MODULE 2: PHARMACOGNOSY

DEFINITION OF TERMS

CRUDE DRUGS - vegetable or animal drugs that undergone only the process of collection and drying.

NATURAL SUBSTANCE - substances found in nature.

EXTRACTIVES / DERIVATIVES - chief principles of crude drugs that are separated (through extraction) and used in a specific manner.

INDIGENOUS PLANTS - plants growing in their native country.

NATURALIZE PLANTS - plants growing in a foreign land or locality other than their native source.

HISTORY

BABYLONIANS

  • made clay models of human body.

HINDUS

  • Ayurveda: science of life; mother of all healing arts.

EGYPTIANS

  • Papyrus ebers discovered by George Ebers in 1550

  • contains information about the human anatomy and use of plants

  • embalming and mummification - Egyptians used MYRRH (oleogum resin) as an embalming agent.

GREEKS

  • Pedanius Dioscorides: wrote the book De materia medica with 600+ plants.

  • Claudius Galen: Father of pharmaceutical compounding

  • Galen introduced Galenical Pharmacy

  • Galenical: Cold cream, Rose water, Lanolin

NOTABLE PEOPLE

  • C.A. SEYDLER: coined and introduced the term “Pharmacognosy” in the book Analectica Pharmacognostica in 1815.

  • J.A. SCHMIDT: first to use the term “pharmacognosy” in the book Lehburch der materia medica in 1811.

  • F.A. FLUCKIGER: most comprehensive definition of pharmacognosy; “simultaneous application of various scientific disciplines with the objectives of acquiring drugs from every point of view”

  • PIERRE ROBIQUET: discovered CODEINE.

  • FRIEDRICH SERTURNER: discovered MORPHINE.

  • PIERRE JOSEPH PELLETIER & JOSEPH CAVENTOU: isolated QUININE.

  • RUDOLF BRANDES: discovered ATROPINE.

DEFINITION OF TERMS IN EXTRACTION

  • MENSTRUUM - solvent used in extraction

  • MARC - undissolved portion

  • EXTRACTIVE - product of extraction.

APPROPRIATE SOLVENTS/MENSTRUUM

  • FAT - HEXANE

  • CHLOROPHYLL - ACETONE

  • RESINS - ALCOHOL

  • INULIN - ALCOHOL

  • CHRYSAROBIN - HOT BENZENE

  • PECTIN - SOLEIC ACID

  • SOLANINE - ACETIC ACID

METHODS OF EXTRACTION

  • MACERATION - solid ingredients are placed in a stoppered container with the prescribed solvent and allowed to stand for a period of at least 3 days in a warm place with frequent agitation. “SOAKING”

  • DIGESTION - maceration with gentle heat.

  • PERCOLATION - use of percolator: slow passage of suitable solvent through a column of drug.

  • DECOCTION - boiling in water for 15 minutes.

  • INFUSION - maceration in HOT OR COLD water.

COLLECTION - small scale; initial selection of the species to cultivate.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO COLLECT?

  • ROOT CROPS - when the overground parts are withering.

  • FLOWER - morning; when the flower just bloomed.

  • BARK - between summer and spring.

PECTIN

  • PROTOPECTIN - Unripe fruit

  • PECTIN - Just ripe

  • PECTIC ACID - Overripe

MARIJUANA

  • CANNABIDIOL - Young leaves

  • CANNABINOL - Mature leaves

SOLANACEOUS ALKALOIDS (ATROPINE)

  • when the fruits begin to form.

HARVESTING - large scale

MANUAL HARVEST

  • aka Hand Labor

  • needs skillful selection of plant parts

  • employed when harvesting potent drugs.

MECHANICAL HARVEST

  • Use of machines leads to less labor costs.

DRYING - most important step

REASONS FOR DRYING

  1. fix the constituent

  2. ensure good qualities

  3. removes moisture content to prevent microbial growth and enzymatic degradation.

CURING - special drying process; enhances the property of the active component.

  • CASCARA SAGRADA (Emodin glycosides) - Very irritating to mucus membrane; reduced form is irritating; added MgO to oxidized form becomes less irritating.

  • VANILLA - sweating process enhances the aroma and flavor; sun dry and covered with cloth at night.

  • GLUCOVANILLIC ACID — VANILLIN

GARBLING - Final step in the preparation of crude drugs; removal of extraneous materials > unwanted materials.

PACKAGING, STORAGE AND PRESERVATION - optional step

  • for protection and marketability

PRESERVATION:

  • Simplest method: exposed drug to 65 deg. celsius

  • Fumigation with CH3Br

  • add a drop of CHCl3 or CCl4

ADULTERATION OF CRUDE DRUGS

  • SOPHISTICATION - intentional addition of other components.

  • ADMIXTURE - unintentional addition of other components.

  • SUBSTITUTION - entire replacement of a component.

  • DETERIORATION - destruction by extremes in the processing of the drug.

  • SPOILAGE - deterioration due to bacterial or fungal growth.

  • INFERIORITY - active constituent is below the minimum standard.

EVALUATION OF CRUDE DRUGS

  • ORGANOLEPTIC - USE OF SENSE ORGANS; aka MACROSCOPIC EVALUATION

  • MICROSCOPIC - use of microscope to determine the purity and identity of the drug.

  • PHYSICAL - use of physical constants.

  • CHEMICAL - determine the amount of chemical constituents; best method to determine the official potency.

  • PHARMACOLOGIC - Bioassay; pharmacologic activity.

BIOASSAY

  • DIGOXIN - Pigeon

  • ATROPINE - Cat

  • GLUCAGON - Cat

  • OXYTOCIN - Chicken

  • TUBOCURARINE - Rabbit

  • PTH - Dog

  • HEPARIN - Sheep

  • INSULIN - Rabbit

PLANT HORMONES

  • AUXIN - Produced in plant parts that are actively growing (seed embryo, stem, young leaves); Responsible for cell elongation and phototropism.

  • GIBBERELIN - Involved in breaking dormancy, promotes stem elongation between nodes, delays leaf senescence.

  • ETHYLENE - Fruit ripening, opening of flowers, shedding of leaves.

  • ABSCISCIC ACID - Growth inhibition, seed dormancy, stomata closure.

  • CYTOKININ - Increases cell division; delays senescence; promotes growth of lateral buds, apical dominance, and leaf enlargement.

DOH SAMPUNG HALAMANG GAMOT

  • BAYABAS (Psidium guajava) - ASTRINGENT

  • AMPALAYA (Momordica charantia) - HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENT

  • BAWANG (Allium sativum) - CHOLESTEROL LOWERING

  • YERBA BUENA (Mentha cordifolia) - ANALGESIC

  • PANSIT PANSITAN (Peperomia pellucida) - ANTIHYPERURICEMIA

  • LAGUNDI (Vitex negundo) - COUGH AND ASTHMA

  • AKAPULKO (Cassia alata) - ANTIFUNGAL

  • NIYOG-NIYOGAN (Quiqualis indica) - ANTHELMINTHIC

  • TSAANG GUBAT (Carmona retusa/Ehretia microphylla) - ANTIDIARRHEAL

  • SAMBONG (Blumea balsamifera) - DIURETIC