This document outlines the scope of pharmacognosy, which is defined as the scientific study of crude drugs from plant, animal, and mineral sources. Pharmacognosy has broad applications including isolation and analysis of phytochemicals, structure-activity relationship studies, development of drugs from natural products, use of natural products as models for new drugs, cultivation and processing of medicinal plants, and investigation of biosynthetic pathways. Pharmacognosy provides important links between pharmaceutical science and basic sciences as well as between modern and traditional medicine systems.

1. SCOPE OF PHARMACOGNOSY
BY
Dr. G. Shiva Kumar
Professor
GSP, Hyderabad Campus, India.

2. Pharmacognosy
• The Pharmacognosy is broadly defined as
the scientific and systematic study of the
structural, physical, chemical and sensory
characters of crude drugs of vegetable,
animal and mineral origin along with
their history, method of cultivation,
collection and preparation for the
market.

3. SCOPE OF PHARMACOGNOSY
• Pharmacognosy has broad scope in the field of
pharmacy such as :
1. ISOLATION OR ANALYSIS OF PHYTOCHEMICAL :
 Eg ; Strong acting substances such as glycosides
from digitalis leaves,
Alkaloids from the plants of Belladonna,
Hyocyamus, Rauwlofia
Morphine and other alkaloids from the plant
opium were isolated and clinical uses studied.

4. 2. STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP :
Eg : Tubocurarine and Toxiferine from curare
plant have muscle relaxant properties because
of quaternary ammonium groups.
The hypotensive and tranquillizing actions of
reserpine are due to the trimethoxy benzoic
acid.

5. 3. DRUGS OBTAIN BY PARTIAL SYNTHESIS OF
NATURAL PRODUCTS:
• Eg : Preparation of Steroid hormones from
diosgenin by acetolysis and oxidation and further
preparation of cortisone by microbial reactions .

6. 4. NATURAL PRODUCTS AS MODELS FOR
SYNTHESIS OF NEW DRUGS :
• Eg: Morphine is the model of a large group of
potent drugs .
• Cocaine for local anaesthetics Atropine for
certain spasmolytics.

7. 5. DRUGS OF DIRECT THERAPEUTIC USES :
• Among the natural constituents which even now
cannot be replaced are important group of
antibiotics, steroids, ergot alkaloids, vincristine
etc.

8. 6. BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS INVESTIGATION :
• Biosynthetic pathways are of primary and
secondary metabolites.
• Some of the important pathways are Clavin ‘s
cycle of photosynthesis,
• Shikimic acid pathway of aromatic
compounds.
• Acetate hypothesis for antharacene
glycosides.
• Isoprenoid hypothesis for terpens.

9. 7.CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS :
• Clove, cinchona , cinnamon, senna, opium, etc.
8. PREPARATION OF HERBAL FORMULATIONS :
• Churnas, asvas, aristas, leha, etc
9. DEVELOPENT OF TISSUE CULURED PLANTS:
• Citrus species, Solanacea plants etc.

10. • Pharmacognosy gives a sound knowledge of the
vegetable drugs under botany and animal drugs
under zoology.
• It also includes plant taxonomy, plant breeding ,
plant pathology, plant genetics and by this
knowledge one can improve the cultivation
methods for both medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Nowadays phytochemistry (plant chemistry) has
undergone the significant improvement.
• This includes a variety of substances that are
accumulated by plants and synthesized by plants.

11. • A vital contribution to the advancement of natural
science:
• This has done by the advanced technologies of
cultivation, purification, identification
(characterization) of pharmaceuticals from nature.
• Concepts of biochemistry and chemical engineering
help in the improvement of collection, processing and
storage technologies of pharmaceuticals.
• It also gives knowledge of chemotaxonomy, biogenic
pathways for the formation of acute ingredients.

12. • A vital link between pharmacology and
medicinal chemistry:
• Newly detected plant drugs are converting
into medicine as purified phytochemicals.
• Pharmacognosy is essential for the evolution
of new medicines because crude drugs are
used for the preparation of galanicals or as a
sources of therapeutically active metabolites.

13. Conclusion
• In short Pharmacognosy is an important link
between pharmaceuticals and basic science as well
as ayurvedic and allopathic system of medicines.
• Pharmacognosy is a science of active principles of
crude drugs and which can be help in dispensing,
formulating, and manufacturing of dosage forms.
• In other way the complete knowledge of
Pharmacognosy will help in the recent trend that is
in industries,
• As a research tools and in new drug delivery
systems, and all the departments of
pharmaceuticals and one can improve the
healthcare facilities across the world.

14. Thank You