Abstract

ROLE OF PHARMACOGNOSY IN DRUG ADULTERATION

Dr. Usha Sharma, Kirtidhara Behera*, Dr. Shuchi Mitra, Dr. Yadevendra Yadav, Dr. Khem Chand Sharma

ABSTRACT

Pharmacognosy is the study of medicine of crude drugs produced from natural sources such as plants, minerals and animals. It includes analysis of their biological, chemical, biochemical and physical properties. These drugs come under the Rasashastra and Dravyaguna branch of Ayurveda. Drug plays an important role in Ayurveda. The traditional system of medicine derives more than 85% of the drug from the plant source. The identification of drugs as most important for the survival of traditional system of medicine. It is also found that often substitutes and adulterants are sold in the crude drug markets from where the physicians and drug manufacturers purchase their raw drug for daily requirements. Thus, there is an urgent need to undertake some of the parameters like taxonomical, pharmacognostical and phytochemical characters for identifying drugs. The various exomorphic characters found in the plants help in the taxonomic method of identification. The several endomorphic character found in the plant used, help in the pharmacognostical identification of drug in order to manufacture compound formulation to attain efficacy, constistency and safety of the preparation. The medicinal value of the uses of the drug is due to the presence of some chemical substances that produce a definite physiological action in the human body. The need of proper identification of aushadha dravyas or the crude drugs which occurs in natural forms is discussed in the present article.

Keywords: Ayurveda, Pharmacognosy, taxonomy.