Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicinal drugs derived from plants or other natural sources. Pharmacognosy is "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources”. It is also defined as the study of crude drugs. Pharmacognosy covers the following areas.
Medical ethnobotany: the study of the traditional use of plants for medicinal purposes;
Ethnopharmacology: the study of the pharmacological qualities of traditional medicinal substances;
The study of phytotherapy (the medicinal use of plant extracts); and
Phytochemistry, the study of chemicals derived from plants (including the identification of new drug candidates derived from plant sources).
marine pharmacognosy, the study of chemicals derived from marine organisms.
Our department is involved in curriculum which helps the students to attain a deep knowledge of Plant Taxonomy, Identification and Understanding the Chemical Constituents and Uses of Traditionally used Crude Drugs as well as Crude Drugs belonging to different chemical categories like Alkaloids, Glycosides, Terpenoids, Tannins, Resins etc.
Practical knowledge is very important in Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. Physical and Chemical Evaluation of the crude drugs are necessary to identify the authentic drugs as well as their adulterants. Physical and Chemical Evaluation of Crude drugs are essential in pharmacognostical studies. Our laboratories are well equipped with Monolocular Microscope, Compound Microscopes, Simple Microscopes, Extraction Units like Soxhlet Apparatus, Clevenger’s apparatus for Hydrodistillation, TLC Plates, TLC Spreader and TLC Chamber, Camera Lucida-Prism Type and Mirror Type, Stage micrometers and Eyepiece micrometers for Quantitative Microscopy, BOD Incubator, Hot Air Oven, Heating Mantles, Electric Water bath, Colorimeter, Centrifuge, Electronic Balance, Moisture Balance, Dispensing Balance, Hot Plate, Mechanical Stirrers, pH Meter, UV Cabinet and Centrifuge.
Our department is involved in rendering services for different organisations, in laboratory techniques like Extraction of Crude Drugs and Volatile Oil containing Drugs, Phytochemical Screening of Herbal Drugs and Chromatographic Analysis of Herbal Extracts.