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       Capparis Micracantha Root is the dried root of Capparis micracantha DC. (Family Capparaceae), Herbarium Specimen Number: DMSC 5220, Crude Drug Number: DMSc 1089.
Constituents Capparis Micracantha Root contains alkaloids such as capparine B and terpenoids (e.g., capparisditerpenol), etc.
Description of the plant (Figs. 1a, 1b)  Shrub or small tree, sometimes scandent; twig nearly terete, base with subulate scales, glabrous or sparsely pubescent when young; thorn directed upwards, 2 to 4 mm long. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 10 to 30 cm long, 4 to 10 cm wide, apex obtuse, rounded, acute to shortly acuminate, rarely emarginate, base cuneate, rounded, or slightly cordate, membranous when young, coriaceous when mature, glabrous, shiny, often yellowish green when dry, midrib grooved on the upper surface, slightly raised below, secondary veins 5 to 10 on each side of midrib, reticulate veins obvious on both surfaces; petiole 1 to 2.2 cm long. Flowers arranged in supra-axillary rows, up to 7 flowers in each axil; pedicel 0.6 to 2 cm long, pubescent; sepals 4, bi-seriate, outer pairs boat-shaped, inner pairs more or less flattened, ovate to oblong, 0.6 to 1.2 cm long, 3 to 4 mm wide, apex acute to obtuse, pubescent on both surfaces; petals 4, white with yellow base, turning dark red, obovate, 1 to 2 cm long, 3 to 7 mm wide, apex obtuse or rounded, glabrous, distinctly veined; stamens numerous; filament 1.5 to 2.5 cm long; anther 1 to 1.5 mm long; gynophore 2 to 3.5 cm long, glabrous; ovary superior, ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5 to 3 mm long, 1-loculed, pubescent when young, ovules numerous, stigma sessile, knob-shaped. Fruit subglobose, ovoid to ellipsoid, 1.5 to 7 cm long, 1.5 to 4 cm wide; pericarp woody, orange-red, brown when dry; stipe 3.5 to 4 cm long, 3 to 6 mm thick. Seeds numerous, reniform, about 7 mm long, 5 to 6 mm wide, dark red.

Description Odour, characteristic; taste, slightly bitter.
       Macroscopical (Fig. 1a)  Obliquely, longitudinally or transversely sliced roots, varied in shape and size; bark 1 to 4 mm thick, light brown to greyish brown, rough; wood pale brown.
       Microscopical (Figs. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d)  Transverse section of the root shows periderm, cortex, secondary vascular tissue, and primary vascular tissue. Periderm: lenticels, several layers of rectangular cork cells, cork cambium, and phelloderm. Cortex: polygonal parenchyma (some containing starch grains), groups of sclereids, and fibres. Secondary vascular tissue: secondary phloem, secondary xylem and vascular cambium; secondary phloem, phloem parenchyma (some containing starch grains), phloem fibres and phloem ray; secondary xylem, vessels, axial parenchyma, xylem fibres (some containing obtuse-triangular shaped starch grains), and xylem ray (some containing round shaped starch grains); vascular cambium, several layers of rectangular vascular cambium. Primary vascular tissue: small vessels and small fibres in the centre.
       Radial and tangential longitudinal sections of the woody part of the root show secondary vascular tissue; bordered-pitted vessels, axial parenchyma, ray cells, and fibres.

       Capparis Micracantha Root in powder possesses the diagnostic microscopical characters of the unground drug. Xylem fibres, with both simple and compound obtuse-triangular shaped starch grains, and xylem ray, with round shaped starch grains, are characteristic features.
Packaging and storage Capparis Micracantha Root shall be kept in well-closed containers, protected from light, and stored in a dry place.
Identification
       A. Macerate 1 g of the sample, in powder, with 10 mL of methanol for 30 minutes and filter. To 2 mL of the filtrate, add a few drops of ninhydrin TS, shake well and warm in a water-bath for a while: a purple colour develops.
       B. Carry out the test as described in the “Thin-Layer Chromatography” (Appendix 3.1), using a high performance plate with silica gel GF254 as the coating substance and a mixture of 60 volumes of chloroform, 30 volumes of methanol and 10 volumes of formic acid as the mobile phase and allowing the solvent front to ascend 8 cm above the line of application. Apply to the plate as a band of 8 mm, 15 μL of the test solution, prepared by macerating 1 g of the sample, in fine powder, with 10 mL of methanol for 30 minutes and filtering. After removal of the plate, allow it to dry in air. Spray the plate with ninhydrin TS, heat at 105° for 5 minutes and immediately examine the plate. Several purple bands appear (Fig. 3).
       Repeat the same procedure on another plate but spray with anisaldehyde TS. One black, one yellowish orange, three violet, and other bands of different colours are observed (Fig. 3).

Loss on drying Not more than 9.0 per cent w/w after drying at 105° to constant weight (Appendix 4.15).
Foreign matter Not more than 2.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.2).
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.6).
Total ash Not more than 5.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.7).
Ethanol-soluble extractive Not less than 1.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.12).
Water-soluble extractive Not less than 4.0 per cent w/w (Appendix 7.12).