PCOG CEE 2

• Pharmacognosy


  Study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drug substances or potential drugs of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from any natural sources like plant species
• Gignosco


  To acquire knowledge of
• Historical background


  • Papyrus Ebers - 800 prescriptions and 700 drugs
  • De Materia Medica - preparation and property testing
  • 1811 - JA Schmidt
  • 1815 - CA Seydler
  • Fluckiger
  • Galen - drugs from plant and animal sources
• Preparation of crude drugs


  • Collection
  • Harvesting
  • Drying
  • Curing - modified process of drying
  • Garbling
  • Packaging
  • Storage
• Plant Extraction process

  • Maceration
  • Percolation
• Phytochemical screening

  Detection of phytochemical compounds present in a sample
• Purpose of phytochemical screening

  • Qualitative test(s)
  • Quantitative test(s)
• General classes of plant compounds

  • Primary metabolites
  • Secondary metabolites
• Biosynthesis of plant metabolites

  • Photosynthesis
  • Glycolysis and TCA
  • Shikimic acid pathway
  • Acetate mevalonate pathway
  • Acetate malonate pathway
• Important building blocks (intermediates) in the production of plant metabolites

  • Acetyl-CoA
  • Mevalonate / Mevalonic acid
  • Shikimic acid
  • DOX (Deoxyxylulose)
• Hydrocarbons

  Contain carbon and hydrogen atoms and additional functional groups; interaction of natural compounds; odd-numbered long chain alkanes within the range of 25-35 no. of carbons usually formed by decarboxylation processes
• Lipids

  Esters of long chain fatty acids and alcohols; Non-polymerizable
• Classes of lipids (hydrocarbons)

  • Fixed oils
  • Fats
  • Waxes
  • Prostaglandins
• Fixed oils

  Liquid; viscous
• Castor oil

  • Botanical source: Ricinus communis
  • Constituent: Ricin – toxic; Tricinolein
  • Use: Stimulant cathartic
• Olive oil

  • Other names: Sweet oil / Oil of Europe
  • Botanical source: Olea europea
  • Use: Culinary, pharmaceutical aid
• Peanut oil

  • Other name: Arachis oil
  • Botanical source: Arachais hypogaea
  • Use: Injection pharmaceutical aid
• Sesame oil

  • Other names: Teel / Berme oil
  • Botanical source: Sesamum indicum
  • Constituent: Sesamol
  • Use: vehicle, pharmaceutical aid, demulcent and emollient
• Corn oil

  • Botanical source: Zea mays
  • Use: vehicle, nutrition therapy
• Cottonseed oil

  • Botanical source: Gossypium hirsutum
  • Constituent: Gossypol
• Almond oil

  • Botanical source: Prunus amygdalus var. Amara (Bitter); var. dulcis (Sweet)
  • Use: culinary
• Persic oil

  • Botanical source: Prunus armeniaca – Apricot kernel oil
  • Prunus persica – Peach kernel oil
  • Use: vehicle
• Coconut oil

  • Botanical source: Cocos nucifera
  • Constituents: fatty acids
  • Use: vehicle
• Sunflower oil

  • Botanical source: Helianthus anuus
  • Use: adjunct for corn and safflower oil
• Theobroma oil

  • Botanical source: Theobroma cacao
  • Use: suppository base
  • Alpha and Beta-form
• Palm oil

  • Botanical source: Elaeis guineensin
  • Largely consumed oil
  • Use: culinary
• Soybean oil

  • Botanical source: Glycine soja
  • Widely consumed oil
  • Source of lecithin
• Rapeseed oil

  • Botanical source: Brassica campestris
  • Commercial: canola oil (less acidic)
  • Constituent: crucic acid
• Fats

  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil – refined, purified, bleached, occurs as white powder; use: tablet lubricant
  • Lanolin – Ovis aries; 20-25% moisture
  • Anhydrous Lanolin – 0.21% moisture; use: water-absorbable ointment base and emulsions
• Waxes

  High molecular weight, straight chain fatty acids and high molecular weight straight chain alcohols
• Waxes from plants

  • Carnauba wax and jojoba oil
• Waxes from animals

  • Spermaceti, Beeswax
• Carnauba wax

  • Botanical source: Copernicia pruniform
• Jojoba oil

  • Botanical source: Simondsia chinensis
  • Crystalline form (hydrogenation) – resembles spemaceti
• Spermaceti

  • Natural source: Physter macrocephalus
  • Use: bases in cold creams
  • Cetyl esters wax – synthetic
• Beeswax

  • Natural source: Apis mellifera
  • Yellow wax – stiffening agent (cerates and plasters)
  • White wax – bleached and purified (cold creams)
• Carbohydrates

  • Large group of organic compounds that consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that occurs in living tissues, food, etc
  • Composed of polyhydroxy aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids and their simple derivatives
• Classes of carbohydrates

  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Monosaccharides

  • Dextrose – use: nutrient
  • Fructose – levulose; uses: vehicle
  • Xylose – wood sugar; corn cobs; use: diagnostic aid – Crohn's disease
  • Galactose – milk; *Gaucher's disease
• Disaccharides

  • Sucrose – Glucose + Fructose
  • Lactose – milk sugar; Glucose + Galactose; uses: tablet diluent
  • Lactulose – semisynthetic sugar; alkaline rearrangement of lactose; use: laxative