Seed lipids of Persea americana and Chrysophyllum albidum were studied. Lipids were extracted with chloroform-methanol, analysed with silicic column chromatography and thin layer chromatography. The total lipid content of Persea americana was 10.8% while that of Chrysophyllum albidum was 7.7%. Fractionation of the total lipid fraction of Persea americana using silicic acid column chromatography showed the occurrence of neutral lipids 6.5%, glycolipids 2.1% and phospholipids 2.2% while those of Chrysophyllum albidum were 4.2%, 1.7% and 1.8% for neutral lipids, gycolipids and phospholipids, respectively. Thin layer chromatography separation showed three classes of lipids in Persea americana and Chrysophyllum albidum which were oleic acid, palmitic acid and cholesterol. The colour of these lipids was yellow and solid at room temperature. These studies suggest that oil extracted from seeds of Persea americana and Chrysophyllum albidum could be used for the manufacture of industrial products.

This study investigated the chemotaxonomic studies on Schwenckia americanaLinn., a member of the family Solanaceae predominantly found mostly in low grass fields, Nigeria. The habit is annual herbaceous weed with slender stem characterized with free branching and growing up to 45cm in height.They are used mainly as medicine. The leaves are simple, entire, elliptic to ovate in shape, smooth, variable, petiolate and larger at the lower region of stem and narrowing to smaller almost sessile and oblanceolate towards the apical regions which are alternately arranged and acrescently structured from the top to the base upto 3.7 ± 1.5cm long and 2.4±0.6cm wide. The inflorescence is a panicle of 15 or more flowers occurring at stem terminal.The flowers are whitish tubular structures measuring up to 1.0±0.2cm in length and 0.1cm in diameter. The petals are whitish up to 0.9 ±0.2cm in length and sepals are greenish up to 0.1cm in length. The berry fruit is greenish when unripe and pale yellowish when ripe up to 0.3±0.1cm in diameter. The seeds are blackish and spherical or triangular shaped with rough edges measuring up to 0.1cm in diameter. The epidermal studies reveal anomocytic stomata whereas the trichomes are simple uniseriate forms wth bulge heads. The anatomy of mid-ribs and petioles showed bicollateral vascular systems. There are three vascular traces and the node is unilacunar. The petioles have 2 rib traces at primary growth phase. At secondary growth phase, the mid-rib and petiole revealed vascular arcs and the stem has a ring of open vascular system. The cytological studies showed a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 24 and n = 12 for the haploids. Alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phlobatannins, flavonoids, combined anthraquinones, free anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides are present.© JASEM http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v20i1.20

Comparative morphological, anatomical and phytochemical Euphorbiaceae (M. oppositifolius and M. alternifolius) found in Niger Delta were studied.. The morphological study was done using direct observation, characteristics studied were the leaf length, width, length of petiole and inte and are mesophytes. The leaves are simple, branching is erect and crown type. Phyllotaxy is opposite in M. oppositifolius and alternate in M. alternifolius. In M. oppositifolius, the leaf is 2 ± 2 long and 8.1 ± 2.2cm wide; petiole is 7.9 ± 2.4cm long, internode 3.7 ± 1.1cm long whereas in M. alternifolius, the leaf is 6. 1 ± 0.7cm long and 7.8 ± 1.8cm wide; petiole is 2.0 ±0.6 long, internode 7.8 ± 1.8cm long. They are perennial shrubs and both anatomy was done using free hand sectioning, the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf showed anomocytic type of stomatal arrangement, revealed the presence of both living cells (collenchymatous and parenchymatous carried out using Trease and Evans method. The result of the phytochemical studies revealed the presence of bioactive constituents tannin, flavonoids, phlobatannins, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides in the two species while alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides and saponins were found to be absent in both species. M. alternifolius contains higher crude percentage of the bioactive compounds than M. oppositifolius.

This study investigated the anatomical features, nutraceutical potentials and heavy metal compositions in two varieties of Lasianthera africana (P. Beauv) which is a member of the family Icacinaceae predominantly found mostly in southern Nigeria. The anatomical studies were carried out with free hand sectioning using a systematic arrangement of 5 razor blades. The slides were viewed using the light microscope and microphotographs were taken after careful examination from good preparations. The heavy metals, nutrients and antinutrients were analysed by standard methods. The anatomy of mid-ribs showed bicollateral vascular systems. There are three vascular traces and node is unilacunar. The vascular bundles and pith in mid-rib of dark variety is more extended than in white variety. The petiole anatomy of the two varieties has partially separated rib bundle wings. The stems have rings of open vascular systems and the pith of stem anatomy of dark variety is larger than that of white variety. The dark variety has more protein (28.00 + 0.04%) than white variety (24.94 + 0.02%), more oxalate (130.24 + 0.10 mg/100 g) as against (92.56 + 0.09 mg/100 g) in the white variety; and lead was also higher (0.692 mg/100 g) in the dark variety than in the white variety (0.038 mg/100 g). This study has shown that Lasianthera africana possesses anatomical features which are of taxonomic importance in the taxonomic delimitation of the varieties; has high nutritional contents and low levels of antinutrients except oxalate which is high and may be reduced to non-toxic level by processing, thus rendering it safe for human consumption.

The lipid contents of ungerminated and germinated seeds of Capsicunl srmuurn and Atremomum melequeta were studied to determine the level of total lipids, neutral lipids and phospholipids. The percentage germination of Capsicum annuum and Aframomum melequeta were 95+2.0% and 90+1.5% respectively. The total lipids of ungerminated and genninated seeds of C. annuum were 37.50% and 26.44% respectively. The neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipids of ungerminated seeds of C .annuum were 30.75 % , 2.3% and 4.45% respectively while that of qerrnlnated seeds of C annuum was neutral lipid 21.65%, glycolipid 1.27% and phospholipids 3.49%. The neutral lipid, glycolipid and phospholipids of ungerminated seeds of A. melequeta were 67.72%, 3.75% and 13.68% respectively while that of germinated seeds were neutral lipid 50.0%, glycolipid 2.38% and phospholipids 10.12%. Neutral lipids were the major components while glycolipids and phospholipids formed the minor components. The colour of C. annuum lipid extracted was brownish and solid at room temperature while that of A. melequeta was also brownish but oily at room temperature. Both lipids were aromatic. Thin layer chromatographic analysis revealed three lipid classes which were oleic acid, palmitic acid and cholesterol. The seed lipids of C. annuum and A. melequeta can be used as edible oil and for industrial purposes.