[01-PRELIMS-PCOG-LAB] INTRODUCTION

1. Medicinal values

2. Appearances

3. Nature of the drugs

In the study of medicinal plants and their crude products, one should understand its (1)____, (2)____, and the (3)____.

Pharmacognosy, covers all information of medicines from natural sources like plants, animals, and microorganism.

Define Pharmacognosy.

1. Direct Drug Sources

2. Modifiable Compounds

3. Prototypes for Synthetics

4. Inactive Precursors

What are the four (4) Values of Natural Drug Products?

Direct Drug Sources

Values of Natural Drug Products:

Some natural produces are used as drugs themselves and are hard or impossible to synthesize (eg., alkaloids, antibiotics, vaccines).

Modifiable Compounds

Values of Natural Drug Products:

They provide basic structures that can be chemically altered to improve efficacy or reduce toxicity.

Prototypes for Synthetics

Values of Natural Drug Products:

Natural compounds inspire synthetic drugs with similar biological effects.

Inactive Precursors

Values of Natural Drug Products:

Even compounds with little activity can be transformed into potent drugs (eg., Stigmasterol into hydrocortisone).

Collection Time

To ensure that natural drug products contain the highest of the constituent that exhibit the therapeutic activity, they should be harvested in the proper time identifying its right?

Plants Collection

Some plants have more virtues when harvested on collected at particular time of their growing cycle, gather them when the special constituent within the plant is most abundant.

Leaves

Plants Collection:

Gather these at the time when photosynthesis is most active and the leaves are fully developed, just before the flowers fade.

Biennial leaves

Plants Collection:

They should be gathered during the second year when they are the strongest and health

Stalks

Plants Collection:

Collect before reaching maturity or collect them after fruiting.

Flowers

Plants Collection:

Gather before or after they open completely.

Flowers

Plants Collection:

Collect in clear dry weather, in the morning after the dew has disappeared.

Bulbs

Plants Collection:

Gather after the new structure is completely formed and before the leaves decay.

Fruits

Plants Collection:

Collect before reaching maturity.

Seeds

Plants Collection:

They must be fully ripe.

Barks

Plants Collection:

Separate them from the trunk after heavy rain.

Annual

Collection of Rhizomes and Roots:

Gather just before flowering.

Biennial

Collection of Rhizomes and Roots:

Collect after vegetation of the first year has ended.

Perennial

Collection of Rhizomes and Roots:

Gather either before vegetation begins or after ends.