Classification of Crude Drugs

• Need for classification of drugs

 Classification of crude drugs • Crude drug i.e Simple drug • Crude drugs are plant, animal or their parts which after collection are
subjected only to drying or making them into transverse/ longitudinal slices pieces or peeling them in some cases. They exist in natural
form. • Crude drugs may be derived from various natural sources like plants, animals, minerals and micro- organisms etc.
• Because of their wide distribution the arrangement of classification in a definite sequence is necessary to understand them easily
• Crude Drugs
As per D &C Act, 1940 a drug may be defined as
All medicines for internal or external use of and all substances intended to be used for or in diagnosis, mitigation, treatment or prevention of
diseases in human beings or animals
OR
Such substances other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of human body or intended to be used for the destruction of
vermin or insects, which cause disease in human beings or animals as may be specified from time to time by the Central Government by
notification in Official Gazette
• Crude Drugs
 They are available in their original form of occurrence
Organised drugs are the organs of plants, solid, cellular in nature and identified by their microscopical characters.
Ex. Cinnamon, Senna
Unorganised drugs are the products of plants or animals, solid, semisolid or liquid in nature and are identified by chemical tests basing on the
type of chemical constituents present in them
Ex. Acacia, Honey, Castor oil
• Pharmaceutical Aids
 The substances which are of little or no therapeutic value, but are essentially used in the manufacture or compounding of various
pharmaceuticals are known as Pharmaceutical aids or Pharmaceutic necessities
They may be obtained from
Plants Pectin, Starch
Animals Honey, Gelatin, Wool fat
Minerals Kaolin, Talc
• Pharmaceutical Aids
 They are also classified into
Colouring agents : Caramel, Turmeric, Saffron
Flavouring agents : Cardamom, lemon oil, Mentha oil
Sweetening agents : Licorice, Honey
Emulsifying and
Suspending agents : Acacia, Agar, Bentonite, Gelatin
Ointment bases : Bees wax, Lanolin, wool fat
Diluents : Sesame oil, glucose, lactose
Vehicles : Olive oil, Arachis oil
Disintegrating agents : Starch, Ispagol husk
Lubricants :Talc, Cocoa butter
• Classification Of Natural Drugs
Alphabetical Classification:
In this system the crude drugs are arranged in alphabetical order
 This system is adopted by B.P., B.P.C., U.S.P. and I.P.
 Whereas in International Pharmacopoeia drugs are arranged according to Latin names.
• Disadvantages
Classification system does not help in
 Differentiating drugs of
Plant, animal or mineral sources.
 Organized and unorganized drugs cannot be differentiated.
• Taxonomical Classification
 Purely Botanical classification
 Crude drugs from plants are classified into Phylum, Order, Family, Genus and Species.
 Animal drugs classified as fishes, arthropods, mammals etc.,
• Disadvantages
 It cannot differentiate organized and unorganized drugs.
 In most of the cases only plant part or product is used so it is of no significance from the point of view of identification.
• Illustration of Taxonomical Classification
• Common Name SpeciesName Genus
• Ginkgo tree Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo
 • Family Order Class Ginkgoaceae Ginkgoales Ginkgoopsida

Phylum (Division) Kingdom

• Pinophyta Plantae
• Chemotaxonomical Classification
 The chemical examination of several plants Phytochemical evaluation have established that there is
 Close link between their Chemical constituents and taxonomical status.
Ex. Solanaceae family contains Tropane alkaloids
Umbelliferae family contains Volatile oil
Pinaceae family contains Oleo-resin
• Morphological Classification
In this system the crude drugs are classified according to their morphological characters like leaves, barks, seeds, fruits, roots, flowers etc.,
Advantages:
• Most convenient for practical purpose.
• Useful in identification of adulterants.
• Morphological Classification
Disadvantages:
 It is difficult to classify unorganized drugs.
 Chemical composition and pharmacological behaviour of drugs cannot be characterized by this system.
 Processing of drugs like collection, drying and preparation for market may change their original characters making recognition quite
difficult.
• Illustration of Morphological Classification
Part of plant Drugs___________________
Leaves Vasaka, Digitalis, Senna, Coca,
Datura, Eucalyptus
Barks Cinnamon, Cinchona, Cascara
Ashoka, Arjuna
Flowers Clove, Pyrethrum, Artemisia
Seeds Linseed, Mustard
Isapgol, Nux-vomica
Fruits Dill, coriander, Bael
Colocynth, Gokhru
Roots Ipecacuanha,
Rauwolfia, Aconite,
Gentian
Rhizomes Rhubarb, Male fern
Turmeric, Ginger
Bulbs Scilla Garlic
Corns Colchicum
Entire plants Ephedra ,Chirata Ergot , Belladonna Herb

Woods Quassia
Sandalwood
Hairs & Fibres Cotton
Jute
Hemp
• Unorganised Drugs
Dried latex Opium
Dried juice Aloe
Dried extracts Agar, Catechu, Gelatin
Gums Tragacanth, Acacia, Guar gum
• Unorganised Drugs
Resins and Resin combinations
Colophony
Benzoin
Asafoetida
Basam of Tolu
Myrrh
Fixed oils Castor oil, Arachis oil
Chaulmoogra oil
Fats Lard
Waxes Wool Fat
Bees Wax
• Chemical Classification
 All plants and animals biosynthesize various chemical compounds like carbohydrates, proteins, fats etc.,
 In addition to these essential chemicals living organisms produce several other chemicals and these chemical constituents possess
pharmacological activity.
• Advantages
This classification gives logical reasoning to
- biological activities of crude drugs
- which are due to chemical constituents.
• Disadvantages
• Drugs which contains two or more types of chemical constituents cannot get appropriate placement by this system.
• Illustration of Chemical Classification
Type of Components Examples
Carbohydrates
Gums Acacia, Guar gum
Mucilages Ispagol
Others Starch, Agar, Honey Cotton, Pectin
Glycosides
Anthroquinone Aloe
Cascara
Senna
Rhubarb
Cyanogenetic Wild cherry , Bitter almond
Isothiocyanate Mustard Gentian

Tannins Polyphenolic glycosides Ashoka, Amla

Catechu, Myrobalan
Volatile Oils Caraway
Cardamom,
Coriander, Dill, Fennel
Clove, Nutmeg
Eucalyptus,
Lemon grass.
Lipids
Fixed Oils Castor oil
Arachis Oil
Sesame oil
Fats Lanolin
Wool fat
Theobroma
Waxes Beeswax
Spermaceti
Resins and Resin combinations
Resins Colophony
Glycosidal resin Podophyllum
Jalap
Kaladana
Oleo – resins Capsicum
Ginger
Oleo-gum resins Asafoetida
Guggul
Balsams Tolu balsam
Benzoin, storax
• Alkaloids
Pyridine & Piperidine Tobacco
Tropane Belladonna, Datura
Hyoscyamus, Coca
Purines Tea, Coffee
Steroidal Kurchi
Diterpenoid Aconite
Phenanthrene Opium
Indole Ergot, Nux- vomica
Rauwolfia
Quinoline Cinchona
Isoquinoline Opium, Ipecacuanha
Amines Ephedra
Proteins Gelatin, Yeast
Vitamins Yeast, Cod liver oil
Shark liver oil, Amla
Triterpenes Colocynth, Rasna
• Pharmacological Classification
• In this system drugs are grouped together
according to the therapeutic activity of their main chemical constituents.
• Advantages
 Even if chemical constituents are not known Drugs can be grouped according to therapeutic utility.
• Illustration of Pharmacological Classification
Pharmacological Action:
• Anticancer Vinca Anti Spasmodic Datura, belladonna
• Anti asthamatics Ephedra Anthelmintic Kurchi
• Anti amoebic Ipecac Astringents Catechu
• Anti diabetic Gymnema
Cardio tonics Digitalis, squill Carminatives clove, fennel
Expectorant Vasaka Laxatives Senna, Aloes
Mydriatic Datura Oxytocic Ergot