Page 109 - Medicinal Plants 02-06-06-101_First year_PharmD (1)

Microscopical Characters of Some Pharmaceutical Starch
i. Potato Starch:

• Origin: Tubers of Solanum tuberosum, F. Solanaceae.
• Shape: Ovoid, irregularly ovoid, sub-spherical, pyramidal and

somewhat flattened granules.
• Hilum: A point at the narrower end of granules usually eccentric.
• Striation: Well marked, some however more distinct than the others,

concentric.
• Aggregation: Mostly simple, few compound of 2 to 3 components,

rarely semi-compound.

ii. Rice Starch:

• Origin: Fruits of Oryza sativa L.,F. Gramineae.
• Shape: Small granules with an angular outlines, polyhedral with sharp

angles.
• Size: Very minute about 2 µm.
• Hilum: A central point.
• Striation: Absent.
• Aggregation: Compound granules from 2 to about 150 component.

iii. Maize Starch:

• Origin: Grains of Zea mays F. Gramineae.
• Shape: Muller-shaped, polyhedral, sub-spherical granules.
• Size: Small granules up to10 microns, medium from 10 to30 microns,

large from 30 to 35 microns.

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