Natural Drugs and UN SDGs in Education

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Questions and Answers

Which sustainable development goals is the Strategy for Teaching and Learning aligned with?

SDG 3 & 4 (correct)

SDG 1 & 2

SDG 7 & 8

SDG 5 & 6

What is one of the learning outcomes of the module specification?

Explain the history of herbal medicine

Identify all synthetic drugs available on the market

Compare the quality of a natural drug sample (correct)

Summarize modern pharmaceutical practices

What does the module aim to provide students with knowledge regarding?

Only synthetic drug compounds

Legal regulations for drug manufacturing

Medicinal plants used in pharmaceuticals (correct)

The economic aspects of drug trade

Which skill is explicitly mentioned as part of the learning outcomes?

Professional competence in internet and literature retrieval Signup and view all the answers

What does the module's aim specifically emphasize about botanical drugs?

The clinical applications and benefits of selected botanical drugs Signup and view all the answers

How should unknown natural drugs be assessed according to the learning outcomes?

Utilizing chemical tests for authentication Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of natural drugs is not part of the learning outcomes?

Identification of synthetic alternatives Signup and view all the answers

What does the module specification state about student independence in learning?

Students are encouraged to work with minimal guidance where appropriate Signup and view all the answers

Which conditions are considered appropriate for phytotherapy?

Indigestion and cough Signup and view all the answers

What is excluded from the definition of medicinal plants?

Plants used for surgery Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines herbal medicine?

Use of entire plants or their extracts as medicinal agents Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes conventional drugs compared to herbal preparations?

They are mostly synthesized Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples demonstrates the concept of nutraceuticals?

Procyanidins in grapes Signup and view all the answers

Which plant is used for synthesizing progesterone and is excluded from being considered a medicinal plant?

Dioscorea species Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily the focus of phytotherapy?

The efficacy and limitations of herbal medicines Signup and view all the answers

Which plant is known for having both medicinal and culinary uses?

Allium sativum Signup and view all the answers

Which standardization aspect ensures herbal medicines are free from impurities?

Purity Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of standardization in herbal medicines?

To ensure quality and safety Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of flavone glycosides is Ginkgo Biloba standardized to contain?

24% Signup and view all the answers

Chromatographic techniques like HPLC are considered most suitable for which purpose in herbal medicine?

Quality control Signup and view all the answers

What is the precursor associated with phenolic compounds?

Shikimic acid Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a key aspect of standardization for herbal remedies?

Flavor Signup and view all the answers

What is the content percentage of echinoside in Echinacea extract when standardized?

Specific percentage not provided Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following classes of phytochemicals is characterized by a lipophilic nature?

Terpenoids Signup and view all the answers

What role does bile play in the absorption of lipid-soluble drugs?

It emulsifies fats, aiding its absorption. Signup and view all the answers

How do different parts of a plant influence its medicinal properties?

Different parts contain varying bioactive compounds. Signup and view all the answers

Why are certain drugs like vitamins A, D, E, and K dependent on bile for absorption?

They are fat-soluble and need bile for proper absorption. Signup and view all the answers

What is a notable challenge in the use of foxglove preparations?

Their effects can vary greatly due to standardization difficulties. Signup and view all the answers

What does Sir Derrick Dunlop's quote imply about drugs?

Drugs must have side effects to be effective. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors can influence the active components in plants?

Climate, soil quality, and geographical source. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential downside to using herbal medicines?

Their sources can be diverse, affecting consistency. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common characteristic of glycosides found in foxglove?

They can have different rates of onset and durations of action. Signup and view all the answers

What role do the 'secondary' plant metabolites play in herbal medicine?

They contribute to the quality and efficacy of herbal medicines. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of standardized herbal medicines?

They are produced with specific amounts of active ingredients. Signup and view all the answers

How do tannins and saponins affect the absorption of active plant principles?

They enhance absorption by affecting intestinal motility. Signup and view all the answers

What is a challenge associated with isolating herbs' active constituents in a laboratory setting?

The isolated components are often less effective than when used together. Signup and view all the answers

What can be a consequence of gastric and intestinal secretions in relation to drugs?

They can either degrade or enhance the absorption of certain drugs. Signup and view all the answers

Why is a high concentration of an active principle in herbal medicine potentially problematic?

It can lead to significant side effects. Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the term 'synergistic components' in herbal medicine?

The combined effects of multiple active compounds can enhance overall efficacy. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the substances found in herbal medicines?

All substances are equally effective in promoting drug absorption. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

UN SDGs

The Strategy for Teaching and learning is aligned with the UN SDGs 3 & 4
The Strategy for Teaching and learning is extracted from the Egypt Vision 2030
The strategy supports the development of a universal healthcare system and a high-quality education and training system

Module Specification

Students and module leaders should view the module specification as a contract
Module learning outcomes:
- Discriminate tools for detection and identification of natural drugs
- Articulate methods for selecting genuine natural drugs
- Enumerate the uses of medicinal plants
- Examine unknown natural drugs
- Identify unknown natural drugs using chemical tests
- Compare the quality of a natural drug sample
- Analyze an unknown natural drug
- Assess the quality of a natural drug sample
- Rationalize the use of natural products in pharmaceutical, cosmetic & food products
- Practice and demonstrate professional competence in internet and literature retrieval skills
- Work autonomously or with minimal guidance

Module Aim

This module aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of botanical drugs
Students will gain practical knowledge of medicinal plants used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries
Students will develop the ability to identify and recognize examples of botanical drugs in both their entire and powdered forms
Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of major constituents, traditional uses, clinically proven applications, benefits, precautions, and potential interactions of selected botanical drugs

Phytotherapy

Phytotherapy treats simple, mild, self-limiting, non-progressive, acute or often chronic diseases
Phytotherapy can be used to treat indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, cough, common cold, local infections, infrequent insomnia, strained muscles, and headaches

Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants contain metabolites with pharmacological activity in humans and animals
Medicinal plants are used for medicinal purposes and must be considered to be drugs
Medicinal plants are NOT:
- Plants used in surgery (e.g. Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree)
- Plants used to extract substances in the synthesis of compounds with known pharmacological activity (e.g. Dioscorea species which contains diosgenin, a substance used to synthesize progesterone)
- Plants used as parasite repellents (e.g. Derris elliptica) or agents poisonous to animals (e.g. Antiaris toxicaria)

Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine refers to the use of plants or plant substances as medicinal agents
The term "herb", "herbal drug" and "herbal remedy" are also used
Use of pure plant components (e.g. atropine, reserpine, morphine or digoxin) is not phytotherapy - it is conventional treatment
Phytotherapy describes the efficacy and limitations of herbal medicines in the treatment of human diseases
- This includes herbal medicines with powerful actions (e.g. foxglove, belladonna) and those with gentle actions (e.g. chamomile, mint)

Dietary Supplements

Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Health Food Supplements refer to food-based mineral and vitamin preparations as well as plant-based foods that act as both food and drugs
Examples:
- Grapes: contain antioxidant procyanidins
- Citrus Fruits: contain antioxidant vitamin C
- Green Tea: contains antioxidant procyanidins and catechins

Differences Between Herbal and Conventional Drugs

Herbal drugs are crude complex preparations with several active principles (in low concentration)
- They also contain other substances such as organic acids, bitter and aromatic substances, tannins, mucilage and saponins
Conventional drugs are mostly synthesized or could be natural and contain one active principle (in high concentration)
- They also contain other substances called excipients
Herbal drugs are dilute preparations in terms of active principles - the dose is generally a sizable dose
Conventional drugs are standardized forms with definite amounts of active principles
Herbal drugs have minimal side effects, are safe, available, and cheap
Conventional drugs have maximal side effects
The exact active principle of the herbal medicine may be known or specified or the activity may be due to a combination of active compounds - synergistic components
The activity of conventional drugs is due to a single active constituent
Herbal drugs are promoted for several divergent uses
Conventional drugs are used for a singular indication

Complexity of Herbal Medicines

The quality of a herbal medicine is believed to be directly related to its active principles
Herbal medicines contain other substances which render the activity of the active ingredients
It is often difficult to have the same effect of the herbal drug by isolating its individual constituents and recombining them in the laboratory

Reasons for the Complexity of Herbal Medicines

Herbal medicines contain substances of minimal pharmacological interest, such as bitter or aromatic substances, which stimulate the gastric and intestinal secretions thus making the dissolution and absorption of the active principle possible or more complete
Tannins, saponins, salts of organic acids, mucilage, peptic substances, and vitamins can also modify the functions of the intestinal mucous membrane and consequently the absorption

Interactions in Herbal Medicines

Compounds in herbal medicines can either enhance or reduce the effectiveness of drugs based on their chemical properties and interactions with the body's physiology
Gastric and intestinal secretions are essential for dissolving drugs, making them more absorbable and bioavailable
Gastric and intestinal secretions can also degrade certain drugs, slow or speed up absorption, and interact with the drug's formulation
Bile, secreted by the liver, emulsifies fats, aiding in the absorption of lipid-soluble drugs
- Without bile, many fat-soluble drugs would not be properly absorbed, significantly reducing their bioavailability
- Drugs like vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as certain lipophilic medications, rely on bile for effective absorption
Increased permeability can allow drugs to pass through the intestinal wall more easily, enhancing their absorption into the bloodstream

Interactions Between Plant Constituents

Foxglove contains about 30 different closely related glycosides
- These cardiotonic agents, with small structural differences, have different rates of onset of action and different durations of their effects
It is difficult to standardize foxglove preparations because of the large number of active compounds

Are Herbal Medicines Safe?

"Show me a drug with no side effects and I’ll show you a drug with no actions" - Sir Derrick Dunlop, Chairman, Committee on Safety of Drugs, UK founder of the Yellow Card System 1964

The Situation with Herbal Medicine Safety

The sources of herbal material are diverse
Different parts of plants often contain different bioactive compounds with specific therapeutic properties
The active (and toxic) components vary as a result of climate, soil quality and geographical source
The Latin name of the plant followed by the part of the plant used should be followed by the content of active principles (for example: Atropa belladonna leaves, 90% total alkaloids calculated as hyoscyamine)
It is better to define a fingerprint of the herbal medicine
Chromatographic techniques (HPLC) yield good results and considered the most suitable

Standardization of Herbal Medicines

Standardization involves ensuring Quality and Safety for all herbs, herbal drugs and food supplements, in addition to Efficacy for herbal remedies only
Quality involves
- Identity: by binomial name ( not common name only ) and organ ( part used ).
- Purity: Freedom of impurities or contaminants ( which are not allowed ).
- Potency: % or content of the active principle.
- Safety: Proven non-toxic, through acute or chronic toxicity studies.
Efficacy: Only for herbal medicines, proven either through clinical studies as per FDA regulations ( U.S.A.) or by collective evidence as per German Commission E.

Classes of Phytochemicals

Classes of phytochemicals are grouped by their key functional groups
Phenolic compounds: Flavonoids (glycosides), tannins, quinones, anthocyanins (precursor → shikimic acid, hydrophilic, with at least one aromatic ring)
Terpenoids; Essential oils, sterols, carotenoids (precursor → isopentenyl pyrophosphate, lipophilic, sub-classified by the number of isoprene units - C = 5)

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Description

This quiz explores the alignment of teaching strategies with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4, reflecting insights from Egypt's Vision 2030. It also covers essential learning outcomes regarding the identification and analysis of natural drugs, emphasizing the importance of quality in medicinal plants and their applications in various industries.