Pharmacognosy

Lecture ( 5 )
Production of Crude Drugs
( Cultivation , Collection , Drying , Storage )

Production of Natural Drugs :
Drugs from commercial markets and drug estalishment , this
!rocess include ( " ) ste!s : #
$# Collection %# Drying "# Storage
$# Collection of the Crude drugs : #
&he !lant !arts 'hich used for healing the diseases are collected
from the cultivated !lants in the farms either y means of skilled
'orkers as in case of ( (elladonna , Digitalis and Cindrona !lants )
, 'hile other drugs such as ( (lack !e!!er , )enna ) are collect y
means of un skilled 'orkers * &he collection !rocess affect y
some im!ortant factors as :
$# Season of the collected !lant
%# Plant age
"# Daily 'eather
+# &he stage of the !hysical maturity of the !lant !art used
Naturally all of these factors are affect the ( ,uality - ,uantity )
of the active constituents of the !art used * ./am!les :
0or the factor ( $ ) ( Season of the collected !lant ) : #
./ $:# &he corms of Colchicum !lants in summer season are
contain a high concentration of the !oisonous com!ound
( Colchicine ) , 'hile during 'inter - s!ring seasons 'e can see
that such com!ound is disa!!ear , and for this reason the collection
of the corms in 'inter and s!ring use for eating *
./ % :# 1e find that the leaves of (Pe!!ermint , .ucaly!tus -
s!earmint ) !lants during s!ring season are contain a high
concentration of ( 2olatile oils ) , 'hile during summer - 'inter
'e find that the concentration of these oils ecome lo'er *
0actor ( % ) ( &he !lant age ) : #
./ $: Cinchona trees !osses high concentration of the alkaloid
( Cinconin ) in their arks 'hen they are 'ithin ( 3#4 ) years old *
./ %: &he ark of the Cinnamon !lants can e collect 'hen the
!lants ecomes ( 5 years old ) *
0actor ( " ) ( Daily 'eather ) : #
./ $: Cinnamon ark collect in humid 'eather in order to hel! the
se!aration !rocess of the ark from the steams *
./ %: &he 6ums are collected in dry 'eather to avoid moistened *
./ ": &he flo'ers of ( 7oses , 8arigold , and Crag ford ) !lants
collects efore the sun rise in order to maintenance their 2olatile
oils *
0actor ( + ) ( &he degree of Physiological 8aturity of Plant Part
used ) *
./ $: &he leaves of ( Digitalis , &oacco - Senna ) that collected
1hen they are in full !hysiological maturity stage *
./ %: &he seeds of (lack cumin ( Nigella sativa ) , 1hite - (lack
% ) Drying : #
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(y this !rocess 'e can remove moisture from !lant material for :
$# Preventing the 8icroorganisms gro'th
%# 0acilitating grinding !rocess
"# :nhiiting of some en;ymes - reactions 'hich can convert some
of the !lant constituents from active to in active state *
Conversion some constituents from in active to active state
./am!les : #
$# :n vanilla !ods : # the !ods of 2anilla !lants must e drying at
moderate tem!erature to convert the (6lucovanilla) in to
( 2anillin ) flavoring agent *
%# :n Digitalis leaves : # 'e must dry at moderate tem!erature to
convert the !rimary glycosides in active com!ounds ( Pur!urea
glycosides < - ( ) in to active com!ounds like , ( Digito/in -
6ito/in ) *
6enerally !re!are - Successful drying involve the follo'ing
!oints:#
$# Controlling the tem!erature
%# 7egulation the air flo'
"# &he true !eriod of drying
(ut in other cases the drying !rocess is not necessary for the !art
used in case of the !lants that containing 2olatile =ils in order not
to loose the oils *&herefore the !lant !arts 'hich contain 2olatile
=ils must e either drying in shade ( at room tem!erature %5C ) or
store under either fro;en or distilled immediately at the time of
collection *
:n case of Caffeine com!ound the drying !rocess doesn>t affect the
?uality - ?uantity of the active constituents *
8ethod of Drying : #
$# =!en air drying : # this is done either y :
<) @nder the Sun light : used for crude drugs 'hich are not affected
y the light and high tem!eratures e/ : (lack !e!!er
() @nder Shade : # for crude drugs 'hich are affected y light -
high tem!erature e/ : fruits of =!ium in ( Pa!aver somniferum )*
%# <rtificial Drying : #
&his ty!e of drying is made y using the ( =ven ) instrument and y
this instrument (the tem!erature and drying !eriod ) can e
controlled , after this ste! 'e must make the garling !rocess in
order to remove the e/ternal matter ( =ther !arts of the !lant 'ith
dirt and any a adulterants added ) , this !rocess can e make during
the collection , ut it must e make after drying the crude drugs and
efore !ackaged *
" ) Storage : #
9999999999999
8ost of the crude drugs are stored at a tem!erature ( %A B %5 C ) in
closed containers for a !eriod of time de!ending on the ty!e of these
drugs *
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