Definition, History & Scope of (Pharmacognosy | Ch-1): Latest D Pharma 1st year Notes

What is Pharmacognosy?

Pharmacognosy is the scientific and systematic study of the structural, physical, chemical, and biological characters of crude drugs — along with their history, methods of cultivation, collection, and preparation for market.

The word comes from two Greek words: Pharmakon (a drug) and Gignosco (to acquire knowledge). Simply put, it is the study of crude drugs obtained from plant, animal, and mineral origins.

Sources of Crude Drugs

Crude drugs come from a variety of natural sources:

• Plant sources — Neem, Tulsi, Clove, Saffron, Babul
• Animal sources — Honey, Beeswax, Silk, Insulin, Shark Liver Oil, Thyroid
• Mineral sources — Chalk, Talc, Kaolin, Bentonite, Fuller’s Earth
• Micro-organisms — Antibiotics
• Marine sources — Salt, Protozoa

History of Pharmacognosy

The use of medicinal plants dates back thousands of years across many civilizations.

• Ancient Egypt — Egyptians were aware of the medicinal uses of several plants and animals, as well as human anatomy.
• Hippocrates (460–360 B.C.) — Greek physician known as the “Father of Medicine.”
• Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) — Renowned philosopher known for his studies on the animal kingdom.
• Theophrastus (370–287 B.C.) — Known for his studies on the plant kingdom.
• Pedanius Dioscorides (40–80 A.D.) — Greek physician who described several medicinal plants in his landmark work De Materia Medica (78 A.D.).
• Pliny the Elder (23–70 A.D.) — Compiled 37 volumes of natural history.
• Galen (131–200 A.D.) — Greek pharmacist who described methods for preparing extracts of active constituents from crude drugs. His work gave rise to the term Galenical Pharmacy.

Indian History

India’s history of medicinal plants dates back to approximately 3500 B.C. The curative properties of plants are mentioned in the Suktas of the Rigveda and Atharvaveda. Ayurveda has described a large number of plants with therapeutic properties. The two most celebrated ancient Ayurvedic texts — the Charak Samhita (by Charaka) and the Susruta Samhita (by Susruta) — remain foundational references to this day.

Scope of Pharmacognosy

Pharmacognosy has a wide and growing scope across the field of pharmacy. Its key branches include:

1. Phytochemical Analysis Bioactive molecules are extracted and isolated from crude drugs and analyzed using modern techniques such as Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Gas Chromatography.

2. Herbal Medicine Herbal preparations have grown in popularity due to the belief that they carry fewer side effects compared to synthetic modern medicines.

3. Flavoring Agents and Perfumes Many aromatic plants — such as Ajowan and Lemon Grass — are widely used as flavoring agents, perfumes, spices, and medicines.

4. Tissue Culture Plant tissue culture involves the in-vitro cultivation of plant seeds, organs, embryos, tissues, single cells, and protoplasts for research and production purposes.

5. Phytomedicine A herbal-based traditional medicine practice that uses various plant materials for both preventive and therapeutic purposes.

6. Other Areas Pharmacognosy also contributes to the steroid industry, general tonic and stimulant preparation, natural product development, and cultivation and domestication of medicinal plants.