Introduction To Pharmacognosy

Question 1

Examples of crude drugs derived from plants

Answer 1

St. John’s wort- mild to moderate depression
Leaves of Senna -constipation

Question 2

Examples of pure compound derived from plants

Answer 2

Morphine from opium poppy- analgesic
Digoxin - cardiac glycosides treat HF

Question 3

Examples of nutraceuticals or functional foods

Answer 3

Garlic, ginger , turmeric

Question 4

Role of natural drug substance in medicine

Answer 4

1.Serve as useful natural drugs ie artemisinin in treatment of malaria
2. Better synthetic drugs synthesized based on biological active prototypes thus synthetic have better therapeutic index and have fewer S/E ie procaine from cocaine
3. Some inactive natural products can be converted into potent drugs by suitable biological or chemical means

Question 5

Phytochemical aspects of living organisms include

Answer 5

Constituents
Classification
Drug biosynthesis

Question 6

Define constituents and give classification with examples

Answer 6

Constituents- huge number of chemical substances present in plant or animal kingdom
A. Active constituent- chemical constituents that are solely responsible for existing pharmacology, microbial and therapeutics activities like steroids, alkaloids
B. Inert: chemical compounds do not have definitive therapeutic value but can be used in formulation of drug ie lignin

Question 7

Study biosynthestic pathway

Answer 7

Did you study it ?

Question 8

Give phytochemical classification

Answer 8

1. Mixtures- tannins
2. Comprised of diversified chemical entity - ascorbic acid
3. Mostly Nitrogen- amino acid
4. Comprise of N, S and P- amygdalin
5. Comprised of O into heterocyclic rings
6. Comprise C,H,O - geraniol
7. Comprise of C, H only- beta myrcene