Pharmacognosy –I

Introduction, Development,
present status significance
& future scope

Dr Taj Khan
Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Oriental College of Pharmacy,
Sanpada, New Mumbai.
Welcome
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicinal use of various naturally
occurring drugs its history, sources, distributions, method of
cultivation, active constituents, medicinal uses, identification test,
preservation methods, substituents and adulterants.

Branches or replated disciplines of pharmacognosy

 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PHARMACOGNOSY
History of pharmacognosy represents the history of pharmacy & medicine.
Pharmacognosy had its origin in the health-related activities of the most
primitive human race of the remote past.
They acquired knowledge of medicinal properties of plants in the following way

a) By guesswork or trial & error

b) While searching for food
c) By superficial resemblance between the plant parts & the affected organs,
that is, by examining the “Signature of Nature”
d) By observing other animals instinctive discrimination between toxic &
palatable plants
e) By accidental discovery
The Babylonians were aware of the Medicinal effects of a number of
plants.

Ancient Egyptians possessed a sound knowledge of human anatomy as

well as a knowledge of the medicinal uses of many plants and animals.
Papyrys Ebers- written in 1550 B.C. & discovered in a tomb of a mummy, much has been said
about the- skill and knowledge of those people in this field.

In India the study of the drugs was started about 5000 years ago at the time of the Vedas.
Ayrurveda
Hippocrates (460 - 370 B.C.) deals with anatomy and physiology in many of his treatises.

Aristotle (384 -322 B.C.), the great philosopher wrote much about the animal kingdom and his
writings were placed on scientific footing free from all superstitions.
Theophrastus (370-287 B.C.) wrote about plants and described
medicinal uses of plants.

Dioscorides a Greek physician of the1st Century A.D. was the writer

of the first Materia Medica (78 A.D.) Here he described 600
medicinal plants, including Belladona, Colchicum, Opium,
Hyoscyamus, etc.
Galen (131 -200 A.D.) described the method of preparing drugs of vegetable and animal
origin and laid down many formulas contained in a trearise of 20 volumes.

Pen Ts’ao Kang Moa 1000 B.C. (published only at 1597) contained an incredible number of
medicinal plants and drugs of animal origin. The Chinese thought that for every disease,
there must be a drug is only provided by the nature.
 Development of Pharmacognosy

Modern Pharmacognosy occurred during 1934 - 1960.

This development was mainly due to some events like:
Discovery of Penicillin in 1928
Isolation of Resperine 1952
Anticancer properties of Vinca rosea
Discovery of Dioscorea was utilized to prepare semi-
synthetic steroidal hormones.
 Development of Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy as an applied science.
It played a crucial role in the development of
different disciplines of science.
Pharmacognosy is an imp link between
Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry
 Development of Pharmacognosy

Natural products got more and more therapeutic importance with

developments like:

Isolation of therapeutically active constituents

Their identification and structure elucidation.

There is close link between structure and Pharmacological action.

 Development of Pharmacognosy

Natural products served the purpose of precursor for synthesis of

several medicinally important compounds.

Some isolated components from plants were made into different

formulations and used as drugs.

 Development of Pharmacognosy

Step by step processes in biosynthesis of Primary &

Secondary metabolites were presented before the world.

Invention of microscopy and different chemical test reagents.

 Development of Pharmacognosy
Knowledge of

• Plant taxonomy

• Plant breeding

• Plant pathology

• Plant genetics

Is helpful in the development of cultivation

technology for medicinal and aromatic plants.
 Present status and future prospects

• Now the people have realized the utility of drugs of natural

origin which are not only economical but even safer too.

• Active constituents from plant sources have lead to rapid

developments in Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry.

• Availability of modern state of art facility like structure

determination and pharmacological screening

 Present status and future prospects

Rapid devt in the fields of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology

have further supported advancements in Pharmacognosy.

 Present Status and Future Prospects
Plants like
• Podophyllum

• Liquorice

• Valerian

• Artimisia

• Veratrum

Earlier considered to be less important but their re-

evaluation have established their utility.
 Scope of Pharmacognosy

• World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasized the

utilization of Indigenous systems of medicine based on

folklore and locally available plant materials.

• Large scale scientific cultivation of some of the medicinally

important plants is necessary.

 Scope of Pharmacognosy

• Some of the products like Balsam of Tolu and Peru

Benzoin, Storax, Asafoetida, Colocynth etc.,

if large scale cultivation of these drugs producing plants is

started we can save huge amount on foreign currency.

 Scope of Pharmacognosy

• Guggulsterols from Commiphora mukul

• Podophyllotoxin from Podophyllum hexandrum

• Artimisinin from Artemisia

• Annua and Silymarine from Silybuim marionum are

approved as drugs in several countries which is

encouraging news in the fields of Pharmacognosy and

Phytochemistry.
 Scope of Pharmacognosy

We have not yet devised the cure by modern medicine.

Only symptomatic relief is our reply as in case of Arthritic disorders,

AIDS & Cancer.

Alternative and Complementary systems
of medicine
(aka folk medicine, traditional medicine)

Ayurveda,
Unani,
Siddha,
Homeopathy,
Chinese medicine
Aromatherapy.
 Ayurvedic system of medicine
The word ‘veda’ means knowledge. It evolved from 4 Vedas namely:
Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.
It deals with the diseases, injuries, fertility, sanity and health.
History of Ayurveda
Texts of Charaka and Sushruta
Charaka (1st century A.D.) wrote Charaka Samhita (samhita-
meaning collection of verses written in Sanskrit).
Sushruta (4th century A.D.) Sushruta Samhita.
2000 plants that were used in healing diseases and abating symptoms
were identified in these books.
 Ayurvedic Dosage Forms

Various dosage forms according to its physical status of

product
1. Solid dosage form: Vati, Churna, bhasma, Kshara
2. Semisolid dosage form: Avleha, ghirta
3. Liquid dosage form: Taila, Asava-arista, Arka
 Unani System of Medicine
System of medicine which was developed during Arabian
civilization.
In Europe it is known as Arab medicine.
It is based on well-established knowledge and practices
relating to the promotion of positive health and prevention
of diseases.
Traditional medicines in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India,
China and other Middle East countries.
The system of medicine was documented in Al-Qanoon, a
medical Bible, by Sheikh Ali Sina (Avicena, 980-1037 AD),
and Razi (Rhazes, 850-923 AD) and in many other books
written by the Unani physicians. The literature of the Unani
system is mostly found in Arabic, Persian and Urdu
languages.
It is also based on use of herbs and minerals.
Basic principle is to treat root cause rather than symptoms.
 Homoeopathic System of Medicine
Hahnemann (1790)
Homoeo (similar) pathos (suffering).
Based on law of Simular's,
“Similia Similibus Curantur”
Effect of antimalarial drug cinchona on his healthy body.
Surprisingly,he found symptoms of malaria developing in
him which disappeared after he discontinued the drug. He
continued his research in that direction by studying the
effect of different substances on this close friends and
relatives and ultimately published his discovery in 1796.
 Theory and Basic Concept

The doctrine of Similia Similibus Curantur (Let like be treated by like)

is the basic foundation of it.
A tree cannot be destroyed by just cutting it’s branches or roots
because the branches may sprout again.
Uprooting is necessary if the tree is to be destroyed permanently.
In the same way, a disease will not recur if the root cause of the
disease is removed completely from the patient.
Potencies and Dilution

Sources of Homeopathic medicines

Plant kingdom: Various morphological parts of plants, fungi, etc.
Animal kingdom: Secretion, saliva, poisons and whole animal, etc.
Minerals and chemicals: Inorganic salts, non-metals, acids and
mixtures etc.
Important Homeopathic drugs and their uses
Allium cepa: Allergies and hay fever
Arnica spp:. Aches, pain
Atropa belladonna: Headache, fever
Borax: Ulcers
Calendula: Antiseptic
Rauwolfia: Hypertension
Urtica urens: Burn treatment
 Siddha System of Medicine

One of the most ancient recorded herbal systems of medicine,

dating back to pre-Ayurvedic period.
It is believed to be developed with the ancient civilization of
Mohenjodaro hadappa in the Indus valley.
Bogar, a Chinese, who came to India and settled down on the
pazhani hills, is known for his extensive work on alchemy and
medicine.
Siddha Vaidyas have studied thousands of herbs, and have
arrived at tangible solutions for health problems, which are
relevant to modern age.
 Theory and Basic Principles
3 principles vata, pitta, kapha (Triguna).

Treatment
Siddha Vaidya keeps the knowledge of thousands of herbs
and their effectiveness in specific composition and
formulation.
Kashayam (extracts); churnam (powders); tailams (medicated
oils); bhasmam (calx prepared by calcination); ghritam
(medicated ghee);

Kashayam for infants; jaundice; piles

Churnam Panchammruta; kadukai; ashwagandha
Lehyam Amla lehya; ginger lehya; coconut lehya
 Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
• TCM as a healing system is thousands of years old.
• A principle of TCM is that the interaction of people
with their environment is most significant in
creating health
• The concept most central to TCM is Qi/chi, which
is translated as energy.
• Qi represents an invisible flow of energy that
circulates through plants, animals, and people as
well as the earth and sky.
 Yin and Yang
• Qi is further viewed as either yin or yang energy.
• Opposites and complementary,
• Good Health is present when they are in balance
in a person and his/her total environment.
• Imbalance of yin and yang is considered to be the
cause of illness.
 Aromatherapy
• Can be defined as the controlled use of
essential oils to maintain and promote
physical, psychological, and spiritual
wellbeing.
• Use of essential oils of plants to treat
symptoms
• Commonly used essential oils in a
healthcare setting are ginger or
peppermint for nausea and lavender or
chamomile for insomnia
Aromatherapy uses pure essential oils to balance
the body’s equilibrium and to improve mental
and physical health.
It involves more than fragrance. Plant essential
oils have therapeutic powers in addition to
beneficial fragrance, and have antiseptic action
in different degrees.
The natural healing art of aromatherapy
is an excellent way to promote optimum
health and vitality.
It can reduce stress, improve sleep and
give you more energy. It can improve
your complexion, treat an annoying skin
itch and eliminate a stomachache.
Thank You