M1: Introduction  Simultaneous application of various scientific

Introduction disciplines with the object of acquiring

Pharmacognosy is derived from two Latin words knowledge of drug from every point of view.
pharmakon, ‘a drug,’ and gignoso, ‘to acquire
knowledge of ’. It is defined as the science of Lesson 2: Scope and Practice of Pharmacognosy
pharmaceuticals that are derived from nature. It
deals with all medicinal plants, including those PLANT CHEMISTRY: is the art of resolving plants into
yielding complex mixtures, which are used in the form its chemical constituents or isolating the most
of crude herbs or extracts (phytotherapy), pure important components in the form of pure chemical
compounds such as morphine, and foods having compounds.
additional health benefits only in the context of having PHYTOCHEMISTRY: Study of the composition of
preventive effects (nutraceuticals) (Heinrich, M. et al, plant principle, their extraction, biosynthesis, and
2018). identification.
The history of pharmacy was for centuries PHYTOCHEMICALS: is a more recent evolution of
identical to the history of pharmacognosy, or the study the term that emphasizes the plant source of most
of materia medica, which were obtained from natural non-nutrient plant chemicals which are considered
sources – mostly plants, but also minerals, animals, protective, disease-preventing compounds.
and fungi. This introductory module will provide an PHYTOTHERAPY: use of plant extract for medicinal
overview of some historical aspects of medicinal purposes
plants used by different societies (ethnobotany, HERBS: leaves, roots, and flowers of plants grown
ethnopharmacology) and on the role of plants in a and processed for culinary, cosmetic, industrial,
variety of popular ‘nonscientific’ medical systems medicinal, landscaping, decorative and fragrant
(traditional medicine) and also provide scientific basis purposes; a plant that does not form the woody stem
for the use of plants in pharmacy. CRUDE DRUGS: Vegetable or animal drugs that
consist of natural substances that have undergone
only the process of collection and drying.
M1 Part 1: Introduction to Pharmacognosy and Plant MARC: Undissolved portion of the drug that remains
Chemistry after the extraction process is completed.
EXTRACTION: is the separation of medicinally active
Lesson 1: Origins of Pharmacognosy and Plant portions of plant or animal tissues using selected
Chemistry solvents through standard procedures
PHARMACOGNOSY: a study of natural drugs, EXTRACTIVES: product of extraction, single
including such factors as their botanical sources, substance or mixture of substances which are c
constituents, and biological, biochemical, and ETHNOBOTANY: coined by John William
economic characteristics; it is the science of biogenic Harshberger, 1895; it is a broad term referring to the
or nature-derived pharmaceuticals and poisons. study and relationship of plants by humans and their
1. Ancient Mesopotamia: Cuneiform writing culture. Richard Evans Schulte, father of modern
(baked clay tablets) ethnobotany
2. Ancient Egypt: Ebers Papyrus (700 drugs), ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY: the scientific study of
1550 B.C. the oldest, most complete, and material used by ethnic groups as medicines, aka
most important medical papyri of ancient TRADITIONAL MEDICINE: It is the sum total of all
Egypt non-mainstream medical practices.
3. Ayurveda: Ayur means life and Veda means ETHNOMEDICINE: it refers to the use of plants by
the study of humans as medicines
4. Ancient Greece and Rome ELUCIDATION: It is the determination of the chemical
 Pedanios Dioscorides: De Materia Medica is structure of a chemically uncharacterized substance.
an organized pharmaceutical and medical considered as their chief constituents of the drug
knowledge giving information pertaining to
drugs and their usage. Lesson 3: Plant Nomenclature and Taxonomy
 Claudius Galen: Greek Physician- Plant Nomenclature or Botanical Nomenclature is the
Pharmacist, described the method of formal, scientific naming of plants, although related, it
preparation of formula containing plant and is distinct from Taxonomy. Botanical nomenclature
animal drugs – GALENICALS has a long history, going back beyond the period
 Avicenna: Persian Galen when Latin was the universal language (lingua franca)
5. The 18th Century Pharmacognosy throughout Europe and the system of naming plants
 Johann Adam Schmidt(1759-1809), were based on their physical description or
Lehrbuch der Materia Medica characteristics. It can be dated back during the time of
 Carolus Linnaeus (naming and classifying Theophrastus, Pedanios Dioscorides and other
plants) Roman and Greek writers. The starting point of
 1803: Era of pure compounds (Narcotine) modern botanical nomenclature appears consistently
6. Pharmacognosy: regarding as “mother of all on the work of Carolous Linnaeus, Species Plantarum
science” in 1753. Botanical nomenclature is managed by the
 from two Greek words pharmakon (drug) and International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi
gnosis (knowledge) – C.A. Seydler and plants.
 pharmakon (drug) and gignosco - Evans
Classification of Vegetable drugs:
 applied science that deals with the biologic,
 Alphabetical
biochemical, and economic features of
natural drugs and their constituents – Tyler  Taxonomic
 Morphological
  Pharmacological or Therapeutic The medicinal effects of plants are due to metabolites
 Chemical or Biogenetic especially secondary compounds produced by plant
species.
M1 Part 2: Introduction to Pharmacognosy and Plant They include:
Chemistry  Primary Metabolites; and
Lesson 4: Plant Growth Regulators:  Secondary Metabolites
PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS:
Primary Metabolites Secondary
 Auxins Metabolites
 Gibberellins 1. Organic 1. Organic
 Cytokinins
compounds produced compounds produced
 Abscisic acid
in the plant kingdom in the plant kingdom
 Ethylene
These plant hormones are specific in their action:
2. Have metabolic 2. Don’t have
 Active in very low concentrations
 Regulate cell enlargement functions essential apparent functions
 Regulate cell division for plant growth and involved in plant
 Cell differentiation development growth and
 Organogenesis development.
 Senescence
 Dormancy
3. Produced in every 3. Produced in
Plant Chemistry plant. different or specific
groups of plant
This is the study of chemicals produced by the many families or in specific
diverse organisms of nature, including plants, tissues, cells, or
microbes (fungi and bacteria), marine organisms, and
developmental stages
more exotic sources such as frog skins and insects.
throughout plant
Why study medicinal plants? development.

 Many of the modern medicines are produced

indirectly from medicinal plants. Ex: aspirin 4. Examples are 4. Include terpenoids,
carbohydrates, amino alkaloids (non-protein
acids, nucleotides, amino acids, amines,
fatty acids, steroids, cyanogenic
and lipids. glycosides, and
glucosinolates), and
phenolics

Primary Metabolic Pathways

 Plants are directly used as medicines by a
majority of cultures around the world. Ex:  The building blocks for secondary
TCM, Ayurveda metabolites are derived from primary
metabolism.
 Many food crops have medicinal effects. Ex:
Garlic  The most important building blocks
employed in the biosynthesis of secondary
 Medicinal plants are sources of new drugs;
metabolites are derived from the
250, 000 flowering plants.
intermediates acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-
 Studying medicinal plants helps to
CoA), shikimic acid, mevalonic acid, and 1-
understand plant toxicity and protect humans
deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate
and animals from natural poisons.
 Cultivation and preservation of medicinal
plants protect biological diversity.
Plant Constituents
 Plants remain the most important source of
natural drugs, however, only about 10%
have been fully studied.
 More than 30% of prescription drugs are
natural products (e.g colchicine).
 More than 60% of anticancer and anti-
infective drugs are natural products (e.g.
Taxol, Penicillin).
 Plant constituents comprise a wide variety of
organic substances that are formed and
accumulated by plants. M1 Part 3: Introduction to Pharmacognosy and Plant
Chemistry
Lesson 1 Part 3: Ethnobotany
Shortly before the start of the 20th century (1896), the
American botanist William Harshberger coined the
term ‘ethnobotany’ – the study of plant use by
humans.

Ethnobotany studies the relationship between

humans and plants in all its complexity and is
generally based on detailed observation and study of
the use a society makes of plants, including all the
beliefs and cultural practices associated with this use.

It is usual for ethnobotanists to live with indigenous

people, to share the everyday life of their community,
and, of course, to respect the underlying cultures.
Ethnobotanists have a responsibility both to the
scientific community and to the indigenous cultures.