Food Adulteration and Its Detection / With photomicrographic plates and a bibliographical appendix

by Jesse P. Battershall

“The structure of the plant parts which constitute the spices and their adulterants as well, is characterised by the presence or absence of different forms of cells and of starch, and their relative arrangement. At least, this is as far as it is necessary to go from the analyst’s point of view. By studies of sections of pure whole spices one must become familiar with the forms usually met with in the spices and those which are prominent in adulterants and be able to recognise the presence of starch and by the character of the granules to determine their source.

“The common forms of cells which are met with in the spices, and with which one should be familiar, are known as parenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells, those of fibro-vascular bundles, spiral and dotted cells, and those of peculiar form in the cortex and epidermis.

“Parenchyma consists of thin-walled cells, such as are well illustrated in the interior of a corn-stalk and are found in the centre of the pepper kernel. They are often filled with starch, as in the cereals and pepper, but at times are without it, as in the mustard seed.

“Sclerenchyma, or stone cells, are of a ligneous character, their walls being greatly thickened. They are commoner in the adulterants than in the spices, and are well illustrated in the shell of the cocoa-nut, in clove stems, and a few are seen in pepper hulls.

“Spiral and Dotted Cells are found in woody tissue, and their characteristics are denoted by their names. They are more commonly found in adulterants, and their presence in large amounts is conclusive, in many instances, of impurity. They may be seen in sections of cedar-wood and in cocoa-nut shells, and to a small extent in pepper husks.

“The Fibro-vascular Bundles, as their name implies, are aggregations which appear to the eye, in some instances, as threads running through the tissue of the plant. They are easily seen in the cross-section of the corn-stalk, and are common in ground ginger, having resisted comminution from their fibrous nature. They are made up of cells of various forms.

“The Cells of the Cortex and Epidermis are in many cases extremely characteristic in form, and of great value for distinguishing the origin of the substances under examination. They are too numerous in shape to be particularly described, and are well illustrated in the husk of mustard, and the pod of Capsicum or cayenne.

“Other forms of tissue are also met with, but not so prominently as to render it advisable to burden the memory with them at first, or to seek them before they are met.

“These forms of cells and their combinations which have been described, present in addition some peculiarities, aside from their structure, which assist in distinguishing them.