Botany Lec.3

Crude Drugs: Cultivation, Collection, Processing
and Storage
(Remember that most of the crude drugs come from herbal plants)
Cultivation of Crude Drugs:

Cultivation of medicinal plants requires intensive care and management. The
conditions and duration of cultivation required vary depending on the quality of
medicinal plant materials required.
Methods of Propagation:
A-Vegetative propagation (Asexual propagation)
B. Seed Propagation (Sexual Propagation)
A-Vegetative propagation (Asexual propagation)

Vegetative propagation can be defined as regeneration or formation of a new
individual from any vegetative part of the plant body. The method of vegetative
propagation involves separation of a part of plant body, which develops into a
new plant.
Methods of vegetative propagation:
They are two types:
1. Methods of natural vegetative
propagation:
2. Methods of artificial vegetative propagation.
1. Methods of natural vegetative propagation:
a. Vegetative propagation by stem:
Runner: peppermint. Bulb: Allium. Corms:
Colchicum. Tuber: Potato. Rhizome:
Ginger
b. Vegetative
propagation by
root: Asparagus
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2. Methods of artificial vegetative propagation:
Various parts developed for natural vegetative propagation have also been used
for artificial vegetative propagation.
Following methods are used:
1. Cutting:
These are the parts of the plant (stem, root or leaf)
which, if grown under suitable’ conditions, develop
new plants. Stem cutting are generally used to
obtained new plants.
2. Layering:
Roots are induced on the stem while it is still attached to
the parent plant. This part of stem is later detached from
the parent plant and grown into a new plant.
3. Grafting:
New variety is produced by joining parts of two different
plants.
4. Micro propagation:
This method consists of growing cell, tissue and organ in culture. Small pieces of
plant organs or tissues are grown in a container with suitable nutrient medium,
under sterilized conditions. The tissue grows into a mass of undifferentiated cells
called callus which later differentiates into plantlets. These are then transferred
into pots or nursery beds and allowed to grow into full plants.
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5. Hydroponics:
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without using soil (i.e., soil less). This
technique instead uses a mineral nutrient solution in a water solvent, allowing
the nutrient uptake process to be more efficient than when using soil. There are
several types or variations of hydroponics. Hydroponics is suitable for commercial
food producers and hobbyist gardeners alike. Hydroponics possesses several
advantages over a soil medium. Unlike plants grown in soil, plants grown in a
hydroponics system do not need to develop extensive root structures to search
for nutrients. It is easier to test and adjust pH levels. In the hydroponics method,
plants are raised in an inert and perfectly pH balanced growing medium where
the plants only need to expend minimal energy to acquire nutrients from the
roots. The energy saved by the roots is better spent on fruit and flower
production.
Importance of asexual propagation:
1. It is a cheaper, easier. Many fruit trees usually require 4-5 years to bear the
fruits when developed from seeds. The plants developed by vegetative methods,
take only a year to bear fruits.
2. Plants like roses do not form viable seeds. Thus, vegetative propagation is the
only method of propagation in such plants.
3. All the plants developed by these methods will be generally similar to the
parent plant.
4. Micro propagation is useful in raising disease free plants, homozygous
diploids, and those without viable seeds.
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Collection of drugs:
As per WHO Guidelines (World Health Organization)
1. Medicinal plants/herbal drugs should be harvested when they are at the best
possible quality for the proposed use.
2. Damaged plants or parts plants need to be excluded.
3. Medicinal plants/herbal drugs should be harvested under the best possible
conditions avoiding wet soil, dew, rain, high air humidity.
4. Cutting devices must be adjusted such that contamination from soil particles is
reduced to a minimum.
5. The harvested medicinal plant/herbal drug should not come into direct contact
with the soil.
Time of collection:
The period of growth or development at which medicinal activity is highest has
been carefully determined for many plants.
Example:
Stramonium leaves, gathered in the morning,
contain a higher proportion of alkaloids than
those collected in the evening.
The proportion, of alkaloid in the leaves of
belladonna is largest at the beginning of
flowering, whilst with Stramonium the peak
coincides with mature flowers.
Processing
Drying:
When medicinal plant materials are prepared for use in dry form, the moisture
content of the material should be kept as low as possible in order to reduce
damage from mould and other microbial infestation.
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Medicinal plants can be dried in a number of ways:
1. In the open air (the drying frames should be located at a sufficient height
above the ground), or by direct sunlight
2. Placed in thin layers on drying frames, wire-screened rooms.
3. In drying ovens, microwave. For indoor drying, the duration of drying, drying
temperature, humidity and other conditions should be determined on the basis of
the plant part concerned (root, leaf, stem, bark, flower, etc.) and any volatile
natural constituents, such as essential oils.
4- Vacuum drying: This is conducted in steam- heated ovens with perfect
closure, and a pump is used to exhaust the air. The low pressure maintained
within the oven ensures rapid and complete drying.
Advantages of vacuum drying:
(i) Rapid drying.
(ii) Relatively low temperature.
(iii) Cleanliness and freedom from odor and dust.
(iv) Independence of climate conditions.
(v) Control of temperature.
(vi) Elimination, of risk of fire.
(vii) Compactness.
5- Some medicinal plant materials require specific processing to: improve the
purity of the plant part being employed; reduce drying time; prevent damage
from mould, other microorganisms and insects; detoxify toxic ingredients; and
enhance therapeutic efficacy. Common specific processings: peeling the skins of
roots and rhizomes, boiling in water, steaming, soaking, distillation, fumigation,
treatment with lime and chopping.
Antimicrobial treatments of medicinal plant materials (raw or processed) by
various methods, including irradiation, must be declared and the materials must
be labeled as required.
Storage:
1. Storage facilities for medicinal material should be well aerated, dry and
protected from light, and, when necessary, be supplied with air-conditioning and
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humidity control equipment as well as facilities to protect against rodents, insects
and livestock.
2. The floor should be tidy, Medicinal material should be stored on shelves which
keep the material a sufficient distance from the walls; measures should be taken
to prevent the occurrence of pest and inspections should be carried out at
regular intervals.
3. Continuous in-process quality control measures should be implemented to
eliminate substandard materials, contaminants and foreign matter prior to and
during the final stages of packaging.
4. Materials used for packaging should be non-polluting, clean, dry and in
undamaged condition
5. Wooden boxes and paper bags should not be used for storage of crude drugs
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Crude Drugs: Cultivation, Collection, Processing

Cultivation of Crude Drugs:

A-Vegetative propagation (Asexual propagation)

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