CLASSIFICATION

OF CRUDE
DRUGS
 Crude drugs are broadly divided into the following
two main groups on the basis of their apparent
morphological forms of cellular and structural
organization -

 Organised crude drugs are composed of

definite organised histological or cellular
structures and tissues.

 Unorganised crude drugs are devoid of any

definite histological or cellular structures and
are derived from plants and animals by
different extraction processes or as natural
secretions.
 The Organised crude plant drugs are again
further divided into following two groups -

(a) Drugs from above the ground organs, which

include all drugs that are derived from the
above the ground or aerial parts or organs of
plants.

(b) Drugs from Underground organs, which

include all drugs that are derived from
underground or subterranean parts or organs of
plants.
A method of classification should be-

 Simple

 Easy to use

 Free from confusion

The systems of classification of
crude drug are-
 a. Alphabetical system
 b. Morphological system
 c. Taxonomical system
 d. Pharmacological or therapeutic system
 e. Chemical system
 F. Chemotaxonomical system
Alphabetical classification:

Crude drugs are arranged in alphabetical

order of their Latin and English names
(common names) or sometimes local
language names (vernacular names).
 Some of the pharmacopoeias, dictionaries and
reference books which classify crude drugs
according to this system are as follows.

 Indian Pharmacopoeia
 British Pharmacopoeia
 British Herbal Pharmacopoeia
 United States Pharmacopoeia and National
Formulary
 British Pharmaceutical Codex
 European Pharmacopoeia
 In European Pharmacopoeia these are arranged
according to their names in Latin

 In U.S.P. and B.P.C., these are arranged in English.

 Merits:
 It is easy and quick to use
 There is no repetition of entries
 Devoid of confusion
 In this system location, tracing and addition of drug
entries is easy.

 Demerits:
 There is no relationship between previous and
successive drug entries.
Acacia,
Benzoin,
Cinchona,
Dill,
Ergot,
Fennel,
Gentian,
Hyoscyamus,
Ipecacuanha,
Jalap,
Kurchi,
Liquorice,
Mints,
Nuxvomica,
Opium,
Podophyllum,
Quassia,
Rauwolfia,
Senna,
Vasaka,
Wool fat,
Yellow bees wax,
Zeodary
 Morphological Classification
 Thedrugs are arranged according to the
morphological or external characters of the
plant parts or animal parts i.e. which part of the
plant is used as a drug e. g. leaves, roots, stem
etc

 Thedrugs obtained from the direct parts of the

plants and containing cellular tissues are called
as organized drugs e. g. Rhizomes, barks,
leaves, fruits, entire plants, hairs and fibres.
 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.

 Aloejuice, opium latex, agar, gambir, gelatin,

tragacanth, benzoin, honey, beeswax, lemon
grass oil, etc
o Merits:

 Morphological classification is more helpful to

identify and detect adulteration.

 This system of classification is more convenient for

practical study especially when the chemical
nature of the drug is not clearly understood.
.
o Demerits:

 No co-relation of chemical constituents with

the therapeutic actions.

 Repetition of drugs or plants occurs

 Taxonomical classification:

o Taxonomical classification is purely a botanical

classification and is based on principles of natural
relationship and evolutionary development

o They are grouped in

o Kingdom,
o Phylum,
o Order,
o Family,
o Genus, &
o Species
 Merits:-

 Taxonomical classification is helpful for

studying evolutionary developments.

 Demerits:-

 Thissystem also does not co-relate in

between the chemical constituents and
biological activity of the drugs.
 Pharmacological
Classification

 Grouping of drug according to their

pharmacological action or therapeutic use of most
important constituent is termed as
pharmacological or therapeutic classification of
drug

 Most followed method of classification

Examples:
 Merit:-

 This
system of classification can be used for
suggesting substitutes of drugs if they are not
available at a particular place or point of time

 Demerits:-

 Drugs having different action on the body gets

classified separately in more than one group that
causes ambiguity and confusion.
 Chemical Classification
 Crude drugs divided in different groups according
to the chemical nature of their most important
constituent as pharmacological activity is
dependent on chemical nature of crude drug

 It
is dependent on grouping of drugs with identical
constituents
Examples
 Carbohydrates–

 Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes

or ketones containing an unbroken chain of
carbon atoms.
 Gums: Acacia, Tragacanth, Guargum
 Mucilage: Plantago seed
 Others: Starch, Honey, Agar, Pectin, Cotton
 Glycosides –

 Glycosides are compounds which upon hydrolysis

give rise to one or more sugars (glycone) and
non-sugar (aglycone).
 Anthraquinone Glycosides: Aloe, Cascara,
Rhubarb, Senna
 Saponins Glycosides: Quillaia, Arjuna, Glycyrrhiza
 Isothiocyanate Glycosides: Mustard
 Cardiac Glycosides: Digitalis, Strophantus
 Bitter Glycosides: Gentian, Calumba, Quassia,
Chirata, Kalmeg
 Volatile oils–

 Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes obtained from

plants
 Examples- Cinnamon, Fennel, Dill, Caraway,
Coriander, Cardamom, Orange peel, Mint, Clove,
valerian
 Alkaloids –

 Nitrogenous substance of plant origin

 Pyridine and Piperidine –Lobelia, Nicotiana
 Tropane -Coca, Belladonna, Datura, Stramonium,
Hyoscyamus, Henbane
 Quinoline –Cinchona
 Isoquinoline –Opium, Ipecac, Calumba
 Indole –Ergot, Rauwolfia
 Amines –Ephedra
 Purine –Tea, coffee
 Protein – Gelatin, Ficin, Papain

 Vitamins -Yeast

 Triterpenes – Rasna, Colocynth

 Merits :

 Itis a popular approach for phytochemical

studies

 Demerits:

 Ambiguities arise when particular drugs possess a

number of compounds belonging to different
groups of compounds.
 Chemotaxonomic
Classification

 It
relies on the chemical similarity of a 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

 Itis the latest system of classification and gives

more scope for understanding the relationship
between chemical constituents, their
biosynthesis and their possible action
 Official Drugs

 Theofficial drugs are natural substances which

recognized and included in pharmacopeias and
recognized formularies

 Examples-
 1-Dried leaves of Mint plants and their active
constituents (Menthone, Menthol) are used to treat
certain stomach & intestinal diseases
 2-Whole plant Catharanthus and its active constituents
(Vincristine and vinblastine) are used in treatment of
Cancer
 3-The juice or extract of unriped fruit of poppy
(Papaver sp.) and its active constituents as
(Morphine, codeine) used as narcotic .

 4-Caffeine from the seeds of Coffee plants &

theobromine from leaves of tea plants are used as
stimulants .
 Un-official Drugs
 Following are the examples of natural drugs, or
their preparations, that are included in the
official Pharmacopoeia, but not found in the
current issues, because they show toxic effects
with time:

 1-Colchicum plant which used in treating a

gout disease .
 2-Khat plant which used in Yaman country as
a narcotic .
 Non-official Drugs

A non-official drug is a substance, which possesses

some medicinal properties and is unofficially used
for therapeutic purposes, but has never been
included as a therapeutic item in the
pharmacopoeia or any official drug literature of any
country.
ANY QUESTIONS???