2. Vinca- Vinca alkaloids are obtained mainly from a species of
periwinkle known as Madagascar Periwinkle. It is also
known as “Sadabahar” or “Sadaphuli”
3. • Blogical Source Aerial parts of Catharanthus roseus formerly known
as Vinca rosea.
• Family Apocynaceae
• Geographical Source Madagascar and India.
• Macroscopical characters:
• (i) Type – Annular or perennial herb;
• (ii) Size – 0.5 to 1 meter length;
• (iii) Leaves – Ovate, oblong, glossy above glaucous below;
• (IV)Taste – Bitter;
• (Vi) Odour – slight.`
• Chemical constituents:
• 1. Indole and indoline alkaloids:
• (i) Ajmalicine
• (ii) Lochnerine
• (iii) Serpentine and
• 2. Tetrahydroalstonine:
• (i) Dimeric Indole bases of monoterpene type
• (ii) Vinblastin
• (iii) Vincristin.
4. Uses:
(i) Antineoplastic (antimitotic=
Cytostatic = anticancer antitumour).
(ii) In the treatment of Hodgkin’s
disease.
(iii) In the treatment of leukemia in
children.
(iv) Vinca is used in hypertension.
Commercial application-It is one of the
ingredients of the preparation known as
Cytocristin (Cipla).
5. BELLADONNA
The name belladonna is derived from the Italian words for "beautiful
(bella) woman (donna)
Belladonna was used in the past as a cosmetic by women, because of its
anticholinergic actions in producing dilation of the pupils of the eye.
6. Synonyms-Belladonna herb; Belladonna leaf; Deadly night shade leaves;
Banewort; Death’s herb, Dwale; Poison black cherry; Folia belladonnae.
Biological Source0-Belladonna consists of dried leaves and flowering tops of
Atropa belladonna Linn. (European Belladonna), belonging to family Solanaceae.
It contains about 0.35% of total alkaloids calculated as hyoscyamine.
Geographical Source-A . belladonna is cultivated in United States, Canada, UK,
Germany and India.
Characteristics-The drug contains leaves, smaller stems of about 5 mm diameter,
flowers and fruits.Leaf-colour dull-green or yellowish-green, Both the leaves and
root have a sharp, unpleasant odor and bitter taste.
As the name deadly nightshade suggests, the herb is highly toxic if taken even
when taken in extremely low concentrations
Chemical constituents:
1. Tropane alkaloids (0.2-0.5%):
i. L-hyoscyamine (90%),
ii.D, L- hyoscyamine(Atropine)
iii. Scopolamine (10%),
iv. Apoatropine,
iv. Belladonnine (+).
7.
8. Uses:
i. Mydriatic (dilation of the pupil).
ii. Antispasmodic (a drug that counteracts a sudden, violent,
involuntary muscular contraction)
Due to anticholinergic property, it is used to control excess motor
activity of the gastrointestinal tract and spasm of the urinary tract.
Commercial appication-It is one of the ingredients of the preparation
known as Belladona plaster (Surgi Pharma) for backache, stiffness of
muscles and boil, swollen joints.
9. Rauwolfia serpentina is a safe and effective treatment for hypertension. The plant was used
by many physicians throughout India in the 1940s and then was used throughout the world
in the 1950s, including in the United States and Canada.
10. Synonyms and vernacular name:
Bengali – sarpagandha; Sans Chhota-chand; Hindi – Chandrika
Biological source:Rauwolfia consists of the dried roots and rhizomes of
Rauwolfia serpentina.
It contains not less than 0.15% of reserpine.
Family:Apocynaceae
Geographical source:It is widely distributed in Punjab to Nepal, Sikkim,
and Assam in India; Bhutan, Pakistan, Java and Thailand, etc.
Macroscopical characters:
(i) External features of roots and rhizomes are nearly similar but
rhizomes can be made out by the presence of small central pith.
(ii) Drug consists of mostly small pieces, which are 2 to 15 cm long and 3
to 22 mm diameter.
Outer surface is greyish yellow, pale brown or brown.
Odour –Odourless
Taste -bitter.
11. • Chemical constituents:
• i. Alkaloids- Indole alkaloids (1.5 or 3%) present.
• ii. Reserpine group – Reserpine, Rescinnamine, deserpidine.
• iii. Tertiary indoline alkaloids -Ajmaline group- Ajmaline and Ajmalicine.
• Uses:
• 1. Rauwolfia is used as hypotensive and tranquillizer.
• 2. Reserpine being the main alkaloid is responsible for the
activity and is used in anxiety condition and other
neuropsychoiatric diseases.
• 3. Sedative – calm down activities and excitement (reserpine
group).
• 4. Stimulates the peripheral nervous systems (Ajmaline group).
• 5. The decoction of root is used to increase uterine contraction
in difficult cases.
• Commercial application-It is one of the ingredients of the
preparations known as Confido, Lukol, Serpina (Himalaya Drug
Company) and Sarpagandhan bati (Baidyanath).
12.
13.
14. Opium was first introduced to China by Turkish and Arab traders in the late 6th or early 7th
century CE. Taken orally to relieve tension and pain, the drug was used in limited
quantities until the 17th century.
By 1773 the British had discovered the trade, and that year they became the leading
suppliers of the Chinese market.
The British East India Company established a monopoly on opium cultivation in the Indian
province of Bengal, where they developed a method of growing opium poppies cheaply
and abundantly.
15. OPIUM
Synonyms-Crude Opium; Raw Opium; Gum Opium; Afim
Biological Source-Opium is the air dried milky latex obtained by incision from the
unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum Linn, family Papaveraceae.
Opium is required to contain not less than 10% of morphine and not less than 2.0%
of codeine. The thebaine content is limited to 3%.
Geographical Source
It is mainly found in Turkey, Russia, Yugoslavia, Tasmania, India, Pakistan, Iran,
Afghanistan, China, Burma, Thailand and Laos. In India, Opium is cultivated in M.P.
(Neemuch) and U.P. for alkaloidal extraction and seed production.
Morphological features:
• It is a flowering plant and valuable ornamental plant.
• It is an annual herb having height upto 50-150cm.
• It have greyish green appearance.
• The stem and leaves of this herb contain a sparse distribution of coarse hairs.
The shape of fruits is round and capsulated.
• Fruits are hairless and topped with 12-18 radiating stigmatic rays or fluted cap.
Odour- characteristic smell
16. • Chemical constituents-
• opium poppies contains isoquinoline alkaloids.
• It is classified as a narcotic and is commonly found in certain members of
the poppy family (Papaveraceae), such as the opium poppy (Papaver
somniferum). Narcotic refers to the pain-relieving and sleep-inducing
properties of these highly-addictive alkaloids, including morphine, codeine
and thebaine.
• 1) Phenanthrenes derivatives: Morphine, Codeine, Thebaine.
• 2) Benzylisoquinoline: Papavarine, Noscapine.
• Uses- Opium and its derivatives are the most commonly used medications
for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Opium and its alkaloid-
derivatives can also be used as tranquilizers, antitussives and in the
treatment of diarrhea.
• Codeine is used as mild sedative than morphine.
• They are also used to allying coughing.
• Morphine and codeine both are also used to treat diabetes,
• Commercial application-Poppy seeds from Papaver somniferum are an
important food item and the source of poppyseed oil, an edible oil that has
many uses.
• The seeds contain very low levels of opiates and the oil extracted from
them contains even less.Both the oil and the seed residue also have
commercial uses.
• The poppy press cake as a residue of the oil pressing can be used as fodder
for different animals as e.g., poultry.
17.
18. Lignan
The lignans are a large group of polyphenols found in plants.
Some examples of lignans are enterolignans, enterodiol and enterolactone.
Flax seed and sesame seed contain higher levels of lignans than most other foods.
Lignans are a large class of secondary metabolites in plants that have numerous biological
effects in mammals, including antitumor and antioxidant activities.
Podophyllotoxin is the most prominent lignan due to the significant pharmacological
activities of its derivatives.
19. PODOPHYLLUM
Synonyms-Podophyllum, American Mandrake, May-apple root.
Rhizoma Podophylli Indici, Indian podophyllum.
Biological Source-Podophyllum consists of the dried rhizomes and roots of
Podophyllum peltatum belonging to family Berberidaceae.
INDIAN PODOPHYLLUM- consists of the dried pieces of rhizomes and roots
of Podophyllum hexandrum.
Geographical Source
The plant grows abundantly in the higher slopes of the Himalayas in India and
Pakistan. It is also found in Afghanistan and Tibet.
Chemical Constituents
Podophyllum rhizomes contain 2–8% resinous material termed as
podophyllin. The major constituents of podophyllum resin are the lignan
derivatives which are characterized as podophyllotoxin, α- and β-peltatin.
21. Uses
Podophyllum resin or podophyllin shows cytotoxic activity. It is used for the
treatment of venereal and other warts.
Podophyllotoxin is semisynthetically converted to a potent anticancer agent
etoposide which is mainly used for the treatment of lung and testicular cancer.
Podophyllum resin is a strong gastrointestinal irritant.
It acts as a drastic purgative in moderate doses but it has been mostly replaced
by other purgative drugs.
Semisynthetic derivatives of podophyllotoxin include the antineoplastic
drugs etoposide and teniposide ).
Etoposide is employed in the treatment of testicular and small cell lung
cancers along with other tumors.
Teniposide is approved for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Commercial application- Indian podophyllum is one of the ingredients of the
preparation known as Podowart (Shalaks Pharmaceuticals).
22. Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water
over cured or fresh leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native
to East Asia.
23. • Biological Source
• It contains the prepared leaves and leaf buds of Thea
sinensis, belonging to family Theaceae.
• Geographical Source
• It is mainly cultivated in India (Assam), Ceylon, Japan and
Java.
• Chemical Constituents
• The leaves are a rich source of caffeine (1–5%). It also
contains theobromine and theophylline in minor quantities.
The colour of tea leaves is due to tannin (10–20%
gallotannic acid).
• The agreeable odour is due to presence of a yellow volatile
oil. Tea leaves also contain protein, wax, resin and ash.
• Uses
• It is used as stimulant, astringent and also as diuretic.
25. Ruta (commonly known as rue) is a genus of strongly
scented evergreen subshrubs, 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native
to southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus. Extracts
from rue have been used to treat eyestrain, sore eyes, and as insect
repellent.
The genus name "Ruta" comes from the Greek word "reuo", to set free,
showing its reputation as a freer from disease
26. Synonym-Rue or Rue oil, Sadab or Satab in Hindi.
BS- It is a strongly odoriferous evergreen herbs or a small shrub Ruta
graveolens.
GS- It is native to Mediterranean region and distributed throughout the
world.
Chemical Constituents: It is rich in active alkaloids and furocoumarins and
contain other coumarin classes, flavonoids, tannins, volatile oil, sterols
and/or triterpenes.
R. graveolens has been used in traditional medicines for the relief of pain,
eye problems, rheumatism and dermatitis. R. graveolens has recently
been shown to have antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory,
antidiabetic and insecticidal activities.
Use-R. graveolens has been used in traditional medicines for the relief of
pain, eye problems, rheumatism and dermatitis. R. graveolens has
recently been shown to have antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory,
antidiabetic and insecticidal activities.
