Pharmacognosy

Outline
I. INTRODUCTION / HISTORY
II. CARBOHYDRATES ✓Definition
III. GLYCOSIDES ✓Biosynthesis
IV. TANNINS ✓Classification
V. LIPIDS ✓Drugs containing
VI. VOLATILE OILS ✓Extraction / Purification
VII. RESINS ✓Test
VIII.ALKALOIDS ✓Sources and Uses
IX. VITAMINS
 Introduction Outline
I. Historical background

II. Principles related to the commercial

production

III. Phytochemistry

IV. Pharmacopoeial and related drugs of

biological origin
 Historical Background
• Pharmacognosy =knowledge of drugs or pharmaceuticals

• derived from the Greek word

“pharmakon” = drug
“gignosco” = knowledge

 It was first coined/used by Johann Adam Schmidt,

manuscript “Lehrbuch der Materia Medica” published in Vienna
1811

 Introduced by Che.Aenotheus Seydler, in Haale - Saale,

 Historical Background
• Flükiger
• stated a comprehensive scope of
Pharmacognosy as “a simultaneous application of
various scientific disciplines with the object of
acquiring knowledge of drugs from every point of
view”

• defined as an applied science that deals with the

biologic, biochemical and economic features of natural
drugs that originate from plants and animal kingdoms.
 Historical Background
• Hippocrates (460 - 360. B.C)
• He was Greek scientist; he worked on human anatomy & Physiology
Particularly on circulatory system & nervous system. He prepared famous
oath for physicians, which is still taken by the physicians. He is known
as father of medicine.
• Dioscorides (1st century A.D)
• A Greek physician who wrote his “De Materia Medica” in
78 A.D which he described about 600 plants that was known to have
medicinal properties

• Galen (131-200 A.D)

• A Greek pharmacist-physician who lived in Rome who described the
method of preparing formulas containing animal and plant drug
 Historical Background
• Ebers papyrus (1550 BC)
• Egyptian medical papyrus of herbal knowledge. Among the
oldest and most important medical papyri of ancient Egypt
• purchased at Luxor (Thebes) in the winter of 1873–74 by
Georg Ebers.

• Ayurveda (2500 B.C)

• The oldest surviving complete medical system in the world.
Derived from its ancient Sanskrit roots - ‘ayus' (life) and ‘ved'
(knowledge) – and offering a rich, comprehensive
outlook to a healthy life,
 Historical Background
3 basic disciplines devoted to drugs

1. Pharmacology - drugs actions and effects

2. Pharmacognosy - information on
medicines from natural sources - plants,
animals, microorganisms

3. Medicinal chemistry - science of

synthetic drugs
 Drug Evaluation
• Materia Medica:
• Medicinal materials
• It is synonymous with the substances and
products derived from natural sources and
employed by physicians in the old days

• Drugs:
• Are substances whether natural or synthetic,
having therapeutic or medicinal properties and
chiefly used as medicines or an ingredients in
medicines
 Drug Evaluation
• Crude drugs
• Are whole plants and animals and anatomical
parts
• Have not undergone any process or treatment
other than collection and drying

• Drug constituents
• Are chief constituents and their derivatives
obtained from drugs of biological origin or
prepared synthetically or semisynthetically
 Drug Evaluation
• Derivatives or Extractives
• Are substances or mixture of substances present in
crude drugs which are separated by various means
and are employed in a more specific manner
 Drug Evaluation
• Drugs are evaluated by identification and determination
of its quality and purity

• Identification - collection, comparison with

published description and authenticated
samples.

• Quality and purity - based on the amount of

active constituent present.
• Methods used: organoleptic, microscopic,
chemical and physical
 Drug Evaluation
• Drugs are evaluated by various methods:
• -Organoleptic Evaluation

• -Microscopic Evaluation

• -Physical Evaluation

• -Instrumental Evaluation

• -Chemical Evaluation

• -Biological Evaluation
 Drug Evaluation
Sources of drugs
2 types of organic drugs

• Purely Synthetic – Product of man’s creation

of new chemical entities (structure)

• Drugs of biological origin – Produced in

the living cells, biogenic drugs ( e. g. crude
drugs)
Production of natural Products
• Sources (Origin)
• 1) Plants
• 2) Fungi
• 3) Algae
• 4) Animal
• 5) Microorganism
Production of natural Products
1. Provide extremely useful drugs difficult to reproduce by synthetic
means.

2. Extracted basic compounds can be modified slightly and rendered

more effective and less toxic.

3. Utilized as prototypes or models for synthetic drugs.

4. Products with less or no effect can be modified to produce a

potent drug.

5. Precursor of significant drugs

Production of natural Products

1) Collection
2) Cultivation
3) Fermentation
4) Cell culture techniques
5) Microbial transformation
6) Biologics
 Plant Classification
• Vegetable drugs can be arranged for
the study under the following:
• Alphabetical
• Morphological
• Taxonomical
• Pharmacological/Therapeutics
• Chemical
 Commerce in Crude Drug
• Collection
• Drying
• Garbling
• Packaging
• Storage
• Preservation
 Phytochemical Drug Classification

• Organized drug – Obtained from direct parts of the

plants and containing cellular tissues

• Unorganized drug – obtained from plants by physical

processes such as incision, drying or extraction and
does not contain cellular tissues
 Phytochemical Drug Classification
Organized drug
• Leaves – Digitalis, Senna, Tea, Belladona, Spearmint
• Barks – Cassia, Cinchona, Cinnamon, Kurchi, Cascara
• Flower – Clove, Saffron, Chammomile
• Fruits – Capsicum, Lemon peel, Tamarind
• Seeds – Psyllium, Biter almond, Nutmeg
• Roots – Ipecac, Ginger, Ginseng, Rauwolfia
 Phytochemical Drug Classification
Definition of Terms:
• Extraction – the separation of medicinally actIve
constituent of a plant or animal

• Solvent/ Menstruum – liquid used to extract active

principles

• Marc – the undissolved portion of the drug that remains

after extraction
 Phytochemical Drug Classification
• Habitat – region where plant or animal yielding active
constituent grow

• Indigenous?

• Naturalized?
PATHWAYS FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF PLANT SECONDARY
METABOLITES
Outline of Plant’s Secondary Metabolism

• SHIKIMIC ACID PATHWAY

• biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (Tyrosine,
Phenylalanine and tryptophan) essential amino acids
• Metabolic pathway common only in plants (Not present in
human
• Erythrose-4-phosphate + Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) =
starting molecules

• ACETATE-MEVALONATE-DERIVED COMPOUNDS
• Bio synthesis of Steroids
Outline of Plant’s Secondary Metabolism

• Chemical Characteristics

1. Terpene derivatives formed via the acetate-mevalonic

acid pathway. (Produces 2 IPP – 10 Carbon units)

2. Aromatic compounds formed via the shikimic acid-

phenylpropanoid route.
 Chemistry of Natural Drug Products
4 Principal factors influencing the formation of secondary
constituents

• 1) HEREDITARY (genetic composition)

• PHENOTYPE
• GENOTYPE

• 2) ONTOGENY – increase concentration of constituents

with age

• 3) ENVIRONMENTAL – soil, climate, associated flora and

methods of cultivation

• 4) BIOSYNTHESIS OR BIOGENESIS – postulate by G. Trier (1912)

 Forms of Adulteration
• SOPHISTICATION – intentional addition

• ADMIXTURE – careless addition

• SUBSTITUTION – different substance from labeled claim.

• DETERIORATION – misinterpretation of activity or purity due to

intentional or unintentional procedures

• SPOILAGE – partially decomposed, wormy or rancid drugs.

• INFERIORITY – active constituents is below standard.