INTRODUCTION
Members of the Cucurbit family include among
others the following principal genera: Luffa,
Momordica, Trichosanthes, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Citrullus, Lagenaria, Bryonopsis,
Corallocarpus etc., composed of
about 134 genera and 965 species (Dhiman et
al., 2012; Paris et al., 2017;
The Plant List, 2013). Loofa is a sub topical plant commonly referred as sponge
or vegetable sponge used for medicine and food (Oboh et al., 2009). The origin of Loofa is yet to be confirmed, but may
have originated from America (Mazali and Alves, 2005). The cucurbits are
herbaceous. The Loofa species having large leaves, the foliage is whole or in
deep lobes and they can be climbing or creeping plants. The flowers have
different sexes and a large inferior ovary.
Fertilized ovary develops into a fruit possessing hard exocarp, fleshy
mesocarp and endocarp (Joly, 1993; Souza et
al., 2013). L. cylindrica leaves are compound, oblong to cylindrical with 3 sub
divided lobes, herbaceous climber with bright yellow flowers (Hutchinson and
Dalziel, 1954; Akobundu and Agyakwa, 1998). Many cucurbits’ fruits have been
ingredients for the culinary and are eaten when immature or mature as salads,
sweets, desserts or pickled (Lorenzi, 2008; Lorenzi et. al., 2015). Loofa has potential economic uses. With regard to
industrial and technological development. Loofa has been effectively used to
remove various pollutants from (waste) waters, to remove toxic metals, dyes,
and other emerging pollutants from aqueous solutions, (Anastopoulos and Pashalidis, 2020). L. cylindrica has phytotherapeutic values for anti-diabetic, anticancer,
antiulcer, nephron protective and analgesic properties (Patel and Ghane, 2021).
The nature of subsidiary cells in some members of Cucurbitaceae had obviously
been reported as anomocytic (Metcalfe and Chalk, 1979). The findings championed
by de Barry (1984) made clear of base footed trichomes in the epidermal layer
in Cucurbit family. More so, Inamdar and Gangadhara (2008) revealed the
existence of 26 sub types of trichomes in Cucubits. Little or no work done on
nodal anatomy of Loofa. Reports on
quantitative mineral and proximate analyses of Loofa in South–West Nigeria, had
been showcased by Ogunyemi et al.
(2020) with the following compositions: Protein content 35.83%; Carbohydrate
13.67%; Fat 33.93%; Fiber content 4.58%; Moisture content 5.84% and Ash content
6.13%, while energy value was 503.3 Kcal. The under utilsation of L. cylindrica as an economic plant, has
arisen the interest to investigate the proximate and morpho-anatomical
properties of L. cylindrica (L.) Rox.
(Cucurbitaceae). These information would improve on existing knowledge of the
plant.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Morphological
Studies
Luffa
cylindrica (L.)
Rox observed growing in the University of Port Harcourt at a particular spot,
was harvested and sent to the Herbarium for proper identification and was
assigned UPH/P/438 for reference purposes. The meter rule was used to ascertain
morphological measurements of plant parts that concerns plant length (root-collar
to the terminal bud); length of leaf (leaf tip to petiole base) and width of leaf
(across lamina, at widest region).
Epidermal
Studies
Fresh
leaves collected were peeled chemically using Nitric acid, which infiltrates
the leaf with air bubbles thereby creating space between the upper and lower
leaf surfaces. Proper handling of needle, the mesophyll layers were separated and
made to pass through ethanol solutions of 50%, 75% and 98% for 5 minutes to
neutralize the acid and facilitate picking Safranin O stain easily for 2
minutes, rinsed with water, counter staining with Alcian blue in same time
interval; following method of Cutler (1978). Slides with clear visibility were
photo-micro graphed with Leica WILD MPS 52 Microscope Camera staged on Leitz
Dra Microscope.
Anatomical
Studies
Plant organs (leaf, stem and root) were trimmed
to size and fixed in 1 part of Formaldehyde to 1 part of Glacial Acetic to 18
parts of 70% ethanol for 48 hours minimum, to gradually kill and preserve the
cells. The leaf at point where branched veins met with mid rib, the root, and
the internodal and nodal regions were sectioned. Free hand sections were done
following the method of Wahua (2020).
Thereafter, the sections were made to pass through alcohol solutions of
50 %, 70 % and absolute alcohol for a period of about 10 minutes in each, for
clearing purposes, returned back to 50 % in each for about 5 minutes. These
sections were subjected to staining using 1 % safranin ‘O for 2 minutes, and counter
staining with 1 % Alcian blue in same time interval after rinsing.
Proximate
Properties
The AOAC (1990) method was employed for the
analysis of the proximate composition done as shown below:
Carbohydrate
(cleg anthrone method)
The formula used for carbohydrate analysis is
as showcased below: Equation 1.
Proteins
(kjeldahl method)
The protein analysis was done using the
formula shown below: Equation 2.
Where 1.4 = Nitrogen equivalent to HCL
normalty used in the titration is 0.1 N
100 =Digest dilution total volume.
100 = % factor 0.1 g of sample
1000 = conversion factor from gram to
milligram
20 = integral volume of digits analyzed
0.1 g = weight of sample digested in gram
Lipid
(soxhlet extraction technique)
% lipid composition calculated using the
formula: Equation 3.
The transverse sections conducted revealed a
row of epidermal cells. The hypodermal layer is composed of 2 to 3 rows of
collenchymatous cells, while 7 to 10 rows of parenchymatous cell observed in
the general cortex, and the pith predominated with parenchyma. See Plate 3 a,
b, c, d, e and table 2.
The nodal anatomy is trilacunar with 3 leaf
gaps and 3 leaf traces, there might be very scanty or no work done on nodal
anatomy of Luffa cylindrica. Vascular
bundles are bicollateral and open.
Proximate
Analysis
Some of the proximate compositions given here
varied to some extent those given by Ogunyemi (2020), especially the 5.84%
moisture content varies considerably with 72.29 % moisture; but the 8.75 % proteins,
1.70 % lipid and the 1.46 % ash contents were not very high as also supported
by Ogunyemi (2020). See table 2.
Table
2: Proximate composition in Luffa
cylindrica
|
Proximate
Contents
|
Luffa cylindrica quantitative composition
|
|
Moisture
|
72.29%
|
|
Carbohydrate
|
10.89%
|
|
Ash
|
1.46%
|
|
Proteins
|
8.75%
|
|
Lipid
|
1.70%
|
|
Crude fiber
|
4.91%
|
CONCLUSION
Luffa
cylindrica
serves as medicine and vegetable for both man and animals. It is underutilized
due to unforeseen reasons in Nigeria. Be that as it may, it is gaining
increasing awareness. Presence of trichomes and glandular ones, alongside
stomata, which are anomocytic and amphistomatic. The moisture content is the highest, followed
by the carbohydrate and proteins when compared with all other proximate
contents done by others.
REFERENCES
Abdulrahman, A.A., Oyedotun,
A. E. & Oladele, A. F. (2011). Diagnostic significance of leaf epidermal
features in the family Cucurbitaceae.
Insight Botany, 1: 22-27
Akobundu, I. O. &
Agyakwa, C. W. (1998). A Handbook of West
African Weeds. INTEC Printers, Ibadan. Pp. 28.
Anastopoulos I. &
Pashalidis I. (2020). Environmental applications of Luffa cylindrica-based adsorbents. Journal
of Molecular Liquids, 319, art. no. 114127.
Association
of Official Analytical Chemists, (1990).
AOAC Official Methods of Analysis. 15th Edition, Association of
Official Analytical Chemists, Washington DC, USA.
Bal, K.J., Hari, B.K.C.,
Radha, K.T., Madhusudan, G., Bhuwon, R.S. & Madhusudan, P.U. (2004). Descriptors for Sponge Gourd Luffa cylindrica
(L.) Roem.] NARC, LIBIRD & IPGRI.
Barry, A. (1884).
Comparative Anatomy of the Vegetative organs of the Phanerogams and Ferns.
Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Cutler, DF (1978). Applied Plant Anatomy. Longman Inc., New
York, pp 5- 6.
Desai, M.J. (1992).
Organographic stomatal studies in some Indian species of Cucurbitaceae. Feddes Repertorium 102(1-2): 107-110
Dhiman, K; Gupta, A.;
Sharma, D.K.; Gill, N.S.; Goyal, A. (2012).
A review on the medicinally important plants of the family
Cucurbitaceae. Asia J Clin Nutr.
4(1):16-26.
Gill, L.S.D. & Karateka,
Y.Y. (1982). Epidermal structure and stomatal ontogeny in some Nigerian
Cucurbitaceae. Wiulldonowia,
12:303-310.
Hutchinson, E. &
Dalziel, J.M. (1954). Flora of West
Tropical Africa. Vol. 1. Part 1.
Crown Agent for Overseas Governments and Administrations, London. Pp. 252 –
260.
Inamdar, J.A. & Gangadhara,
M. (2008). Structure, ontogeny classification and organographic distribution of
trichomes in some Cucurbitaceae. Feddes
Report, 86: 307-320.
Joly, A. B. (1993). Botânica: introdução à taxonomia vegetal.
São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional.
Lorenzi H. (2008). Plantas daninhas do Brasil: terrestres,
aquáticas, parasitas e tóxicas. Nova Odessa: Instituto Plantarum.
Lorenzi, H., Lacerda,
M. T. C., Bacher, L. B., (2015). Frutas
no Brasil: nativas e exóticas (de consumo in natura). São Paulo: Instituto
Plantarum de Estudos da Flora.
Mazali, I.O. &
Alves, O.L. (2005) Morph synthesis: high fidelity inorganic replica of the
fibrous network of loofa sponge (Luffa
cylindrica). An Acad. Bras. Ciên. 77(1):
25-31.
Metcalfe, C.R. & Chalk,
L. (1979). Anatomy of Dicotyledonous.
2nd Edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 456-473.
Oboh, I.O. & Aluyor, E.O. (2009). Luffa cylindrica-an Emerging
cash crop. African Journal of Agriculture
Research. 4(8):684-688.
Ogunyemi, C. T.,
Abbey, M.D., Ekuma, M.C., Egwu, E.J. & Abbey, M.D. (2020). Proximate and
Mineral Composition of Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Seed Grown in
South-Western Nigeria. Journal of Science
Research and Reports. 26(4): 61-67.
Paris, H.S., Tadmor,
Y. & Schaffer, A.A. (2017). Cucurbitaceae Melons, Squash, Cucumber. Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences.
3:209-17.
Patel,
S.B. & Ghane, S.G. (2021). Phyto-constituents profiling of Luffa echinata and in vitro assessment
of antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anticancer and anti-acetylcholine esterase
activities. Saudi J Biol Sci
28:3835–3846.
Rao, A.S.S. & Rao,
S.R.S. (2015). Structure, distribution and taxonomic significance of trichomes
in some Cucurbitaceae. J. Ind. Bot. Soc.,
94(3&4): 226-235.
Souza, V.C., Flores,
T.B., Lorenzi, H. (2013). Introdução à botânica: morfologia. São Paulo: ILista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil.
The Plant List. Version 1.1. Published on the Internet. 2013.
Wahua,
C. (2020). Free-hand Sectioning Machine Invented for Anatomical Studies of
Biological Materials. Scientia Africana, Vol. 19 (1): 159 - 162.
