ABSTRACT

Anatomical studies of Acalypha wilkesiana were carried out using standard epidermal procedure. Upper surface  (Adexial) and lower surface (Abaxial), showed  the following features which includes; Anisocytic  stomata, undulate anticlinal wall  pattern and the epidermal call shapes is irregular to polygonal. The trichome is absent on both adaxial and abaxial. The stomata distribution is hypostomatic stomata. These features could be used to delimit Acalypha wilkesiana from others in the family.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Abstract       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v

Table of Contents –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         vi-viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study –         –         –         –         –         –         1-6

1.2 Objective of the Study –         –         –         –         –         –         6

1.2.1  Aim   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         6

1.2.2  Objectives of the Study   –         –         –         –         –         –         6

1.3 Scope and limitation –         –         –         –         –         –         6

CHAPTER TWO:  LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Taxonomical classification             –         –         –         –         –         7-8

2.2 Botanical Description of A. wilkesiana muell. Arg.     –         –         8-10

2.3 Traditional uses of A. wilkesiana             –         –         –         –         10-14

2.4 Photochemistry of the plant –         –         –         –         –         –         14-15

2.5 Pharmacological activities of the plant              –         –         –         16

2.5.1 Antimicrobial and antifungal activity    –         –         –         –         16-17

2.5.2 Antiobesity effect    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17-18

2.5.3 Antidiabetic activity         –         –         –         –         –         –         18

2.5.4 Antihypertensive activity –         –         –         –         –         –         19

2.5.5 Anticholesterol and antiarrythmic activity       –         –         –         19-20

2.5.6 Antioxidant activity          –         –         –         –         –         –         21-22

2.5.7 Antimalarial activities       –         –         –         –         –         –         22

2.5.8 Hypnotic and anticonvulsant effect       –         –         –         –         22

2.5.9 Hepato proactive activity –         –         –         –         –         –         23

2.5.10 Antiemetic activity          –         –         –         –         –         –         23

2.5.11 Anticancerous activity    –         –         –         –         –         –         23-24

2.5.12 Antiparasitic and analgesic activity               –         –         –         24

2.5.13 Diuretic and anti HIV activity             –         –         –         –         24

CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1 Materials          –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25

3.1.2  Collection of Plant Sample        –         –         –         –         –         25-26

3.2 Methods           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

3.2.1 Anatomical Studies –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26-27

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION    

4.1 Results   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28

4.2 Discussion       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         29-30

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusions     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         31

5.2 Recommendation       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         31

5.3 Suggestion for further studies        –         –         –         –         –         31

References

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family of the flowering plants with 500 genera and around 7, 500 species. Most are herbs, but some especially in the tropics are also shrubs and trees some are succulent and resemble cacti (Davis et al., 2007). Acalypha linn. Is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole genus of the subtribe Acalyphinae  with  about 450 to 500 species of herbs and shrubs. Acalypha hispida Burm F.(chenille plant ) is a flowering shrub, it is cultivated as house plant because of its colourful and texturally exciting flowers, it is by far the best known species, others are grown for forliage and a number of cultivars Philippine medusa, red-hot cat tail “foxtail” (Grubben and Denton, 2004). The chenille plant is a vigorous upright, coarse, textured shrub in habit that usually attains a height of 5 to 6ft and spreads 6 to 8ft, it is moderate in density and, has a fast growth rate. The leaves are ovate  in shape, medium green leaves which alternates in arrangements, it has a serrated margin, it is pinnate in venation and dark green in colour. Fruits are inconspicuous (Sagun et al., 2010).

Acalypha wilkesiana Muell Arg. Its common names include copper leaf, Joseph’s coat, fire  dragon, beat steak plant And match- me –if  you can (Christman, 2004). It is a native to Fiji and nearby Islands in the southern pacific and it is a popular outdoor plants that provides colour throughout the year, although it is also grown indoor as a container plant (Gilman, 1999; and Christman, 2004). Acalypha wilkesiana are succulent with sappy saiks which tends to loose sappiness with age, it is round upright in habit, dense and coarse in texture, has a fast growth rate.

Leaf arrangement is alternate it has a simple leaf type and pinnate  in venation. Leaf and persistent is evergreen (Sagun et al., 2010). Acalypha  godseffiana var: are mainly shrub, its common name is Acalypha green frills. It has a narrow dropping green leaves with creamy white margins (Gilman, 1999 and Christman, 2004).

The plant is known for its grossy white  margined green leaves. They product narrow pendant leaves that have white/pale yellow margin. This upright rounded shrub produce twisted leaves forming a compact rounded habit and produce green for age. Leaves are simple in shape and are arranged alternately opposite, it may have stipules, i.e possess a  serrated margin to crenate teeth 1.2 by 2.3mm, with a gland on tooth tip (Sagun et al., 2010).

The species of Acalypha are prominent in the traditional medicinal practice of most tribes in Africa and  Asia (Duraipandiyan et al., 2006 and Sofowora, 1982). Acalypha wilkesiana is used in west Africa for the treatment of headache and cold in Nigeria, the cold extracts of the leaves is used to bath babies with skin infection (Adesina et al., 2000). The leaf poultice is deem  good for headache, swellings and cold in Trinidad. Its  leaf  extract is active against Gram the bacteria the extracts of seed have immunomodulating properties  that work against some tumors (Bussing et al., 1999). Cooked leaves of some other species of Acalypha are used to relive post-partum pains and a root decoction as a laxative. It has also been reported to be used for cutaneous and subcutaneous parasitic infections (Sabrina et al., 2005). The leaves are also compounded with  the leaves of other plants into a drugs for children with rabies in southern Nigeria.  Acalypha wilkesiana and Acalypha godseffiana has an antimicrobial properties of (Ogundaini, 2005). According to Ogundaini (2005), the expressed juice or boiled decoction is used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and fungal skin infections such as pityriasis versicolar, impetigo contagiosa, candida  intetrigo, Tinea versiccolar. Tinea corporis and Tinea pedis. In southern Nigeria, the leaves of these plants are eaten as vegetables in the management of hypertension, consequent upon which we had earlier monitored the effect of the plants leaves of normal rabbits (Ikewuchi et al., 2008). Acalyha hipida has medicinal value in south Eastern Asia (Soladoyei et al., 2008).

Forliar  epidermal feature of some Euphorbiaceous taxa have also been investigated (Aworinde et al., 2008; Laura et al., 2008 and Thakur and Patil, 2008). Aworinde et al., (2009) used taxonomic significance to distinguished Acalypha members in Nigeria which had leaf epidermal characters such as pattern of epidermal cells, types of stomata and presence of trichomes are constant in some species and variable in other and thus are of great significance in understanding the relationship between and within the species.

The methods of numerical taxonomy have been used by many authors in classifying plants as well as interpreting results of taxonomic studies (Fabio, 2007 and Borazan; Babac, 2003). Method are considered to be unblased indicators of the similarity of difference between the taxa, which are in used to arranged taxa in hierarchical order (Agbagwa and Okoli, 2005; Quike, 1993).

Kadiri et al. (2009) carried out a comparative foliar epidermal characteristic of 15 species of Acalypha L- in West Africa are analysed using both light and scanning election microscopy presence of hypostomatic leaves supports the series accepted by bethem and Hooker. Among other taxonomically useful features of the genus are polygonal and irregular epidermal cell shaped, curved and undulated anticlinal walls, presence of regular to irregular straight  and deposition of waxy flakes on the leaf surfaces.

1.2 Aim and Objective of the study        

1.2.1  Aim

(i) The aim of this study is to determine epidermal feature of A. wilkesiana

1.2.2 Objectives of the study

(i) To assess the anatomical characteristics of Acalypha wilkesiana leaf.

1.3 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research work is intended to provide anatomical data in the species of Acalypha Wilkesiana leaf.