BP105T • PCI 2026Natural Products CoreCredits: 4 (45 Hours Theory)

BP105T – Introduction to Pharmacognosy

Natural crude drugs, taxonomy, cultivation, harvesting, secondary metabolites, phytochemical evaluation, and adulteration detection.

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📖 Unit-wise Notes📋 Official Syllabus❓ Solved MCQs📝 Important Questions🧪 Viva & Practicals

📌 Subject Overview

BP105T Introduction to Pharmacognosy provides the foundational study of crude drugs derived from natural sources (plants, animals, minerals, and marine organisms). Students learn crude drug classification systems, cultivation/harvesting factors, plant tissue systems, major secondary metabolite classes (alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, volatile oils), quality control parameters, and macroscopic/microscopic evaluation techniques.

BP105T (Introduction to Pharmacognosy) में प्राकृतिक स्रोतों (पेड़-पौधे, जंतु, खनिज) से मिलने वाली औषधियों (Crude Drugs), एल्कलॉइड्स, ग्लाइकोसाइड्स, और हर्बल दवाओं की जांच (Adulteration & Quality Control) का अध्ययन है।

Aligned with the new PCI 2026 syllabus, BP105T blends traditional botanical pharmacognosy with modern analytical phytochemistry and quality standardization.

Unit-wise Notes & Study Materials

Select any unit below to access in-depth lecture notes, examples, and summaries.

Unit 1

Introduction, Scope & Classification of Crude Drugs

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History and scope of pharmacognosy, natural sources of drugs, organized vs unorganized drugs, classification schemes (alphabetical, morphological, taxonomical, chemical, pharmacological, chemotaxonomical).यूनिट 1 में फ़ार्माकोग्नोसी का इतिहास, ऑर्गनाइज्ड व अन-ऑर्गनाइज्ड औषधियां, और क्रूड ड्रग्स के वर्गीकरण (Classification) की विधियां हैं।

Key Topics Covered:
•Definition, History, Historical Milestones (Seydler, Galen, Dioscorides, Charaka, Sushruta)
•Scope and Future Prospects of Pharmacognosy in Modern Healthcare & Phytomedicines
•Sources of Crude Drugs: Plant, Animal, Mineral, Marine, and Microbial Sources
•Organized Drugs (Leaves, Barks, Roots, Flowers) vs Unorganized Drugs (Gums, Resins, Juices, Latices)
•Schemes of Crude Drug Classification: Alphabetical, Morphological, Taxonomical, Chemical, Pharmacological, Chemotaxonomical & Serotaxonomical
•Advantages and Limitations of Each Classification Scheme
Unit 2

Cultivation, Collection, Processing & Storage of Crude Drugs

Open Unit 2 Notes➔

Factors affecting crude drug cultivation (soil, altitude, temperature, rainfall, nutrients, plant hormones), hybridization, polyploidy, collection guidelines, drying methods, and storage preservation.यूनिट 2 में औषधीय पौधों की खेती (Cultivation), सही समय पर तुड़ाई (Harvesting), सुखाना (Drying), और सुरक्षित भंडारण (Storage) के नियम हैं।

Key Topics Covered:
•Cultivation vs Wild Collection of Medicinal Plants
•Exogenous Factors Affecting Cultivation: Altitude, Temperature, Rainfall, Sunlight, Soil & Nutrients
•Endogenous & Genetic Factors: Mutation, Polyploidy, Hybridization, Plant Growth Regulators (Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins)
•Systematic Collection Rules for Different Plant Parts (Leaves, Barks, Roots, Seeds, Fruits)
•Primary Processing: Garbling, Washing, Peeling, Blanching, and Shed/Sun/Oven Drying
•Storage, Packing, Preservation, and Protection from Insect Pests & Microbial Infestation
Unit 3

Quality Control & Evaluation of Crude Drugs

Open Unit 3 Notes➔

Adulteration of crude drugs (types and causes), methods of drug evaluation: organoleptic, microscopic (stomatal index, vein-islet number, palisade ratio), physical (ash values, extractive values, moisture content), chemical, and biological.यूनिट 3 में हर्बल दवाओं में मिलावट (Adulteration) की पहचान, माइक्रोस्कोपिक जांच (Stomata, Trichomes), और ऐश वैल्यू (Ash Values) निकालने की विधियां हैं।

Key Topics Covered:
•Adulteration of Crude Drugs: Types (Inferior Commercial Varieties, Exhausted Drugs, Synthetics)
•Organoleptic / Morphological Evaluation: Color, Odor, Taste, Size, Shape, Texture, Fracture
•Microscopic Evaluation: Stomata Types, Stomatal Index, Stomatal Number, Vein-Islet Number, Vein-Termination Number, Palisade Ratio, Trichomes, Calcium Oxalate Crystals
•Quantitative Microscopy: Lycopodium Spore Method
•Physical Evaluation: Total Ash, Acid-Insoluble Ash, Water-Soluble Ash, Moisture Content (Loss on Drying), Extractive Values (Water/Alcohol), Foreign Organic Matter
•Chemical Evaluation: Preliminary Phytochemical Qualitative Tests
•Biological Evaluation & WHO Guidelines for Herbal Standardization
Unit 4

Primary & Secondary Metabolites in Plants

Open Unit 4 Notes➔

Overview of plant metabolism; chemistry, classification, isolation principles, and therapeutic significance of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, volatile oils, resins, and flavonoids.यूनिट 4 में पौधों के एक्टिव कंपाउंड्स जैसे एल्कलॉइड्स (Alkaloids), ग्लाइकोसाइड्स (Glycosides), टैनिन्स (Tannins), और वाष्पशील तेल (Volatile Oils) के टेस्ट हैं।

Key Topics Covered:
•Difference Between Primary (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids) and Secondary Metabolites
•Alkaloids: Definition, Chemical Properties, General Identification Tests (Mayer's, Dragendorff's, Wagner's, Hager's), Therapeutic Uses
•Glycosides: Definition, Chemistry, Classification (Anthraquinone, Cardiac, Saponin, Cyanogenetic, Flavonoid), Identification Tests (Borntrager's, Keller-Kiliani, Foam Test)
•Tannins: Hydrolyzable vs Condensed Tannins, Goldbeater's Skin Test, Ferric Chloride Test
•Volatile Oils: Occurrence, Chemical Classes (Terpenes, Phenylpropanoids), Methods of Extraction (Hydro-distillation, Enfleurage)
•Resins & Resin Combinations (Balsams, Oleoresins, Gum-resins)
•Flavonoids and Terpenoids: Pharmacological Significance
Unit 5

Plant Tissue Culture & Traditional Systems of Medicine

Open Unit 5 Notes➔

Basics of plant tissue culture (callus, suspension, micropropagation), production of secondary metabolites; introduction to Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, and Chinese traditional medicine.यूनिट 5 में प्लांट टिशू कल्चर (PTC) और भारत की पारंपरिक चिकित्सा पद्धतियों (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) के मूल सिद्धांत शामिल हैं।

Key Topics Covered:
•Introduction to Plant Tissue Culture (PTC): History, Totipotency, Nutritional Media (MS Medium)
•Types of Cultures: Callus Culture, Suspension Culture, Shoot-Tip Culture, Protoplast Culture
•Applications of Plant Tissue Culture in Secondary Metabolite Production and Micropropagation
•Basic Principles and Philosophies of Traditional Systems of Medicine:
•Ayurveda: Tridosha Theory (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), Panchamahabhutas, Rasayana Herbs
•Siddha System & Unani System (Humoral Theory - Dam, Balgham, Safra, Sauda)
•Homeopathy: Law of Similars, Potentization, Minimum Dose Concept
•Herbal Cosmetics and Nutraceuticals in Modern Pharmacy

Official PCI Syllabus Breakdown

The Introduction to Pharmacognosy (BP105T) course is prescribed for 45 theory hours and 15 tutorial/practical hours per semester. The syllabus is structured to provide foundational scientific understanding and practical applications required for subsequent professional semesters.

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BP105T MCQs

Practice multiple-choice questions with answer explanations designed for sessional and semester tests.

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Important Questions

Targeted 10-mark long essays, 5-mark short answers, and 2-mark definitions with answer outlines.

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Practicals & Viva Voce

Lab experiment procedures, safety rules, and frequently asked oral viva questions with model answers.

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