Pharmacognosy studies drugs from natural sources including plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms. It aims to acquire knowledge about natural drugs from collection to extraction and identification of active chemical constituents. Pharmacognosy provides important information used in drug formulation, determining drug actions, prices, and isolating phytochemicals. It also studies biosynthetic pathways and plays a role in partial drug synthesis, using natural products as models for new drugs, and investigating drugs for various therapeutic uses. Pharmacognosy is an important link between pharmaceuticals and basic sciences as well as between allopathic and herbal medicine systems.

1. SCOPE OF PHARMACOGNOSY
PREPARED BY : SAMAWIA IQBAL
( pharm . D )

2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Pharmacognosy is the branch of pharmacology that
studies drugs in their crude and/or natural states. In
general, when we describe pharmacognosy, we are
usually referring to plant based medicinal systems.
However, it is important to note that medicinal
preparations may also be derived from animal sources
as well as from fungi and microorganisms.

3. MAIN OBJECTIVE
• Thus its main objective is to acquire
knowledge of natural drugs from every
point of view. But it is not entirely
limited to the study of crude drugs
alone. It also includes a study of their
chemical constituents, which are the
active principles of the drugs.

4. CONT..
• Pharmacognosy occupies an important
place in pharmacy as it deals with the
collection , identification , preparation
and extraction of a large group of drugs
obtained from natural sources , which
are used both in orthodox and
traditional medicine

5. WHAT IS THE SCOPE
• The pharmacognosy has played a important role
in the development of various departments of
the science. pharmacognosy gives a sound
knowledge of the vegetable drugs under botany
and animal drugs under zoology. It has wide
scope in the given areas .

6. ACTION OF DRUGS
• The knowledge of the action of drugs
can be utilized successfully when the
identity , physical nature and chemical
constituents of the drug are well
known , and pharmacognosy supplies
this information.
• Solubility
• Reactivity

7. CONT…
• Stability
• Toxicity
• Dosage , availability
• And isolation , purification natural
origin
Everything is studied in pharmacognosy

8. DRUG FORMULATION
• Formulation and actual preparation of a
pharmaceutical product ( pharmaceutics )
are dependent on a number of properties
, such as solubility , stability , reactivity
etc. of ingredients . This type of
information on substances of natural
origin is available to the pharmacist if he
possesses a good knowledge of
pharmacognosy

9. PRICE OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS
Price of pharmaceutical products
containing natural substances is
influenced by the methods of collection ,
drying , curing , and assaying of the
ingredients , which are dealt with in
pharmacognosy .

10. ISOLATION OF PHYTOCHEMICALS
• ALKALOIDS : alkaloids are obtained
from the plants of Belladonna ,
Hyocyamus , Raulwlofia .
• GLYCOSIDES : glycosides are obtained
from the digitalis leaves
• MORPHINE : morphine and other
alkaloids from opium plant .

11. STRUCTURAL ACTIVITY RELATION SHIP
• Tubocurarine and Toxiferine from
curare plant have muscle relaxant
properties because of quaternary
ammonium groups .
• The hypotensive and tranquilizing
action of reserpine are due to the
trimethoxy benzoic acid .

12. DRUGS OBTAINED BY PARTIAL SYNTESIS
• Pharmacognosy plays important role in
the synthesis of new drugs by the
natural products.
• For example , Preparation of steroid
hormones from diogenin by acetolysis
and oxidation and further preparation
of cortisone by microbial reaction .

13. NATURAL PROUCTS AS A MODEL
Natural products are used as a model for
the synthesis of new drugs ;
• MORPHINE : it is a model of a large
group of potent drugs .
• COCAINE : it is a model for local
anesthesia .
• ATROPINE : is a model for certain
spasmolytics .

14. DRUGS OF THERAPEUTIC USES
• It has a wide scope for the main element
in providing us with the information about
the dugs of main therapeutic uses such as
alkaloids , steroids , antibiotics etc.
• And helps in the cultivation and collection
of many medicinal plants.
• Helps in preparation of herbal formulation

15. BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS
• Biosynthetic pathways are of primary
and secondary metabolites.
• Some of the important pathways are
Calvin's cycle of photosynthesis.
• Shikimic acid pathway of aromatic
compounds

16. CONCLUSION
• In short pharmacognosy is an important
link between pharmaceuticals and basic
science as well as ayurvedic and allopathic
system of medicines. So pharmacognosy is
a science of active principles of crude
drugs and which can be help in dispensing,
formulating, manufacturing of dosage
forms.

17. CONT..
• 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.