Bark is the outermost tissue of woody stems, branches, and roots, comprising all tissues external to the vascular cambium, including the secondary phloem, the cork cambium, and the protective cork or periderm. It performs essential protective and physiological roles, shielding the plant against water loss, mechanica…
Bark is the outermost tissue of woody stems, branches, and roots, comprising all tissues external to the vascular cambium, including the secondary phloem, the cork cambium, and the protective cork or periderm. It performs essential protective and physiological roles, shielding the plant against water loss, mechanical injury, pathogens, and temperature extremes, while the inner bark conducts photosynthate. Bark is also a rich source of secondary metabolites, including saponins, tannins, alkaloids, and other phytochemicals, which underlies its long-standing use in traditional medicine and its interest as a reservoir of bioactive natural products for pharmacological investigation and standardisation. Research in this area examines the morpho-anatomical and physicochemical standardisation of stem bark, acute and subacute toxicity of stem-bark aqueous extracts in rodents, dose–response characterisation of saponins isolated from stem bark, and the effects of stem-bark extracts on lipid profile and hepatic histology. Further work addresses analgesic and antipyretic activity of root bark, antimicrobial activity of leaf, stem-bark, and root extracts, and the broader phytochemistry of medicinal plant materials. Studies draw on pharmacognostic standardisation, extract preparation, and in vivo and in vitro bioassays of plant-derived compounds. The journal publishes peer-reviewed research on plant tissues and their bioactive constituents.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 108 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Bark, linking to each citing work.