Page 52 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303 (1)

Pharmacognosy-2 (PG303) Level 2 Clinical Pharmacy-Pharm D

OFFICIAL UMBELLIFEROUS FRUITS

I- FRUCTUS FOENICULI (Fennel Fruit)

Fennel: Fenouil, Finocchio. Fenchel
Syn. Foeniculum, Fennel fruit, Fenchelsame, Shamar
Fennel is the dried ripe fruits of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Family
Umbelliferae. Fennel contains not more than 4 per cent of foreign organic matter
and yields not less than 1.4 per cent v/w of volatile oil.

It is indigenous to the Mediterranean coast but now cultivated in Europe,
India, China, and Egypt.

Macroscopical Characters

The commercial drug consists of entire cremocarps with the pedicel attached
and partly of isolated mericarps. They are oval oblong. Yellowish green to
yellowish brown, glabrous formed of straight or slightly curved mericarps, about 4
to 12 mm long and 3 to 4 mm. broad. Mericarps are elliptical, tapering slightly
towards both ends, 5- sided with wide commissural side. Each mericarp is crowned
with a short conical stylopod and bears five paler, prominent primary ridges. The
commissural surface is flat and shows 3 narrow pale brown longitudinal areas

separated by two dark brownish areas over the vittae. When cut transversely,
mericarp shows 5 primary ridges in each of which is a vascular strand , 6 brown
vittae 4 in the dorsal side and 2 occasionally 3 to 4 in the commissural side, large
oily Orthospermous endosperm and a small apical embryo. Fennel has an agreeable
aromatic odor and sweet aromatic taste.

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