different chemical reagents and fluorescent behavior are given in table XVII and XVIII respectively. They reveal both similarities and dissimilarities.
4.3.7. Qualitative phytochemical studies
Qualitative phytochemical analysis of leaf extracts of two varieties of B. alba is given in Table XIX. The color and physical consistency of the extracts of both the varieties are identical, except that the color of the chloroform extract is green and brownish green in var. alba and var. rubra respectively. Gums and mucilage’s content are higher in var. alba than var. rubra. Reducing sugars in alcoholic extract is higher in var. rubra and non-reducing sugars in water extract is higher in var. alba than the other. Other chemical constituents show both similarities and dissimilarities.
4.3.8. Quantitative estimation of total saponins
Total saponins estimated in dry leaf powder of var. alba is found to be lower (1.2%) than that in var. rubra (1.36%).
4.3.9. TLC studies
Rf value of anthocyanins pigments in leaf of var. rubra is 0.28. In var. alba these pigments are absent.
Table XV: Quantitative microscopical values of leaves of two varieties of B. alba
| Sl. No | Pararneter Studied | var. alba | var. rubra |
| 1 | Stomatal Number | | |
| | Upper surface | 3.13-7.19-10.81 | 3.84-9.15-14.77 |
| | Lower surface | 8.11-12.87-17.95 | 10.8-13.18-17.10 |
| 2 | Vein islet number | 0.86-1.27-1.50 | 1.37-1.82-2.62 |
| 3 | Vein termination number | 0.86-1.31-1.75 | 0.75-1.81-2.75 |
Table XVI: Analytical values of leaves of B. alba
| Sl. No | Pararneter Studied | var. alba | var. rubra |
| 1 | Total ash value | 10.3 | 11.0 |
| 2 | Acid insoluble ash value | 1.3 | 3.0 |
| 3 | Loss on drying | 91.0 | 92.7 |
| 4 | Solubility % in Alcohol Water | 10.0 32.0 | 6.0 37.0 |
| 5 | Extractive values in Petroleum ether Benzene Chloroform Alcohol Water | 3.302 1.864 0.922 10.372 28.25w | 4.592 0.775 0.284 18.034 18.28 |
Table XVII: Behavior of B. alba on treatment with different chemical reagents
| Sl. No. | Powder + Reagent used | var. alba | var. rubra |
| 1 | Powder as such | Green | Dark green |
| 2 | P + Conc. H2SO4 | Dark green | Dark green |
| 3 | P + Conc. HCl | Dark green | Dark green |
| 4 | P + HN03 | Brown | Brown |
| 5 | P + Acetic acid | Brown | Green |
| 6 | P + 10% NaOH | Green | Green |
| 7 | P + 1N HCI | Dark green | Green |
| 8 | P + Iodine solution | Black | Black |
| 9 | P + 5% Ferric chloride | Brown | Brown |
Table XVIII: Fluorescent behavior of leaf powder of B. alba
| Sl. No | Powder + Reagent used | var. alba | var. rubra | ||
| Visible light | UV light | Visible light | UV light | ||
| 1 | Powder as such | Green | Green | Dark green | Dark green |
| 2 | P + 50% HN03 | Reddish brown | Blackish brown | Pinkish brown | Blackish brown |
| 3 | P + IN HCI | Green | Green | Dark brown | Dark green |
| 4 | P+ IN NaOH in water | Green | Blackish green | Dark green | Black |
| 5 | P+ IN NaOH in alcohol | Dark green | Black | Dark green | Black. |
Table XIV: Preliminary phytochemical analysis on leaves of two varieties of B. alba
| Sl No. | Test for | Reagents Used/ Methods adopted | Extracts of | |||||||||||||
| Petroleum ether | Benzene | Chloroform | Alcohol | Water | ||||||||||||
| Var. lon. | Var. lat. | Var. lon. | Var. lat. | Var. lon. | Var. lat. | Var. lon. | Var. lat. | Var. lon. | Var. lat. | |||||||
| | Color & Physical consistency | Brown oily | Brownish black oily | Green sticky | Green sticky | Green oily | Brownish green oily | Dark green oily | Dark green oily | Brown clayey | Brown clayey | |||||
| 1 | Alkaloids. | Picric acid | + | ++ | + | + | + | + | + | ++ | - | + | ||||
| | | Dragondroff | - | - | - | - | + | - | + | + | - | - | ||||
| | | Mayer's | - | - | + | - | + | - | + | + | - | - | ||||
| | | Wagner's | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | - | - | ||||
| 2 | Carbohydrates | Molish's | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | + | ||||
| | | Fehling's | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | - | ||||
| | | Benedicts | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | + | ||||
| 3 | Tannins & | Ferric chloride | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | ||||
| | Phenols | Gelatin | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | - | - | - | ||||
| | | Lead acetate | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | + | ||||
| 4 | Flavonoids | Shinoda's test | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 5 | Gums& Mucilage’s | Alcoholic Precipitation | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | | ||||
| 6 | Fixed oils & fats | Spot test | + | + | - | - | - | + | + | + | - | - | ||||
| 7 | Saponins | Foam test | - | - | - | - | - | - | + | + | + | + | ||||
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