Histochemical Localization of Citral Accumulating Cite in Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Ness Ex. Steud) Wats Cultivar OD-19

The aerial parts (leaves) of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Nees ex Steud) wats (cultivar OD-19) on steam-distillation yield an essential oil rich in acyclic monoterpenes, citral (83%). To specifically locate the sites of citral accumulation in lemongrass we employed Schiff’s reagent, which upon reaction with aldehydes (citral) gives a purple-red colouration. Using this technique, single oil-accumulating cells were detected in the adaxial side of leaf mesophyll commonly adjacent to non-photosynthetic tissue and between vascular bundles. In addition to cultivar OD-19, a citral lacking cultivar GRL-1 (geraniol rich) leaf sections, also stained with schiff’s reagent and compared with that of lemongrass cultivar OD-19 leaf sections. In lemongrass mutant GRL-1, these specialized cells, however, could not be stained due to lack of citral. Hence, it is confirm that the observed schiff’s staining is associated with accumulated citral.