Botanical Properties

The leaves resemble in size and shape those of tea they are oval-oblong, pointed, 2 in. or more in length by somewhat over an inch in their greatest breadth, and furnished with short delicate 

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BOTANICAL PROPERTIES OF CANNABIS INDICA OR INDIAN CANNABIS (INDIAN HEMP)... 

Characteristics a qualitative statement about the organoleptic character(s) including macro- and microscopic botanic properties of the herbal substance are described. 

The properties of a botanical gum are determined by its source, the climate, season of harvest, and extraction and purification procedures. Table 6 illustrates one of the important basic properties of all gums, ie, the relationship between concentration and solution viscosity. The considerable viscosity variation observed among gums from different sources determines, in part, their uses. 

Timber is derived from a great number of botanical species, and has a wide range of properties. Variability also occurs within a single species and in order to achieve acceptable levels of uniformity, selection by grading is necessary. The timber trade differentiates between softwoods and hardwoods, and the latter are again separated into temperate and tropical types. Hardwoods are derived from broad-leaved and mainly deciduous trees, which are anatomically more complex and differ in chemical composition... 

Apart from butter or butter oil most fats that are used in biscuits are defined in terms of their physical and chemical properties. Fat suppliers are skilled at producing products with controlled physical and chemical properties from a range of raw materials. The baker can either buy fat on a physical and chemical specification, e.g. solid fat index, slip melting point, and not to contain lauric fat, or on an origin basis, e.g. to be coconut oil. The advantage of the botanical specification is that the item is a commodity and can be obtained from numerous sources. The disadvantage of this approach is that the product is tailored for a particular use. 

Source Adapted from (i) Cell Wall Mechanics of Trecheids , M.R.E. London, Yale University, 1967, p. 169-170 (ii) A Microscopic Study of Coniferous Wood in Relation to its Strength Properties , H. Garland. Ann. Missouri Botan. Gard., 1939, 26, 1-95 (iii) Morphological Foundations of Fibre Properties , L.J. Rebenfeld, J. Polymer Sci., 1965, C9, p. 91-112). 

Some constituents may have allergenic or toxic properties that render their presence in the botanical extract undesirable. A stringent tolerance limit for these negative markers may be specified in compendium articles. These markers are considered noxious contaminants and thus outside the scope of discussion in this chapter. 

Plate 1. Ethnobotany and Background. Convolvulaceae, the botanical name for the morning glory family, derives from the Latin convolve, referring to its growth of intertwining vines (A Heavenly blue, Ipomoea tricolor). The purgative properties of the Mexican roots were readily accepted in Europe when introduced in the sixteenth century, since pre-Christian folk tradition had already proclaimed the virtues of skammonia as found in Dioscorides work De Materia Medica, ca. 50-68 a.d. 

Table 10.2 Physico-chemical properties of starches from different botanical sources... 

Singh, N., Singh, J., Kaur, L., Sodhi, N. S., Gill, B. S. (2003). Morphological, thermal and rheological properties of starehes from different botanical sources A Review. Food Chem., 87,219-231. 

In addition to sensory and physical properties, the content of certain typical components is determined. Problems concerning the natural, botanical, and geographical origins of these products are also solved by using modern chromatographic methods such as enantiomer separations [843-843c], and spectroscopic analytical techniques such as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) [844-844b],... 

The field of natural raw materials is dominated by plant derivatives. Important representatives of naturals are the botanical extracts. Extracts can be obtained by water or alcohol-water extraction. Onion extract, for example, is produced by squeezing the washed and ground onion bulbs in large filter presses. The resulting onion juice can then be concentrated to give a stable raw onion extract with superior flavour properties. A valuable by-product is the onion oil which... 

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