This document discusses the organoleptic evaluation of crude drugs, which involves macroscopic examination including appearance, odor, taste, and texture. It describes evaluating the shape, size, color, fracture, external markings, odor, and taste of crude drugs. Common shapes include cylindrical, conical, fusiform, and disc shaped. Color, fracture, external markings like furrows and wrinkles, and tastes like sweet, acidic, or acrid are also assessed to identify crude drugs. Organoleptic evaluation is an important method for crude drug identification and standardization.

2. ORGANOLEPTIC EVALUATION
Organoleptic (lit. impression on the organs) refers to
evaluation by means of the organs of sense and
includes the macroscopic appearance of the drug,
its odour and taste, occasionally the sound or snap of
its fracture and the feel of the drug to touch.

3.  For convenience of description the macroscopic
characteristics of a drug maybe divided into
following headings.
 Shape and size
 Colour
 Fracture
 External markings
 Odour and taste

4. SHAPE AND SIZE OF CRUDE DRUGS
 Crude drugs can be of different shapes etc.
 Cylindrical (Sarsaparilla)
 Sub cylindrical (Podophyllum)

5.  Conical (Aconite)
 Fusiform (Sweet potato)
 Ovoid (Cactus)

6.  Pyriform (Jalap)
 Terrete (Orchid)
 Disc shape (Calumba)

7. SIZE OF CRUDE DRUGS
 Size of crude drugs may vary because their length,
diameter and width is different. Size of crude
drugs can be measured by vernier callipers in cm &
mm.
COLOUR
 External colour of crude drugs is mostly greyish
brown and internal colour is whitish yellow,
external colour maybe yellowish grey, yellowish
brown, reddish orange to brown black. It is often
more or less grey from clay dust.

8. FRACTURE
There are three types of fracture.
 Complete fracture :
the drug breaks completely when pressure is
applied.
 Incomplete fracture:
the drug does not break completely when
fracture is applied.
 Short fracture:
the drug breaks with a snap sound when
pressure is applied.

9. Nature of fracture
Nature of fractured surface is as important as fracture.
 Even: smooth surface
 Uneven: irregularly broken surface
 Granular : grain like appearance
 Hard: a compact surface
 Horny: Horn like surface
 Powdered: powdery surface
 Resinous: smooth glossy surface
 Conchodial : a resinous surface having the surfaces
curved in convex and concave form.

10. External markings:
How the drug looks externally. They may be classified as
 Furrows: alternate ridges and valleys due to shrinkage of
internal parts caused by drying
 Wrinkles: fine or delicate furrows
 Annulations: transverse ring like markings on exterior
 Fissures: splits extending into tissues
 Nodule: rounded outgrowth on surface
 Scars: produced due to injury or cut

11. ODOR
It is a very sensitive criteria based on individual
perception. Odor may be divided into two main classes
 Distinct odor e.g. camphor and clove
 Indistinct odor
depending upon the amount of volatile constituents
the drug possesses.
The different odors may include
1. Aromatic odor
2. Alliaceous
3. Camphoraceous
4. Spicy etc.

12. Taste
Usually crude drugs cannot be tasted because some may
be poisonous or may cause allergic reactions. But some
tastes which are known are:
 Sweet taste e.g. liquorice, honey
 Acidic/sour taste e.g. lemon
 Saline/salty taste e.g. kashar
 Acrid taste : unpleasant and irritating e.g. Jalap

13.  A handbook of pharmacognosy by V.E, Tyler
 Evaluation of crude drugs, mono or polyherbal formulation
www.pharmatutor.org/.../evaluation of crude drugs
 EVALUATION OF CRUDE DRUGS|authorSTREAM
www.authorstream.com/.../drfateha-2076158-evaluation-crude-
drugs/
 Evaluation of crude drugs – OpenStudy .com
assets.openstudy.com/.../54b24d9ae4b0bdcb3ccd4df2-
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