Adulteration of crude drugs. Sometimes original crude drugs are substituted with false or similar looking substances, which may be termed as Adulteration of crude drugs.

1. Adulteration of Crude Drugs
Prepared by: Pranita Sunar
Assistant Professor
Mata Gujri College of Pharmacy

2. Adulteration is defined as practice of substituting original crude
drug partially or completely with other similar-looking
substances which is free from or inferior in chemical and
therapeutic property.
OR
Adulteration in simple words is the debasement of an article.

3. Adulteration is broadly defined as admixture or substitution of original or genuine article/ drug
with inferior, defective or otherwise useless or harmful substances.
Adulteration means deterioration, admixture, sophistication, substitution, inferiority and spoilage.
Deterioration: Impairment in the quality of drug,
Admixture: Addition of one article to another due to ignorance, carelessness or by accident.
Sophistication: Intentional or deliberate type of adulteration.
Substitution: when some totally different substance is added in place of original drug.
Example: supply of cheap cotton seed oil in place of olive oil. dulterant: Material which is added
or mixed to original drug for adulteration.
Inferiority: Substandard drug.
Spoilage: Due to attack of micro organisms.

4. Adulterant: Material which is added or mixed to original drug for adulteration.
Example of Adulteration:
Mixture of Papaya seed with black pepper.
Mixture of Powder of brick into red chili powder.
Reasons for Adulteration
1. The extent of adulteration depends upon whether the drug is obtained from
other countries.
2. An adulteration of drug may be accidental.
3. Adulteration is very common with drugs which are sold illegally.
4. Scarcity of drug and its high price prevailing in the market.
5. Intentional adulteration is done mainly for enhancement of profits.

5. Methods of adulteration of crude drugs:
Following are the various methods used for the adulteration of crude drugs:
1. Intentional/Direct Adulteration
a. Substitution with substandard/inferior commercial varieties.
b. Substitution by superficially similar looking but inferior natural substances.
c. Substitution with artificially manufactured substances.
d. Substitution with exhausted material.
e. Presence of vegetative matter from the same plant.
f. Adulteration by synthetic principles.
g. Adulteration of powder.

6. 2. Unintentional/Indirect Adulteration
Unintentional adulteration may be due to the following reasons:
a. Confusion in vernacular names between indigenous systems of medicine and
local language.
b. Lack of knowledge about the authentic plant.
c. Non availability of the authentic plant.
d. Similarity in morphology and aroma.
e. Careless collection.

7. 1. Intentional / Direct adulteration
It occurs intentionally by manufacturer or suppliers either due to high price of the
drug in the market, scarcity of drug and to earn more profits.
a. Substitution with inferior/ substandard commercial varieties.
The adulterant used resembles the original crude drug by morphological, chemical
or therapeutic characters, but are substandard in nature or inferior in quality.
Example: Strychnous potatorum for Strychnous nux vomica.

8. b. Substitution by superficially similar looking but inferior natural
substances.
The substance used for adulteration is physically very much similar in appearance
to the original drug but not having any relation to original drug and may or may not
have any chemical or therapeutic value. Example:
a) Papaya seeds for black pepper.
b) Ailanthus leaves for belladonna leaves.
c) Clove is mixed with clove stalk.

9. c. Substitution with artificially manufactured substances.
Substance is prepared in such a way that they look similar in appearance with the
original drug and this artificially manufactured substance is then used for
adulteration. Example: a) paraffin wax is used after yellow coloration instead of
bees wax. b) Adulteration of honey with artificial inverted sugar. c) Adulteration of
coffee beans with compressed Chicory roots.

10. d. Substitution with exhausted material.
Same drug is used after removing/extracting out the medicinally active constituents. This
practice is most common in case of costly drug such as volatile oil containing drug (clove,
fennel).
Example: a) Original clove adulterated by exhausted clove. b) Original fennel adulterated
by exhausted fennel. c) Saffron and red rose petals are recolored by artificial dyes. d)
Balsam of tolu devoid of cinnamic acid.

11. e. Presence of vegetative matter from the same plant.
This type of adulteration is mainly due to faulty collection or intentionally adding
excessive vegetative matter from the same plant.
A part of same plant which is devoid of therapeutic action is mixed with the same
drug. Example: a) Clove is mixed along with leaves and petioles. b) Excessive
amount of stem in lobelia and stramonium leaves.

12. f. Adulteration by synthetic principles
Synthetic drugs or chemicals are used to enhance the natural character, market
and therapeutic value. Example: a) Citral is added to citrus oil (lemon oil, orange
oil). b) Benzyl benzoate to balsam of Peru.

13. g. Adulteration of powders
Powder drugs are found to be adulterated very frequently.
Examples: a) Olive stones in powdered gentian. b) Brick powder into chillies. c)
Exhausted powder ginger in ginger.

14. 2. Unintentional/ indirect adulteration
Reason Description Examples
Confusion in vernacular
names
Confusion occurs due to
same vernacular name of
different species and due to
which the two herbs are
interchanged or adulterated.
Ashoka is the vernacular
name of medicinal plant
“Saraca asoca” and
ornamental plant “Polyalthia
longifolia”.
Lack of knowledge about
authentic source
One of the reasons by
which adulteration takes
place in which supplier is
unaware of authentic
source.
Mesua ferrea (Nagkesar)
are adulterated by flowers
of Calophyllum inophyllum
(Sultan Champa).
Similarity in morphology Similarity in appearance of
adulterant with the genuine
drug.
Mucuna pruriens (Kaunch
beej) adulterated with other
similar Papilionaceae seeds
like Mucuna utilis.

15. Unscientific collection
&storage of drugs
Carelessness at the time of
collection of herbs.
Shaileyam (Parmelia
parlata), a lichen usually
admixed with Parmelia
perforata.
Lack of authentic plant Due to the limited
availability of certain
species.
In India, limited availability
of Hypericum perforatum, H.
patulum are sold in same
name.

16. Thank You & Study well