Preparation of crude drugs for commercial market

• Before sending a crude drug for sale to the local or international market it should be properly
prepared so that the active constituents and the appearance of the drug do not deteriorate
before being used.
• The preparation of a crude drug for the market depends on a number of factors, such as its
morphological nature the nature of its constituents, the geographical source and many other
factors.
• These factors should be taken care of in its preparation, which involves the following steps:
Collection, Drying, Garbling, Quality determination and Packaging.
 collection

• Crude drug may be collected from ;

a. CALTIVATED PLANTS
b. WILD PLANTS
Collection of drugs from cultivated plants always ensure a true natural source reliable product which may or may not be the case
when drugs are collected from wild plants .
The most advantageous time of collection is during that period when the plants parts constituting the drug is highest
• In its content of active principles and when the material , after dry gives the maximum quality and appearance.
•
.

GARBALING

In some cases particles of iron must be removed from the drug before .It is ground by use
of magnets.
Dirt and sand can be removed by sifting or by mean of air currents.
In leaf drugs, an excess of stem shall be removed . (Naureen Shehzadi from
superior university)
 DRYING

• It is a process by which excessive moisture is removed from any particle to ensure good keeping qualities.

• ADVANTAGES
• Bulk of the drug is loss due to the loss of moisture .
• Handling and transportation become easy
• Cost of transportation is reduced
• Drying fixes the constituents and facilitates grinding and milling
 PACKAGING

• Packaging of drug is dependent upon final distribution of the drug.

• It is customary to choose the type of packaging that will;

• Provide ample protection to drug

• Give economy of space

TYPES OF PACKAGING

I. Barrels
II. Boxes
III. Casks
 STORAGE

Warehouse ,for ultimate storage of the drug should have ;

• Fire proof system

• Steel construction
• Concrete construction
• Brick construction

• STORAGE TEMPRATURE

• High Temperature accelerate rate of chemical reaction ;including those involving deterioration .so, drug must be store at
low
• temperature .

• Certain drug such is biologics shall be stored at temperature ranging between 2C o 10C ( Naureen shehzadi from
superior university )
 PRESERVATION

Crude drug need protection against several factors e.g.

 Moisture
 Temperature
 Light
 Microbes
 Pests

 PRESERVATION AGAIST MOISTURE

Suitably dried drugs are stored in air tight container with small desiccant bags.

 PRESERVATION FROM LIGHT

light sensitive drug are packed in light resistant containers.

 PRESERVATION FROM PESTS

Insect infect vegetable drugs .
o Methyl bromide
o Quicklime
o Freshly slaked lime
o Chloroform
o Carbon tetrachloride
 PRESERVATION FROM TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS
High temperature accelerate rate of chemical reactions ; including those involving deterioration . So, drugs must be stored at
low temperature .

Certain drug such as biologics shall be stored at temperature ranging between 2C to b10C. .(Naureen shehzadi from
superoior university)