Preparation of Crude Drugs

Question 1

▪ Improper collection results to partial or complete substitution;
▪ Collection time - highest in its content when it is at its peak
▪ Flower - best to harvest at dawn
▪ Bark - spring and summer
▪ Root crops - when upper ground portion is about to wither
Ex: Marijuana (female part of the cannabis sativa)
▪ Young leaves – cannabidiol (if male, nasa buong part ng plant)
▪ Mature leaves – cannabinol (THC), (tetrahydrocannabinol, nasa flowering tops if female)

*resins- Pure constituents

Answer 1

Collection

Question 2

▪ “Large scale”

▪ manual labor vs. mechanical devices
*Mechanical devices: pickers, mowers, binders, swath, steel
*Manual – for potent constituents

Answer 2

Harvesting
(the wrong manner of harvesting for digitalis can destroy its constituents)

Question 3

Air drying and artificial drying
- oven drying - retains the color of the plants

▪ prevent bacterial, fungal growth and enzymatic degradation (remove water to prevent degradation)
▪ Facilitates grinding and milling (glucovanillin - dapat paghiwalayin for a more stronger vanilla flavor;Used for enzyme degredation)

eg. Vanilla bean- promotes preparation while drying
▪ Curing - special drying process

Answer 3

Drying

Question 4

▪ Final step in the preparation of crude drugs
▪ Removal of extraneous matter (other parts of the plant, dirt, added adulterants)

Answer 4

Garbling

Question 5

*Protection and marketability
*High degree of quality
*To avoid insect attacks:
o Simplest method: expose drug to 65°c
o Fumigation with methyl bromide
o Add a drop of chloroform or carbon tetrachloride

Answer 5

Packaging, storage &
preservation