Crude drugs are naturally occurring substances derived from plants, animals, or minerals that are used to treat diseases. They can be organized, with cellular structures from plant sources like fruits and roots, or unorganized substances obtained indirectly through extraction or distillation like oils and gums. Crude drugs are classified in several ways, including alphabetically by name, taxonomically by biological classification, morphologically by physical structure, pharmacologically by therapeutic use, chemically by important constituents, and by chemical or antigen-antibody similarity within taxonomic groups. The classification system provides information on a drug's source, constituents, and relationships to other species.

1. CRUDE DRUG And its
classification
Prepared By:
Miss Pranita Sunar

2. The term “ Crude Drug” means “ Products from natural origin
such as plant, animal and mineral sources.
Definition
A crude drug is defined as a naturally occuring, untreated substance, derived
directly from organic sources such as plants, animals and sometimes
minerals, intended to cure, treat and prevent diseases in human or animals.
Crude drug of natural origin can be divided into “organized” and
“unorganized drugs”.

3. Difference between Organized and Unorganized Drugs
Organized/ Cellular Unorganized/ Acellular
Have cellular structure, obtained mostly
from plant sources.
Do not possess cellular structure,
obtained indirectly from plant, animal or
mineral sources.
Are direct part of plants and animals like
fruits, seeds, roots etc.
Obtained from part of plant and animal
by extraction, distillation, incision etc.
Microscopical studies such as T.S/L.S are
preeminent for such drugs.
Microscopical studies are not required but
physical constituents like density,
viscosity, chemical test are necessary.
Solid in nature. Solid, semi-solid, liquid in nature.
Eg. Cinchona bark, sandalwood, digitalis
leaves, clove bud etc.,
Eg. Lemon oil, resins, gums, opium latex
etc.,

4. Classification of Crude Drugs
Crude drugs are classified into following different ways:
1. Alphabetical classification
2. Taxonomical classification
3. Morphological classification
4. Pharmacological classification
5. Chemical classification
6. Chemotaxonomical classification
7. Serotaxonomical classification

5. 1. Alphabetical classification
Crude drugs are arranged in alphabetical order of their
Latin and English names or sometimes local language
names.
Merits: a. Easy and quick. b. Location tracing and
addition of drug entries is easy.
Demerits: scientific nature of drug cannot be identified.
Example: acacia, belladona, cinchona, digitalis, ephedra,
fennel, gentian, hyoscyamus, ipecac, jalap, kurchi etc.,

6. 2. Taxonomical classification
Crude drugs are classified according to their phylum, order, family, genus and
species.
Merits: Provides proper idea about species.
Demerits: This system does not correlate in between the chemical constituent
and bio activity of drugs.
3. Morphological classification
Crude drugs are arranged according to morphological/external characters of
plant/animal parts, i.e. organized drugs and unorganized drugs.
Merits: a. helpful to identify adulteration. b. more convenient for practical
study.
Demerits: no correlation between chemical constituents and therapeutic
actions.

7. 4. Pharmacological classification
Crude drugs are classified according to pharmacological action of their main
active constituent or their therapeutic uses.
Merits: It can be used for suggesting substitutes of drugs .
Demerits: Drugs having different action on the body get classified separately
in more than one group causing ambiguity and confusion.
Example: a. Antimalarial: cinchona, artemisia b. Anticancer : vinca, taxus
5. Chemical classification
Crude drugs are classified into different groups based on chemical nature of
most important constituent present on them.
Merits: Popular approach for phytochemical studies
Demerits: confusion arise when particular drugs possess a number of
compounds belonging to different groups of compounds.
Example: Alkaloids- cinchona, datura, vinca.

8. 6. Chemotaxonomical classification
The crude drugs are arranged based on the chemical similarity of various
plants / chemical similarity of taxon.
For example, tropane alkaloids generally occur among the members of
Solanaceae.
7. Serotaxonomical classification
It determines the degree of similarity between species, genera, family, etc., by
comparing the reaction with antigens from various plant taxa with
antibodies present against a given taxon.