Pharmacognosy Course Overview

Course Information

• Department: Pharmacognosy
• Date: 10/31/2024

Mandatory Courses

• Medicinal Plants (PHG 111): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours
• Pharmacognosy I(PHG 122): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours
• Pharmacognosy II (PHG 213): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours
• Phytochemistry I (PHG 314): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours
• Phytochemistry II (PHG 325): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours
• Applied & Forensic Pharmacognosy (PHG 416): 1 lecture hour, 1 practical hour, 2 total credit hours
• Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy (PHG 517): 2 lecture hours, 1 practical hour, 3 total credit hours

Elective Courses

• Alternative Medicinal Therapies (PHG 311): 1 lecture hour, 1 practical hour, 2 total credit hours
• Production and Manufacture of Medicinal plants(PHG 312): 1 lecture hour, 1 practical hour, 2 total credit hours

Medicinal Plants (PHG 111)

• This is a class dedicated to Medicinal plants
• The credit hours for lectures and practicals are also specified

Table 1: Semester 1

• Shows the different courses, credit hours, and examination marks structure for that semester
• Includes course titles, registration periods, types of exams and the total exam marks

Teaching Methods

• Lectures
• Practical labs

Textbook

• Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy (16th Edition) by William C Evans is a recommended textbook

Introduction to Pharmacognosy

• There is an introduction to the subject of pharmacognosy

Definition of Pharmacognosy

• The scientific study of the structural, physical, chemical and sensory characters of crude drugs.
• Deals with vegetable, animal and mineral origin.
• The processing between producer and consumer is also part of the subject matter

Crude Drugs/Raw Drugs

• Plant or animal materials before processing
• A part of a plant or animal that's used in medicine

Examples of Crude Drugs

• Entire plants/animals: Lobelia, Mentha, Cantharidis
• Entire organs: Senna, Clove, Fennel, Linseed, Thyroid gland
• Minerais: Chalk; Kaolin, Talc
• Unorganized drugs: Opium, Aloes, Acacia, Gelatin

Folk Medicine

• Derived from trial-and-error methods
• Attars and herbalists are experienced in this type of medicine

Function of a Pharmacognosist

• Identify sources of drugs
• Determine morphological characters of drugs
• Investigate potency, purity and admixture of drugs
• Plan and develop cultivation of medicinal plants
• Prescribe collection, drying, and preservation methods
• Understand active constituents, their chemical nature and reactions

Detailed Description of Drugs

• Origin: Biological, geographical, and commercial aspects
• Cultivation: Collection, drying, packing, and storage details
• Characters: Sensory, morphology, histology, and powder analyses
• Constituents and uses: In medicine
• Evaluation and testing: For adulteration

Classification of Drugs

• Alphabetical: Based on Latin or English names
• Taxonomical: Based on plant source (phyla, orders, families, genera, species)

Plant Taxonomy

• Hierarchical structure for classifying plants
• Provides a systematic way to understand and categorize plants

Morphological, Chemical, and Pharmacological Characteristics

• Morphological: Categorization by plant organs (leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, herbs, roots, rhizomes, barks, woods)
• Chemical: Classification based on active constituents like glycosides, alkaloids, bitter principles, tannins, volatile oils
• Pharmacological/Therapeutic: Drugs' effects (astringents, irritants, influencing GIT, heart, kidney, or nervous system)

Official and Unofficial Drugs

• Official drugs are listed in Pharmacopoeia (government-recognized standard books)
• Pharmacopoeia contains official standards for each drug

Utilisation of Drugs

• Primary use of drugs is treating or preventing diseases
• Other uses: Filtration materials (cotton, kieselguhr), Adsorbents (charcoal), Decolorizing agents (charcoal)

Additional Uses of Drugs

• Suspending and emulsifier: Acacia
• Solvents: Fixed oils of almond, corn, olive, cottonseed, castor, peanut, poppy seed, sesame
• Ointment Bases: Wool fat, bees wax,
• Suppositories Bases: Gelatin, cacao butter
• Gillies: Gelatin, pectin's, gums

Other Characteristics of Drugs

• Preservatives: Benzoin, guaiacum, sucrose
• Diluents and Fillers: Althea, licorice, lactose, starch, sucrose, nut shells
• Binders and Excipients: Tragacanth, acacia, gelatin, honey, sucrose, starch
• Sweetners: Honey, sucrose
• Flavouring agents: Anise, peppermint, cacao, clove, cinnamon, licorice, thyme, vanilla, lemon, orange
• Colouring Agents: Alkanna, cochineal, Roselle, red sanders
• Perfumery: Lavender, rose, geranium, pelargonium
• Coating Tablets: Acacia, cacao, gelatin, sucrose, balsam tolu
• Capsule Material: Gelatin
• Culture Media: Agar, gelatin, dextrose, ox-bile, inulin, lactose, sucrose
• Indicators: Litmus, hematoxylin
• Foods: Gums, yeast, agar, sugars, alginates, fixed oils, volatile oils, starches, cacao, kola, soft drinks, ginger, capsicum, mustards, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves
• Cosmetics: Rose, citronella, lavender, volatile oils, jasmine

Origin of Drugs

• Biological origin: Name and family of plants from which drugs are obtained using the binomial system (Linnaeus)
• Geographical origin: Area of plant growth, native or indigenous vs. acclimatized
• Commercial origin: Trade channels, exporting countries and ports

Cultivation of Medicinal Plants

• Wild vs. cultivated plants (advantages and disadvantages of each)
• Factors affecting propagation: seeds, vegetative (bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, cutting, grafting, division)

Factors Affecting Plant Growth and Production

• Environmental factors (water, light, temperature, altitude)
• Soil conditions (nutrients, macro/micro elements)
• Growth regulators
• Genetics and plant tissue culture

Propagation of Medicinal Plants

• Propagation methods (seeds: maturity, ripeness, health, non-dormant)
• Seed coat dormancy (treated using soaking methods, sulphuric acid)
• Embryo dormancy (treated using stratification)

Additional Notes

• General and detailed information about plant taxonomy are also included
• Other factors that affect plant growth and production are also specified
• Information on propagation processes, including germination and the binomial system is also provided