침향(沈香)의 목부조직(木部組織)

Anatomical Features of Agarwoods' Xylem

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate characteristics of cell morphology of two different agar woods (Aquilaria agallocha Roxburgh (AAR) and imitative agar wood (IAW)) using microscopic techniques. Methods : Both light and scanning electron microscopes were used to observe morphological and histological features of the cell of agar woods collected from commercial products in the market. Results : The cell morphology and tissue arrangements of AAR depending on either the adsorption of resin into vessels or no adsorption of resin were observed to compare these features with those of both IAW and Aquilaria sinensis Gilb (ASG). Conclusions : As a result, the vessels of AAR with the resin adsorption was packed with lots of yellow-brownish materials, which were quite different from those of IAW and ASG. The cell walls were thick, and had well-developed traumatic parenchyma tissues with squared cells of the same height and width, which appeared as a clump of small grains packed.