PHARMACOGNOSY MNEMONICS:

Disclaimer: Medyo corny and rated SPG yung iba so bear with them, pero I guess they are very effective naman haha and fun to learn. J Also try to make your own stories para
mas matandaan niyo. If you would want to use these mnemonics, try to imagine them and feel yung kwento, para mas maalala. Don’t hesitate to use your imagination! :D Be
spontaneous! Mas weird na imagination, mas matatandaan niyo sila. Again, muli kong sasabihin na: learn everything for the boards not just to pass, but to be the best pharmacist in
this country. Do it for yourself and your family, and more importantly for your patients. Their life is in your hands, remember that. Bonus nalang ang pag-totop. Basta isa-puso
niyo lahat. Okay? Wish you all the best! GOD BLESS!

OUTLINE

I. Gums and Mucilages

A. Shrubs and Tree Exudates
May Umiiyak (Cry) na Tagak sa Acacia TREE ni Jesus
1. Tragacanth (Tagak) Tagak
2. Acacia (Acacia)
3. Ghatti (Sci name is Anogiessus – sounds like Jesus)
4. Karaya (Read as Cry-a)
B. Marine Gums
Any thing with AL or AR
1. ALgin
2. agAR
3. cARrageenan
4. furcellARan
C. Seed Gums
Nagplant ng Seed and GuLo
1. Plantago (Plant)
2. Cydonium (Seed or Cyd)
3. Guar (Gu)
4. Locust (Lo)
D. Microbial Gums
With “X”
1. Xanthan
2. Dextran
II. Glycosides
A. Cardiac
I had a DIGITAL CONVO (imagine kunwari Skype) with my APO ADONIS, with a CACTUS body, BLACK
as HELL, STRONG and SKILLED
1. Digitalis
2. Convallaria
3. Apocynum (isipin niyo techie lola and lolo kayo na nakikipagskype kay Adonis na apo niyo)
4. Adonis (Strong person kaya Cactus Body)
5. Cactus grandifloris (diba yung cactus parang nagfflex ng arms yung itsura)
6. Black Hellebore (dark complexion si Adonis)
7. Strophanthus (Strong)
8. Squill (Skilled)
B. Anthraquinone
CASKET filled with ANTS (anthraquinone) with ALOE-like FANGS, for RHU, CHRYS, SENNA and DAN.
Story behind: galit ka sa friends mong yan kaya gusto mo silang ilibing sa kabaong na puno ng ants
1. Cascara (Casket)
2. Frangula (Fangs
3. Aloe (Kaya aloe-like kasi mukhang aloe vera yung fangs nung ants hahaha…and mukhang fangs
rin naman yung aloe vera)
4. Rhubarb
5. Senna
6. Chrysarobin
7. Danthron and Chrysazin
C. Saponin
I GAVE a STRONG SMILE kay LORD para GISINGIN at SABUNIN (Saponin) si GLYZA
1. Glycirrhiza (Glyza)
2. Dioscorea (Lord)
3. Agave (I gave)
4. Smilax (Smile)
5. Strophanthus (Strong)
6. Ginseng (Gisingin)
D. Cyanophore
1. Amygdalin (Memorize nalang haha isa lang yan)
E. Isothiocyanate
1. Black or White Mustards (memorize nalang ulit)

© Imran Rodriguez
 F. Flavonol
Bumili si ELMER ng GINKGO FLAVORED (Flavonol) MILK
1. Elm
2. Milk thistle
3. Ginkgo
G. Alcohol
1. Salicin
2. Populin

H. Aldehyde
1. Vanilla
I. Lactone
RAT na may PSORIASIS NA KUMAKANTA ng WALA SA TONO (Lack = Wala haha, Tone = Tono,
combined Lactone haha corny)
1. Coumarin (RAT poison kasi)
2. Cantharides (Kumakanta)
3. Psoralens (imaginin niyo yung daga na merong psoriasis)
J. Phenol
1. Uva ursi
2. Poison oak
III. Tannins
TANNED JAPANESE and CHINESE GIRLS selling NUTS and HAM
A. Hammamelis
B. Nutgall
C. Japanese and Chinese Galls
D. Tannic Acid
IV. Lipids (no need for mnemonics)
V. Volatile Oils (For this part mejo be more imaginative sa kwento)
A. Hydrocarbon
1. Turpentine
B. Alcohol
Imagine nasa kitchen ka mag-isa tapos nag-mix ka ng ALCOHOL (classification) at PAMINTA sa isang
COLANDER. Nakita ka ni MOMMY ROSE at pinagalitan ka (kasi ang weird ng ginagawa mo). So nilambing
mo siya at binigyan ng ORANG FLOWERS na pinitas mo sa mga PINE TREES ng kapitbahay mong si
JUNIPER
1. Peppermint
2. Coriander (Colander)
3. Cardamom (Mom)
4. Rose
5. Orange flower
6. Juniper Colander  
7. Pine
C. Aldehyde
May isang WITCH, pangalan niya ay AL (aldehyde), favorite niya ang CINNAMON sa kape niya. Sa tabi ng
bahay nila may tumutubong LEMON GRASS na namumunga ng LEMON PEELS and SWEET ORANGES
1. Cinnamon
2. Lemon Peels
3. Sweet Orange
4. Citronella
5. Hamamelis
D. Ketone
NagCAMPING ka with your KITTEN (ketone) in a FAR AWAY land, under a CEDAR LEAF na punong puno
ng WORMS. Sa ilalim ng leaf kumakain ka ng Chowking lauriat (bakit kailangan lauriat? Kasi may kasamang
BUCHI). Favorite mo yung buchi. So isusubo mo na sana yung buchi ng biglang may nag-SPEAR ng buchi
kaya di mo nakain. L
1. Camphor (Camping)
2. Spearmint (Spear)
3. Caraway (Faraway)
4. Buchu (Buchi)
5. Wormwood (Worm)
6. Cedar leaf (Cedar)
E. Phe“NO”l
There’s NO TIME, MY dear OREO JUNIPER, please give me back my PAINTER GLOVES
1. Thyme (Time)
2. Clove (Gloves)
3. Myricia (My)
4. Creosote (Oreo) – yan yung tawagan niyo ng girlfriend mong si Juniper. Kasi kung yung iba honey,
cheesecake, cupcake, kayo unique – oreo.
5. Juniper (Juniper)
6. Pine tar (Painter)

© Imran Rodriguez
 F. Phenolic Esters
ANISE is a CHINESE STAR who loves OLICKING and FUNNELING NUTS (mej ang weird pakinggan pero
let it be para maalala niyo nalang, sorry)
1. Nutmeg
2. Anise
3. Fennel
4. Chinese star anise
G. Oxide
1. Eucalyptus
H. Ester
Si LOLA ESTER ay laging nakasuot LAVENDER na dress. Siya ay mahilig kumain ng NEEDLES mixed with
EFFICASCENT OIL and MUSTARD.
1. Gaultheria (Oil of wintergreen, efficascent oil)
2. Lavender (Lavender
3. Pine needle (Needles)
4. Mustard oil (Mustard)
VI. Resin and Resin Combinations (Wala ako dito…try niyo gawan J)
A. Resins
1. Rosin
2. Podophyllum
3. Eriodyction
4. Jalap
5. Mastic
6. Kava-kava
7. Cannabis
B. Oleoresin
1. Cayenne
2. Ginger
3. Turpentine
4. Copaiba
5. White pine
C. Oleogumresin
1. Myrrh
2. Asafetida
D. Balsams
1. Storax
2. Peru balsam
3. Tolu balsam
4. Benzoin
VII. Alkaloids
A. Pyridine-piperidine (everything about nicotine)
1. Nicotiana
2. Areca
3. Lobelia
B. Tropane (everything about atropine)
1. Atropine
2. Hyoscyamus
3. Egyptian hyscyamus
4. Stramonium
5. Withamia
6. Duboisia
7. Mandragora
8. Coca
C. Quinoline
QUEEN CINCHONA’s CUP
1. Cinchona
2. Cuprea
D. Isoquinoline
I SAW (Isoquinoline) a HYDRA na nakaPEKAT sa SANGA ng mga TUBO ni PAPA
1. Ipecac (Pekat is a dialect term for nakadikit. Parang palaka na nakadikit)
2. Hydrastis (Hydra, yung many-headed dragon sa Hercules)
3. Sanguinaria (Sanga)
4. Curare (Tubo) – for tubocurarine
5. Opium (Papa) – for papaver somniferum

© Imran Rodriguez
 E. Indole
Imagine na napasok yung guy friend mong si serg. So sabi mo sa kanya
“Nuxxxxxx!!!!! IN RAW sa audition si SERG!!! MAG-PHY CHICHARON ka naman diyan!!!”
1. Rauwolfia (RAW)
2. Vinca alkaloids (Chicharon) – kasi chichirica ay known source ng Vinca Alkaloids
3. Nux vomica – (Nuxxx)
4. Physostigma (mag-PHY) – mejo pilit ito…kasi dapat Mag-pachicharon ka naman!!! Pero pinilit ko
nalang na Mag-phychicharon ka naman diyan
5. Ergot (Serg)
F. Imidazole (isa lang to)
1. Pilocarpine
G. Steroidal (Stairs to Hell)
1. Green hellebore
2. White hellebore

H. Amines
Imagine nakikipag away ka.
PEEYYY YOU PHEDRANG kabayuuu!!!!! PSILONG nagsabing sayo yan!!? AMIN yang CAT at GOAT na
yan!!
1. Ephedra (PHEDRANG kabayo) hahahaha sorry sobrang pilit
2. Colchicum (GOAT) – Treatment for acute Gout. Kaya GOAT hahaha
3. Khat (CAT)
4. Peyote (PEY YOU!!) – parang HEY YOU!!!!
5. Psilocybe (PSILONG) – sounds like SINONG nagsabi – pero kasi may sipon ka kaya ganyan. Try
mo takpan nose mo hahaha tas sabihin mo yung word na SINONG.
I. Purine (Wala ako maisip)
1. Cola
2. Coffee
3. Guarana
4. Mate
5. Thea
6. Theobroma

© Imran Rodriguez