Introductory Pharmacognosy

The research of drug action at the molecular and whole-organism levels is known as pharmacology. At the cellular scale, medication action refers to how a drug or other chemicals generate a biological effect. Drug action refers to the therapeutic benefits of a drug and its side effects at the whole-organism level. Drugs can have biological effects in various ways, such as killing dangerous invading microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, destroying the body’s own immune system that has gone wrong (e.g., cancer cells), neutralising acid (antacid mechanism of action), and changing ongoing physiologic processes that are underactive or hyperactive. In the latter case, either a direct chemical replacement (e.g., insulin) or indirect or subtle modification of metabolic processes (e.g., suppression of enzyme function) may be necessary.

Drugs can alter an organism’s communication system. The alteration should not degrade the signal’s integrity or trigger undesirable reactions. Drugs should target particular cellular components involved in the regular signalling pathway. Pharmacodynamics studies medications’ molecular, biochemical, and physiological impacts on cellular systems and pharmacological modes of action.

Pharmacological absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) are significant factors in drug activity. Pharmacokinetics is the study of these processes (which entail the transit of drug molecules through various physiologic compartments) and how they impact medication usage and usefulness. Understanding a drug’s activity requires knowledge of its pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) aspects. Furthermore, the physical parameters of an individual patient (e.g., age, gender, liver function, weight, kidney function) govern how the drug’s PD and PK characteristics show.

Medicinal Plant Examples

Many active chemicals used in medicine are derived from plants. Some examples include salicylic acid and caffeine. These natural chemicals are frequently used as a foundation to develop novel medications.

Here are a few plants that influence human beings:

• Fusarium pallidoroseum is the source of apicidin, a fungus metabolite with antiprotozoal action in vitro that may be used to combat malaria

• The parasite Plasmodium berghei

• Taxus Baccata (yew tree) can be used to extract Baccatin III, which is vital in manufacturing various anti-cancer medicines

• Hericium erinaceus (lion’s mane mushroom) is a fungus that appears to improve nerve and cognitive function, protects the stomach mucus membrane layer, and alleviates symptoms of stomach ulcers. It can be used to treat Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis, although evidence of its effectiveness in curing these disorders is not enough

• Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a natural source of over 70 distinct indole alkaloids and a suppressor of the metaphase of cellular mitosis, inspired treatments for juvenile leukaemia and Hodgkin’s disease

History of Pharmacognosy

Humans have been producing medication from plants for ages. Therefore, pharmacognosy is often considered the oldest brand of medicine. There is 5,000-year-old evidence of medicine manufactured on Sumerian clay from Nagpur. And approximately 12 ancient medical formulas with plant elements such as poppy and mandrake, a Mediterranean plant in the nightshade family, have been discovered.

Many ancient books mention the creation of medications from plants. Information has revealed that humans have made medications out of mint, garlic, mustard, cabbage, and parsley for centuries.

No single country or nation dominated plant and organism medicine manufacture. Ingredients would vary depending on what individuals had readily accessible in their environment.

The extract of alkaloids from poppy and other plants helped launch modern medicine in the 19th century. Various active compounds were isolated from other plants to create the drugs we have today.

Pharmacognosy Today

Pharmacognosy is still an important science for developing future medications, with Japan and the United States leading the way. Researchers are urged to consider the ethical implications of employing natural items as medications.

Conservation of various flora, for example, must be considered to ensure that certain plants and creatures are not endangered. Furthermore, strict quality is required to guarantee that plants used for therapeutic reasons are accurately recognised and that any medication created using plants is of good quality. Internal reviews should be carried out to fully detect and analyse the dangers of long-term usage of natural therapies.

Conclusion

Plants have been used in making medicines for years now. However, today, these medicines can be recommended by professionals who are not medical experts. In such cases, medicines made from plants should be consumed with caution.