CLASSIFICATION OF CRUDE DRUGS

The most important natural sources of drugs are (higher plants, microbes & animals and marine
organisms. Some useful products are obtained from minerals that are both organic and inorganic in
nature. To follow the study of the individual drugs, one must adopt some particular sequence of
arrangement and this is referred to a system of classification of drugs.
A method of classification should be :
 Simple
 Easy to use
 Free from confusion & ambiguities.
Because of their wide distribution, each arrangement of classification has its own merits and demerits but
for the purpose of study the drugs are classified in the following different ways :
1. Alphabetical classification .
2. Morphological classification
3. Taxonomic classification
4. Pharmacological classification
5. Chemical classification
6. Chemo - taxonomical classification
ALPHABETICAL CLASSIFICATION
Alphabetical classification is the simplest way of classification of any disconnected items. The crude
drugs are arranged according to the alphabetical order/form of their Latin and English names. Some of the
Pharmacopoeias and reference books which classify crude drugs according to this system are as follows.
1. Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) 1955 (Latin)
2. Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) 1966 (English)
3. British Pharmacopoeia (BP) (English)
4. British Pharmacopoeia Codex (BPC) (English)
5. United States of Pharmacopoeia (USP) (English)
6. European Pharmacopoeia (Latin)
Advantages:
 It is simple method, in this system location, tracing and addition of the drug is easy.
 No technical person is required for handling the system.
Disadvantages:
 Scientific nature of the drug cannot be identified by this method, whether they are organised or
unorganised drug.
  This system does not help in distinguishing the drugs of plant, animal and mineral source.
(Original source is not clear)
Examples:
Acacia, Agar, Benzoin, Beeswax, Cinchona, Cinnamon, Digitalis, Datura, Ephedra, Fennel, Ginger,
Isapagol, Jalap, Kino, Linseed, Mustard, Nutmeg, etc.
MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
In this system the drugs are arranged according to the morphological or external characters of the plant
parts nor animal parts i.e. which part of the plant is used as a drug e.g. ( leaves , roots , stems , …etc ).
Organized (Cellular): The drugs which obtained from the dried parts of the plants & containing cellular
tissues are called as Organized Drugs. e.g. Rhizomes , barks , leaves , fruits , entire plants , hairs ,&
fibers .
Unorganized (Acellular): The drugs which are prepared from plants by some intermediate physical
processes such as incision , drying or extraction with a solvent and not containing any cellular plant
tissues are called as unorganized drugs such as Aloe juice , opium latex , agar , gambir , gelatin ,
tragacanth , benzoin , honey , beeswax , lemon grass oil ..etc.
Organized Drugs :
Woods – Quassia , Sandalwood , Red Sandalwood .
Leaves – Digitalis, Eucalyptus, Mint, Senna, Tea.
Barks – Cascara , Cassia , Cinchona.
Flowering parts – Clove , Pyrethrum , Saffron.
Fruits – Anise , Bitter orange peel , Capsicum , Coriander , Cumin.
Seeds – Bitter almond, Black Mustard , Cardamom , Colchicum, White mustard .
Roots & Rhizomes - Garlic , Gentian , Ginger , Ginsing , Glycyrrhiza, Turmeric.
Plants & Herbs – Ergot, Vinca , Datura .
Hair & Fibers- Cotton , Hemp , Jute , Silk , Flax .
Unorganized Drugs :
Dried latex – Opium , Papain .
Dried Juice – Aloe , Kino .
Dried extracts – Agar , Black catechu , Pale catechu , Pectin .
Waxes – Beeswax , Spermaceti , Carnauba wax .
Gums – Acacia , Guar gum , Indian gum ,
Resins – Asafetida , Benzoic , Colophony , Tolo balsam , Storax.
Volatile oil – Turpentine , Anise , Coriander , Peppermint, Camphor .
Fixed oils & Fats – Castor , Coconut , Cotton seed , Linseed , Olive , Sesame.
Animal Products – Bees wax , Cod – liver oil , Gelatin.
Fossil organism & Minerals – Bentonite , Kaolin , Talc .
Advantages:
 This system of classification is more convenient for practical study especially when the chemical
nature of the drug is not clearly understood.
 This type of classification is very useful in identifying the adulterants used
Disadvantages:
 It does not give an idea about biological source, chemical constituents and uses.
 When different parts of the plant contain different chemical constituents, it is difficult to classify
them.
TAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION
Taxonomical classification is purely a botanical classification, its based on principles of natural
relationship & evolutionary developments. They are grouped in ( Kingdom , Phyllum , Order , Family ,
Genus & Species ) . As all the entire plants are not used as drug, parts of plant are used as a drug. For
example, Cinnamon bark. This it is of no significance from identification point of view to put plants in a
taxonomic order.
Advantages:
 Easy for the classification of crude drugs
Disadvantages:
 The system is criticized for its failure to recognize the organised / unorganised nature of crude
drugs in their morphological studies.
 The system fails to face into an account chemical nature of active constituent and therapeutic
significance of crude drugs.
 The drugs obtained from plants having alternate leaves, flowers, seeds, capsules (Hyocyamus,
Datura, Bellodonna, Stromonium) are considered with other members of solanaceae.
PHARMACOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
In this system grouping of drug according to their pharmacological action or of most important
constituent or their therapeutic use is termed as pharmacological or therapeutic classification of drug. This
classification is more relevant and is mostly followed method. Drugs like digitalis, squill and
strophanthus having cardiotonic action are grouped together irrespective of their parts used or
phylogenetic relationship or the nature of phytoconstituents they contain. The following examples gives
an outline of pharmacological classification of drugs .
 Bitter - Quassia, Cinchona, Gentian
 Carminatives - Dill, Clove, Fennel, Coriander
 Emetics - Ipecac
 Anti-amoebic - Kurchi, Ipecac
 Bulk Laxatives - Agar, Isapgol
 Purgatives - Senna, Castor oil
 Expectorant - Liquorice, Vasaka, Ipecac
 Antitussive - Opium
 Bronchodilators - Ephedra, Tea
 Cardio- tonics - Digitalis, Squill, Stropanthus
 Cardiac depressant - Cinchona, Veratrum
 Antihypertensive - Rauwolfia
 Central analgesics - Opium
 CNS stimulants - Coffee
 CNS depressants - Opium
 Antispasmodics - Bellodonna
 Anticancer - Vinca, Podophyllum, Cochicum
  Antirheumatics - Aconite, Guggul, Colchicum
 Anthelmintics - Vidang, Quassia, Malefern
 Astringents - Catechu.
 Antimalarials - Cinchona, Artemisia.
 Local anesthetics - Coca
Advantages
 The special advantage is that if even chemical constituents of the crude drugs are not known they
can be classified properly on the basis of therapeutic or pharmacological uses.
Disadvantages
 Regardless of morphology, taxonomical status or chemical nature, the drugs are grouped together,
provided they exhibit similar pharmacological uses.
 Eg: Senna, Castor oil, Jalap, Colocynth are grouped together as purgatives/laxatives because of
their common pharmacological action.
CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION
The crude drugs are divided into different groups according to the chemical nature of their most important
constituent. Since the pharmacological activity and therapeutic significance of crude chemical
classification of drugs is dependent upon the grouping of drugs with identical constituents. An out of this
classification is as follow:
1. Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones containing an unbroken
chain of arbon atoms .
o Gums - Acacia , Tragacanth
o Mucilages – Plantago seed
o Others - Starch , Honey , Agar , Pectin , Cotton .
2. Glycosides – Glycosides are compounds which upon hydrolysis give rise to one or more sugars
(glycone ) and non – sugar ( aglycone ) .
o Anthraquinone Glycosides – Aloe , Cascara , Rhubarb , Senna
o Saponins Glycosides –Quillaia , Glycyrrhiza
o Cyanophore Glycosides – Wild cherry bark
o Isothiocyanate Glycosides – Mustard
o Cardiac Glycosides – Digitalis , Strophantus
o Bitter Glycosides – Gentian , Calumba , Quassia
3. Tannins – Tannins are complex organic , non – nitrogenous derivatives of polyhydroxy benzoic
acids . Ex : Pale catechu , Black catechu , Ashoka bark , Galls , Amla .
 4. Volatile Oils – Monoterpines & Sesquiterpenes obtained from plants . Ex : Cinnamon , Fennel ,
Dill , Caraway , Coriander , Cardamom , Orange peel , Mint , Clove , Valerian .
5. Lipids
o Fixed oils – Castor , Olive , Almond , Shark liver oil .
o Fats – Theobroma , Lanolin .
o Waxes – Beeswax .
6. Resins – Complex mixture of compounds like resinols , resin acids , resinotannols , resenes.
Examples: Colophony , Podophyllum , Cannabis , Capsicum , Turmeric , Balsam of Tolu and
Peru , Myrrh , Ginger .
7. Alkaloids – Nitrogenous substance of plant origin
o Pyridine and Piperidine – Lobelia , Nicotiana
o Tropane – Coca , Belladonna , Datura , Stramonium, Hyoscyamus , Henbane .
o Quinoline - Cinchona
o Isoquinoline – Opium , Ipecac , Calumba .
o Indol – Ergot , Rauwolfia .
o Amines – Ephedra
o Purina – Tea , Coffee .
8. Protein – Gelatin , Ficin , Papain
9. Vitamins – Yeast
10. Triterpines – Rasna , Colocynth
Advantages :
 Chemical constituents are known,
 Medicinal uses are known
Disadvantages :
 Drugs of different origin are grouped under similar chemical titles.
 This type of classification makes no proper placement of drugs containing two different types of
chemicals. Eg: Certain drugs are found to contain alkaloids and glycosides (Cinchona), Fixed oil
and volatile oil (Nutmeg) of equal importance together and hence it is difficult to categorize them
properly.
CHEMOTAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION
This system of classification relies on the chemical similarity of taxon i.e. it is based on the existence of
relationship between constituents in various plants. There are certain types of chemical constituents that
characterize certain classes of plants. This gives birth to entirely new concept of chemotaxonomy that
utilizes chemical facts / characters for understanding the taxonomical status, relationships and the
evolution of the plants. For example:
 Tropane alkaloids generally occur in most of the members of Solanaceae
 Volatile oils occur in the members of Umbelliferae and Rutaceae
It is the latest system of classification and gives more scope for understanding the relationship between
chemical constituents, their biosynthesis and their possible action.