DEFINITION:

“The study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances,
or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from
different natural sources”

DESCRIPTION:
The term ‘pharmacognosy’ was derived by the merger of two Greek words (e.g., pharmakon—drug and
gnosis—knowledge of) to mean the knowledge of drugs.

The term Pharmacognosy was first introduced by the Austrian physician Schmidt in 1811 and then in
1815 by Seydler in a work titled Analecta Pharmacognostica.

Pharmacognosy is one of the five major divisions of the pharmaceutical curriculum, represents the
oldest branch of the profession of pharmacy. The ancients gathered herbs, animals, plants, and minerals
and concocted them into ill-flavoured pungent mixtures.

Pharmacognosy provides a thorough understanding of natural products from various sources.

Specifically, this area encompasses the study of secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, glycosides,
phenolic compounds, tannins, phytosterols, and terpenoids that are derived from nature, and is
inclusive of plants as well as marine and terrestrial microbes and animals.

SCOPE:
The scope of pharmacognosy is broad and includes the scientific study of crude drugs, medicinal
products (e.g., enzymes, vitamins, antibiotics, pesticides, allergens, and allergenic extracts), and
excipients (e.g., coloring, flavoring, emulsifying and suspending agents, diluents, bulking or filler agents,
disintegrants, anesthetic aids, sweeteners, binders, adhesives, solidifiers and also the research problems
in the areas of phytochemistry, microbial chemistry, biosynthesis, biotransformation, chemotaxonomy,
and other biological and chemical sciences. Studies on poisonous, hallucinogenic, and teratogenic
plants; raw materials for the production of oral contraceptives, aphrodisiacs, etc., as well as spices,
beverages, and condiments are included in the subject matters of pharmacognosy.

CRUDE DRUG
DEFINITION:
Crude drugs can be defined as

“Crude drugs are vegetable or animal drugs that consist of natural substances that have undergone only
the processes of collection and drying.”

CLASSIFICATION OF CRUDE DRUGS:

Crude drugs can be classified as follows:
 On the basis of source

On the basis of structure

On the basis of function

MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION:
This is most simple classification method where crude drugs are grouped into two major classes:
organized (having specific parts of plant like root, rhizome, flower, leaf, fruit, bark, seed, wood etc.,) and
unorganized drugs (dried lattice, juice, gum, wax, oil etc.). But many crude drugs are very similar
morphologically and hence difficult to distinguish. Many times crude drug available in powder form that
time morphological classification is not so suitable and acceptable.

ORGANIZED DRUGS: are direct part of the plant and consists of cellular tissues e.g. Leaf, root, stem.

UNORGANIZED DRUGS: Crude drugs which are not the direct part of plants and are prepared by some
physical process (incision or extraction with water) and do not contain cellular tissues, e.g. gums, resins,
exudates, extracts.

CLASSIFICATION ON THE BASIS OF FUNCTION:

On the basis of activity crude drugs can be classified as

 Active drug

 In-active drug/ Excipient/ Auxiliary substance

ACTIVE DRUGS:
Crude drugs which are therapeutically active and have medicinal values are termed as active drug e.g.
Digitalis etc.

IN- ACTIVE DRUGS:

Any more or less inert substance with no medicinal value added in formulation of a drug. E.g. Starch,
lactose, gum etc.

FIVE BRANDS OF NATURAL DRUGS

S.No. Product Manufacturer/Com Composition/Herbs name Uses
 pany

1. Safi Hamdard Cassia senna A Natural Blood

Smilax chinensis Purifier
Sphaeranthus indicus Good against skin
Nelumbium nuciferum disorders; helps in
Dalbergia sissoo blood purification
Fumaria parviflora may comfort in skin
Azadirachta indica irritation, scabies,
Swertia chirata and other eruptive
Tephrosia purpurea skin ailments due to
Curcuma caesia the blood disorders.
SAFI helps in
Terminalia chebula
removing blood
Pterocarpus santalinus
impurities.
Cuscuta reflexa
Ocimum spp
Lavandula stoechas
Tinospora cordifolia
Ipomoea turpethum
Bauhinia variegate
Canscora decussate
Chrozophora plicata
Rosa damascene
Excipients
2. Demaghi Qarshi Coral Compound Strengthens nerves.

Borage Improves brain

function and
Clary Sage
memory.
Leopards Bane
Relieves brain fag
White Behen and fatigue.

Indian Catmint

Coriander

Rose

Cinnamom

White Sandalwood

Lichen

Emblic
 Purslane

Borage Flowers

Bamboo Manna

Barberry Fruit

Olibanum Gum

Cooling Seeds

Virginia Peppergrass

Greater Cardamom Seed Preservative

Sodium Benzoate Screw Pine

3. Tut siah + Lasani Mulathi (UPI) Effective in

Multahi Pharyngitis and
Toot Siyah (UPI)
Tonsilitis.
Permitted Exipients
Effective in all types
of Cough and Throat
Irritation.
4. Cardi-care Marhaba Allium Sativum  cholesterol
Zingiber Officinale lowering,
Citrus Limon
 Anti-
Apple Vinegar atherosclero
tic,
Honey
 immunity
booster,

 For
Indigestion,

 For
Cardiovascul
ar diseases.

5. Koflet Himalaya Trikatu Powder Relieves Cough.

lozenges
Acacia Catechu Alleviates Mucosal
Irritation.
Terminalia Chebula
Soothes Throat.
Syzygium Aromaticum
Reduces
Elettaria Cardamomum
Inflammation in
 Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Pharyngitis &
Laryngitis.
Mulethi (Yashtimadhu)

Curcuma Longa

Vitis Vinifera

REFERENCES:

https://www.intechopen.com/books/pharmacognosy-medicinal-plants/introductory-chapter-
pharmacognosy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3371443/

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-63862-1_2

https://www.researchgate.net/

https://www.hamdard.com.pk/
https://www.lasanipharma.com/
https://qarshi.com/
https://www.marhaba.com.pk/