Crude drugs are naturally occurring substances derived from plants, animals, bacteria or fungi that are used for medicinal purposes. They include whole or cut plants, plant or animal parts, juices, glands, dried plant secretions and animal extracts. Crude drugs can be classified in several ways including by their source (plants, animals, minerals), plant organ (roots, leaves, fruits), pharmacological effects, chemical constituents or taxonomic classification. The most common sources are higher plants, microbes, animals and marine organisms. Crude drugs are either organized tissues like herbs, fruits, barks or unorganized substances like juices, oils, gums or resins.

1. CRUDE DRUG

2. DEFINITION :-
A Crud Drug is defined as a drug which is
naturally occurring , unrefined substances,
derived from organic source as plant , animal ,
bacteria organs or whole organisms intended
for use in the diagnosis , cure , mitigation ,
treatment or prevention of disease in human
or other animals .

3. Source of Crude Drug
Crude Drug = Raw Drug .
They may be obtained from ;
1) Vegetative ,
2) Animal ,
3) Mineral .
The most important natural source of drugs are ;
a) Higher Plants ,
b) Microbes ,
c) Animals ,
d) Marine Organisms .

4. Types of Crude Drug
Crude Drug
Organised Drug
Overground
organs
a) Herbs
b) Fruits
c) Barks
etc.
Underground
organs
a) Roots
b) Rhizomes
c) Bulbs
etc.
Unorganised
Drug
a) Juices
b) Glycosides
c) Volatile oil
d) Fixed oil
etc.

5. Classification of Crude Drug
1) Alphabetical Classification ,
2) Morphological Classification ,
3) Pharmacological Classification ,
4) Chemical Classification ,
5) Taxonomical Classification ,
6) Chemotaxonomical Classification .

6. Alphabetical Classification :-
• It is the simplest way of classification .
• Crude drugs are arranged in alphabetical
order of their ;
Botanical names .
 Common names .
 Local names .
e.g.: Acacia , cinchona , ergot .

7. Morphological Classification :-
• In this system , the drug are arranged
according to the morphological externed
characters of the plants and animal parts .
e.g.: leaves , roots , stem .

8. Pharmacological Classification :-
• This is also reffered to as therapeutic
classification of drug .
• this involves grouping of drug according to
their pharmacological action .
Pharmaceutical Action Drug
Anticancer Vinca
Cardiotonic Digitalis
Pergatives Senna

9. Chemical Classification :-
• The crude drugs are devided into different
groups according to their chemical nature of
their relevant & their identical constituent .
1. Carbohydrate : Gum , Mucilage .
2. Glycosides : Saponins Glycoside .
3. Tannins : Guava , Tea .
4. Volatile Oil : Fennel , Orange Peel .
5. Alkaloids : Pyridine , Tropane .

10. Taxonomical Classification :-
 It is based on an accepted system of
botanical classification .
Grouped into ;
 Kingdom
 Phylum
 Order
 Family
 Genus
 Species

11. Chemotaxonomical Classification :-
• Secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical
significance such as alkaloids, glycosides,
flavonoids, etc. DNA hybridization, amino acid
sequencing in proteins are gaining
significance in this method of classification.

12. References :-
The informations are collected
from; the book
“Trease & Evans
PHARMACOGNOSY” .