The academic staff

Prof. Madiha Amin Hassan

Dr. Nagwa Abdelkader Shoeib.

Pharmacognosy
is derived from the Greek words pharmakon
meaning drug and gignosco (gnosis)
meaning to acquire a knowledge of
[knowledge of drugs].
is the science of biogenic or nature derived
pharmaceuticals and poisons.

Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is one of the important
branches of pharmacy. It deals with the study
of structural, physical, chemical and sensory
characters of crude drugs and includes their
history, cultivation, collection, storage and use."
As well as the search for new drugs from
natural sources.

Scope of pharmacognosy
Natural products having medicinal action.
Mainly products derived from plants, but also
products of animal origin, marine organisms
and naturally-occurring inorganic substances.
Materials as natural fibres, flavouring and
suspending agents, colorants, disintegrants,
stabilizers, filtering and support media.
Poisonous and hallucinogenic plants, allergens,
herbicides, insecticides and molluscicides.

Plants: Botanical side

Classical Botanical Pharmacognosy
Concerned with the description and
identification of drugs, both in the whole
state and in powder, with their history,
commerce, collection, preparation and
storage.

Phytochemistry and modern aspects.

The word phyto derives from the Greek word

plant
The biochemical study of plants; concerned with
the identification, biosynthesis, and metabolism
of chemical constituents of plants; especially
used in regard to natural products.
Use of modern isolation techniques and
pharmacological testing procedures.
Cultivation or artificial propagation by cell
culture.
Microbial biotransformation

Pharmacognosy I
The course consists of basic principles of
pharmacognosy, including introduction and
definitions, scope of pharmacognosy, historical
review, and classification of crude drugs. The
course also includes the cultivation, collection
and processing of medicinal plants. Plant cell
and tissue types are covered, in addition to
ergastic cell contents and their importance. Also
includes the morphology and anatomy of
different plant organs.

Objectives of the course

To enable the student to:
Acquire knowledge about the modern concept and scope of
Pharmacognosy.
Understand the botanical aspects, nomenclature, and classification of crude
drugs
Have general information on cultivation, collection and processing of
medicinal plants.
Know the different types of plant tissues.
Acquire knowledge about ergastic cell contents and their importance as well
as dusting powders.
Know the active constituents of medicinal plants and identify the major
groups by chemical testing.
Acquire knowledge about taxonomy of medicinal plants and medicinal plant
families
Describe the morphology and anatomy of different plant organs.

Week

Topic

Practical

Introduction to pharmacognosy,
-Definition
-Scope of pharmacognosy and modern aspects.

-Historical review
-Classification of crude drugs.
-Cultivation, collection, preparation and storage of
medicinal plants.

- Laboratory safety measures.

- How to use the light microscope.
- Preparation of microscopical slides.
- Mountants used for examination of
medicinal plants.

- Plant hormones.
-Plant cell and tissue types.
- Types of stomata.
- Types of trichomes.

-Plant cells and tissue types.

-Types of stomata.
-Types of trichomes.

- Powders of natural occurrence (dusting powders)

- Ergastic cell contents:
- Starches.
- Calcium oxalate.

Microscopical examination of different types

of
- Powders (chalk, kaolin, kieselguhr, talc,
lycopodium)
- Starches (potato, wheat, maize, rice).

Active constituents
- Definition.
Chemical Tests

Microscopical examination of Calcium

oxalate (cluster in rhubarb& senna; crystal
sheath in liquorice).

- Active constituents (continued)

-Principals of plant classification (Taxonomy and
chemotaxonomy).
- Nomenclature (binomial system) biological and
geographical sources.

Chemical tests of active constituents of

plants:
Volatile &fixed oils, alkaloids, tannins,
saponin, anthraquinones,
flavonoids and cardiac glycosides

- Diagnostic characters of family Solanaceae.

Medicinal plants and other crude drugs:
Leaf drugs ( Introduction, examples)

Macro- and microscopical examination

of senna leaflets and examination of the
powder.

Senna leaflets. in detail.

Macro-and microscopical examination
Herb drugs (Introduction, examples, mentha herb in of mentha herb and examination of the
detail)
powder.

Bark and wood drugs (Introduction, examples,

cinnamon and cassia barks, quassia wood in detail)

Macro- and microscopical examination

of cassia bark and examination of its
powder. Demonstration of quassia wood.

10

Inflorescence and flower drugs (Introduction,

examples, clove and chamomile in detail)

Macro- and microscopical examination

of clove and chamomile and
examination of the powder.

11

Seed drugs(Introduction, examples,

linseed in detail)

Macro- and microscopical

examination of linseed seed
and examination of its
powder.

12

Fruit drugs( Introduction, examples,

fennel in detail)

Macro- and microscopical

examination of fennel and
examination of the powder.

13

Roots and rhizomes( Introduction,

examples, ginger, liquorice in detail)

Macro- and microscopical

examination of ginger and
liquorice and examination of
their powders.

14

Unorganized drugs (introduction,

Revision:
Examples; opium, cannabis, aloes,
- Spots
gums, balsams, agar, gelatin, catechu). - Unknown Powders.

References
Trease & Evans' Pharmacognosy by William

Charles Evans, 2002.

Botany : An introduction to Plant Biology,
Third eddition by James D. Mauseth,2008
Fundamentals of Pharmacognosy and
Phytotherapy by Michael Heinrich, Joanne
Barnes, Simon Gibbons, and Elizabeth M.
Williamson, 2004

Electronic Materials, Web

Sites
http://pages.intnet.mu/webpam/Pharmaco
gnosy.htm
http://www.phcog.org/
http://www.botanical.com

Assesment
Three Quizzes (20 Marks)
First quiz (Week 5)
Second quiz (Week 9)
Third quiz (Week 13)
Activities (10 Marks)
Practical exam (20 Marks)
Final written exam (50 Marks)