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Finding Sources
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Finding Sources
The library doesn't have a pharmacognosy textbook, so I'll answer directly from established pharmacognosy knowledge. These are standard questions from a Pharmacognosy course.
PART III — Answers
i. Define crude drugs.
Crude drugs are natural substances of plant, animal, or mineral origin that have undergone no or only simple processing (drying, cutting, powdering) and are used in their natural state or as simple preparations for medicinal purposes.
ii. Name any one method of classification of drugs.
Morphological (taxonomic) classification — drugs are classified based on their physical part of origin (root, bark, leaf, fruit, seed, etc.).
(Other methods: pharmacological, chemical/phytochemical, alphabetical, chemotaxonomical.)
iii. What is adulteration?
Adulteration is the intentional or unintentional addition of inferior, inert, or harmful substances to a genuine drug, or the substitution of a genuine drug with a cheaper or inferior article, so as to reduce quality while maintaining appearance.
iv. Name one alkaloid-containing drug.
Cinchona (Cinchona bark — contains quinine and quinidine)
(Other examples: Opium – morphine; Belladonna – atropine; Ergot – ergotamine.)
v. Name one example of a laxative drug.
Senna (Cassia senna) — contains anthraquinone glycosides (sennosides) that stimulate colonic motility.
vi. Give one example of a cardiotonic crude drug.
Digitalis (Digitalis purpurea / Foxglove) — contains cardiac glycosides (digitoxin, digoxin) that increase myocardial contractility.
vii. What is volatile oil?
Volatile oils (also called essential oils or ethereal oils) are odorous, volatile principles found in plants, consisting of complex mixtures of hydrocarbons (terpenes) and their oxygenated derivatives. They evaporate readily at room temperature and are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents.
viii. Name one plant fibre used as surgical dressings.
Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum / Gossypium hirsutum) — absorbent cotton (purified cotton) is the standard surgical dressing fibre.
ix. What is ayurveda?
Ayurveda is one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine originating in India. The term means "science of life" (ayur = life; veda = knowledge). It uses herbal, animal, and mineral preparations alongside dietary and lifestyle practices to maintain health and treat disease, and forms a recognized system of medicine under Indian law.
x. What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients (mainly oligosaccharides and dietary fibres) that selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) in the colon, thereby benefiting host health.
(Example: Inulin, fructooligosaccharides — FOS.)
xi. Name herbal cosmetic ingredients.
Examples of herbal cosmetic ingredients:
- Aloe vera — moisturising/soothing
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) — anti-inflammatory/brightening
- Neem (Azadirachta indica) — antimicrobial
- Sandalwood — fragrance/skin-soothing
- Henna (Lawsonia inermis) — hair colouring
xii. What is evaluation of crude drug?
Evaluation of crude drugs is the process of assessing the identity, quality, purity, and standard of a crude drug using morphological, organoleptic, microscopic, physical, chemical, and biological methods to ensure it meets pharmacopoeial standards and is free from adulteration.
xiii. Name one anti-malarial crude drug.
Cinchona bark (Cinchona officinalis) — source of quinine, the classical antimalarial alkaloid.
(Also: Artemisia annua — source of artemisinin.)
xiv. What is resin?
Resins are complex, amorphous, non-volatile solid or semi-solid mixtures of oxidized terpenes secreted by plants, either naturally or after injury. They are insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and organic solvents, and are characterised by their stiffening/hardening on exposure to air.
(Example: Colophony/rosin from turpentine; Benzoin; Myrrh.)
xv. Name one pharmaceutical aid.
Tragacanth (Astragalus gummifer) — used as a suspending agent and emulsifying agent in pharmaceutical formulations.
(Other examples: Acacia – emulsifier; Starch – diluent/disintegrant; Liquid paraffin – lubricant.)
xvi. Define homeopathy.
Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine developed by Samuel Hahnemann based on the principle of "similia similibus curantur" (like cures like) — that a substance that causes symptoms in a healthy person can, in extremely small (highly diluted) doses, cure similar symptoms in a sick person.
xvii. What is phytochemical investigation?
Phytochemical investigation is the systematic study of the chemical constituents (phytochemicals) of plants — including alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, etc. — involving their extraction, isolation, identification, and characterisation using chemical and chromatographic methods.
xviii. Name one anti-diabetic crude drug.
Bitter melon / Karela (Momordica charantia) — contains charantin, polypeptide-p, and vicine, which have hypoglycaemic activity.
(Other examples: Fenugreek – Trigonella foenum-graecum; Gymnema – Gymnema sylvestre.)
xix. Define pharmacognosy.
Pharmacognosy is the branch of pharmacy that deals with the study of crude drugs obtained from natural sources (plants, animals, minerals, microorganisms), including their biological, biochemical, pharmacological, and economic properties. The term was coined by Seydler (1815); the word derives from Greek pharmakon (drug) + gnosis (knowledge).
xx. What is cosmeceutical?
A cosmeceutical is a hybrid product that lies between a cosmetic and a pharmaceutical — it is applied topically like a cosmetic but contains bioactive ingredients that exert a therapeutic/pharmacological effect on the skin. The term was coined by Albert Kligman.
(Examples: Anti-aging creams with retinoids; Sunscreens with zinc oxide; Skin-lightening preparations with kojic acid.)
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