1. Classification of Crude Drugs

2. Objectives On completion of this period, you would be able to know:
Alphabetical classification
Taxonomical Classification
Morphological classification
Chemical classification
Pharmacological classification of Crude Drugs

3. 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

4. Crude Drugs They are available in their original form of occurance
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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Disadvantages Classification system does not help in
Differentiating drugs of
Plant, animal or mineral sources.
Organized and unorganized drugs cannot be differentiated.

9. 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.,

10. 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.

11. Illustration of Taxonomical Classification
Phylum Order Family________ Gymnosperms Gnetales Ephedraceae Angiosperms Canaveral's Papaveraceae Dicotyledons Rhamnales Rhamnaceae Angiosperms Lilifore Liliaceae

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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

16. Morphological Classification
Fruits Dill, coriander, Bael
Colocynth, Gokhru
Roots Ipecacuanha,
Rauwolfia, Aconite,
Gentian
Rhizomes Rhubarb, Male fern
Turmeric, Ginger

17. Morphological Classification
Bulbs Scilla Garlic
Corns Colchicum
Entire plants Ephedra ,Chirata Ergot , Belladonna Herb

18. Morphological Classification
Woods Quassia
Sandalwood
Hairs & Fibres Cotton
Jute
Hemp

19. Unorganised Drugs
Dried latex Opium Dried juice Aloe Dried extracts Agar, Catechu, Gelatin Gums Tragacanth, Acacia, Guar gum

20. Unorganised Drugs Resins and Resin combinations Colophony Benzoin
Asafoetida
Basam of Tolu
Myrrh

21. Unorganised Drugs Fixed oils Castor oil, Arachis oil Fats Lard
Chaulmoogra oil
Fats Lard
Waxes Wool Fat
Bees Wax

22. 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.

23. Advantages This classification gives logical reasoning to
biological activities of crude drugs
which are due to chemical constituents.

24. Disadvantages
Drugs which contains two or more types of chemical constituents cannot get appropriate placement by this system.

25. Illustration of Chemical Classification
Type of Components Examples
Carbohydrates
Gums Acacia, Guar gum
Mucilages Ispagol
Others Starch, Agar, Honey
Cotton, Pectin

26. Glycosides
Anthroquinone Aloe
Cascara
Senna
Rhubarb

27. Cardiac glycosides Digitals
Squill
Strophanthus.
Saponin glycosides Dioscorea
Liquorice
Quillaia

28. Cyanogenetic Wild cherry
Bitter almond
Isothiocyanate Mustard
Gentian

29. Tannins Polyphenolic glycosides Ashoka, Amla
Catechu, Myrobalan
Volatile Oils Caraway
Cardamom,
Coriander, Dill, Fennel
Clove, Nutmeg
Eucalyptus,
Lemon grass.

30. Lipids Fixed Oils Castor oil Fats Lanolin Waxes Beeswax Arachis Oil
Sesame oil
Fats Lanolin
Wool fat
Theobroma
Waxes Beeswax
Spermaceti

31. 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

32. Alkaloids Pyridine & Piperidine Tobacco Tropane Belladonna, Datura
Hyoscyamus, Coca
Purines Tea, Coffee
Steroidal Kurchi
Diterpenoid Aconite
Phenanthrene Opium

33. Alkaloids Indole Ergot, Nux- vomica Rauwolfia Quinoline Cinchona
Isoquinoline Opium, Ipecacuanha
Amines Ephedra

34. Proteins Gelatin, Yeast
Vitamins Yeast, Cod liver oil
Shark liver oil, Amla
Triterpenes Colocynth, Rasna

35. Pharmacological Classification
In this system drugs are grouped together
according to the therapeutic activity of their main
chemical constituents.

36. Advantages Even if chemical constituents are not known
Drugs can be grouped according to therapeutic utility.

37. Disadvantages
Same drug having different actions, may be included in more than one category.

38. 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

39. Cardio tonics Digitalis, squill
Carminatives Cinnamon, clove, fennel
Expectorant Vasaka
Laxatives Senna, Aloes
Mydriatic Datura
Oxytocic Ergot

40. Summary In this class we learnt about Alphabetical classification
Taxonomical Classification
Morphological classification
Chemical classification
Pharmacological classification of crude drugs

41. Quiz
The classification method useful for practical purpose in Pharmacognosy
a) Taxonomical
b) Pharmacological
c) Morphological
d) Chemical

42. Questions
Describe various systems of classification of crude drugs. Give the merits and demerits. (April 2006)
Give an account of the different methods of classification of drugs giving their merits and demerits. (April 2005)
How the crude drugs are evaluated by organoleptic characters physical methods and biological methods. (April 2004)
Define the term crude drug. Mention the various drugs obtained from animals. (September 2002)