About Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry II
Subject Code
BP503T
Semester
Semester 5
Credits
4 Credits
Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry II (BP503T) builds upon the foundational knowledge of natural drugs by diving deep into the biosynthetic pathways that create secondary metabolites, the detailed pharmacognostic study of important crude drugs (Alkaloids, Glycosides, Volatile Oils, Tannins, Resins), the isolation and identification of specific phytoconstituents, their industrial production, and the application of modern analytical techniques like Spectroscopy and Chromatography.
Key Learning Objectives
- Biosynthetic Pathways: Understand how plants synthesize secondary metabolites via Shikimic acid, Acetate, and Amino acid pathways.
- Crude Drug Monographs: Study the biological source, chemical constituents, and therapeutic uses of important crude drugs.
- Isolation Techniques: Learn the methods to isolate, identify, and analyze specific phytoconstituents like alkaloids, terpenoids, and glycosides.
- Industrial Production: Understand the large-scale commercial production and estimation of important phytoconstituents.
- Modern Analytical Methods: Apply Spectroscopy, Chromatography, and Electrophoresis for identification and quality control of crude drugs.
Syllabus & Topics Covered
Unit 1: Metabolic Pathways in Higher Plants
- Brief study of basic metabolic pathways and formation of different secondary metabolites through these pathways – Shikimic acid pathway, Acetate pathways and Amino acid pathway.
- Study of utilization of radioactive isotopes in the investigation of Biogenetic studies.
Unit 2: Secondary Metabolites – Detailed Study
- General introduction, composition, chemistry & chemical classes, biosources, therapeutic uses and commercial applications of secondary metabolites.
- Alkaloids: Vinca, Rauwolfia, Belladonna, Opium.
- Phenylpropanoids and Flavonoids: Lignans, Tea, Ruta.
- Steroids, Cardiac Glycosides & Triterpenoids: Liquorice, Dioscorea, Digitalis.
- Volatile oils: Mentha, Clove, Cinnamon, Fennel, Coriander.
- Tannins: Catechu, Pterocarpus.
- Resins: Benzoin, Guggul, Ginger, Asafoetida, Myrrh, Colophony.
- Glycosides: Senna, Aloes, Bitter Almond.
- Iridoids, Other terpenoids & Naphthaquinones: Gentian, Artemisia, Taxus, Carotenoids.
Unit 3: Isolation, Identification & Analysis of Phytoconstituents
- Terpenoids: Menthol, Citral, Artemisin.
- Glycosides: Glycyrhetinic acid & Rutin.
- Alkaloids: Atropine, Quinine, Reserpine, Caffeine.
- Resins: Podophyllotoxin, Curcumin.
Unit 4: Industrial Production & Estimation of Phytoconstituents
- Industrial production, estimation and utilization of the following phytoconstituents:
- Forskolin, Sennoside, Artemisinin, Diosgenin, Digoxin, Atropine, Podophyllotoxin, Caffeine, Taxol, Vincristine and Vinblastine.
Unit 5: Basics of Phytochemistry & Modern Techniques
- Modern methods of extraction.
- Application of latest techniques like Spectroscopy, Chromatography and Electrophoresis in the isolation, purification and identification of crude drugs.
How to Score High in Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry II
- 1
Draw Pathways: Draw the Shikimic acid and Acetate pathways from memory — they are guaranteed long-answer questions.
- 2
Monograph Tables: Make a table for each crude drug with columns: Biological Source, Family, Chemical Constituents, Uses, Chemical Tests.
- 3
Practice Isolation Steps: Write the step-by-step isolation of Caffeine, Atropine, and Quinine as flowcharts.
- 4
Link with Pharmacology: Connect pharmacological actions (e.g., Digoxin = cardiac glycoside) with the phytochemistry studied here.
Why it Matters for Career
Phytochemistry is the backbone of herbal drug discovery and quality control. Skills in isolating and analyzing phytoconstituents are directly applicable to careers in herbal R&D, nutraceuticals, AYUSH regulatory affairs, and pharmaceutical quality assurance.
Exam Weightage
Unit 2 (Detailed study of crude drugs — their source, constituents, uses, and chemical tests) carries the highest marks. Unit 1 (Biosynthetic pathways) and Unit 3 (Isolation of specific compounds) are standard long-answer questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are Biosynthetic Pathways?
They are metabolic routes through which plants synthesize complex secondary metabolites from simple primary metabolites. The three major pathways are: Shikimic acid (aromatic amino acids → alkaloids, lignans, flavonoids), Acetate/Mevalonate (acetyl-CoA → terpenoids, steroids), and Amino acid pathway (amino acids → alkaloids).
How do I study the crude drug monographs?
Use a structured approach: Biological Source (plant name, family), Part Used, Chemical Constituents (active compounds), Chemical Tests, Therapeutic Uses, and Adulterants. Create comparison tables to group drugs by chemical class.
What is the difference between Pharmacognosy 1 and 2?
Pharmacognosy 1 covers the basics — introduction, classification, evaluation, cultivation, tissue culture, and primary metabolites. Pharmacognosy 2 goes deeper into biosynthetic pathways, detailed study of individual crude drugs, isolation/identification of specific compounds, and industrial production.