Macroscopic and Microscopic Identification of Rhodiola crenulata Traits and Constituents

To begin, observe the appearance traits of Rhodiola Crenulata with the unaided eye and record the observations. Inhale near the plant to identify the fragrance smell. Next, place a small piece of the root in the mouth, then sip and chew for taste identification.

Using a brush, remove the soil on the surface of the plant. Place the plant in an oven at 40 degrees Celsius and turn it every 24 hours. Then powder the dried medicinal materials using a powder machine and filter it through a medicated number three sieve.

Spread the powder evenly on a clean slide using a dissecting needle covering 1/3 of the slide within a two millimeter area. Using a glass dropper, add a drop of deionized water to the powder and quickly place a cover glass using a tweezer. Next, place the slide onto the microscope platform.

Adjust the light source and the coarse focus spiral to view the powder. Switch to a 40X objective lens and observe the starch granules. Again, spread the powder evenly on a slide using a dissecting needle, then add a drop of chloral hydrate to the powder.

Hold the slide with a tweezer and heat on the alcohol lamp thrice for one second each. Add a drop of glycerin to the powder and quickly place a cover glass onto the drop. After adjusting the microscope settings as demonstrated previously, select a 40X objective lens to visualize the catheter, cork cells and fibers, along with the wood parenchyma cells and pigment block respectively.

Microscopic examination of our Crenulata revealed key features with cork cells appearing brownish yellow, or colorless with polygonal shapes. Starch grains were observed as single or multiples with distinctive umbilical points and closely arranged spiral vessels. Additionally, xylem parenchyma cells were visualized as achromatic and oval, containing calcium oxalate sand crystals, and irregularly shaped brown red pigment blocks were identified.