PHARMACOGNOSY MANUAL

SEMESTER 4

PRACTICAL No. 8
Study the rhizome of ginger by making it T.S. Dehydrate and stain it
with saffranin and light green. Draw its structure and label it.
Botanical origin: Zingiber officinale
Common name: Ginger
Vernacular name: Adrak
Family: Zingiberaceae
Geographical source: Plant is native of south eastern Asia, is cultivated in many tropical
countries notably in West Indies, India, Nigeria and West Africa.
Part used: rhizome
T-S of rhizome of ginger
The transverse section shows the following structure.
1: Cortex: It consists of thin-walled cellulose parenchyma cells with intracellular spaces
containing starch grains within the cortex; numerous oil cells are present which contain yellow
brown oleoresin.
2: Endodermis: there is a well-marked endodermis separating the cortex from central vascular
bundles, endodermis is free from starch
3: Vascular bundles: The vascular bundles are present throughout the cortex being smaller &
more numerous near the endodermis. Each vascular bundle contains phloem showing well
marked sieve tubes & xylem composed of 1-14 vessels with annular, reticulate or spiral.
4: Oil cells: There are minute yellow cells irregularly distributed in the ground tissue containing
volatile oils.

PHARMACOGNOSY MANUAL
SEMESTER 4