Overview Plants as Medicines

Question 1

Pharmacognosy is

Answer 1

the study of plant and animal products and the organisms producing them which are used in medicine and pharmacy

Question 2

Plants are used in convential medicine in these 5 ways:

Answer 2

1. directly as medicines
2. sources of drug molecules
3. souces of starting materiasls for drug synthesis
4. as pharmaceutical excipients
5. as prototypes for new synthetic drugs

Question 3

the study of chemicals derived from plants, their structures and biosynthesis

Answer 3

Phytochemistry

Question 4

Plants are used as excipients in these 4 manners

Answer 4

• formulation aid
  
  • polysaccharides have high degree of swelling power
• viscosity enhancer
  
  • gums and cellulose
• flavouring agents
  
  • essential or volatile oils (peppermint)
• colouring agents

Question 5

what are some reasons that a plant is not be used directly as a medicine (5)

Answer 5

• toxicity
• unavailability due to war
• unavailability endangered species
• patent rights
  
  • can’t patent nature, but can patent a synthetic or biosynthetic process
• improved activity

Question 6

what are the 5 major groupings of plant products

Answer 6

• alkaloids
• glycosides
• polysaccarides
• lipids
• terpenoids