Phytopharmacology
Encyclopedia
Phytopharmacology was invented by the Russian
scientist David Macht
in the 1930s. The term has since changed its meaning to become an established field of drug research, where the active substances come from plants. There is at least one established journal, the Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology
. The advantages of seeking medicines from plants are due both to the millions of years of co-evolution between plants and animals which has led to interactions between their constituent chemicals developing, and the nature of enzyme
driven synthesis leading to optically pure chiral
molecules whose reactions in the mammalian body can be very specific.
Many pharmacological preparations currently in use are derived from naturally occurring plant basis. Digoxin
and aspirin
are two of the earliest commercially refined plant preparations still available.
Syllabus
University of Madras
Phytopharmacognosy
General introduction – the chemical classification of drugs. Structure, properties, characteristics and mode of action of carbohydrate and related compounds - glycosides - tannins - lipids - vegetable oil - resins and resin combinations - alkaloids - lignin compounds - Vitamins and vitamin containing drugs - enzymes and enzyme containing drugs - proteins and related drugs – antibiotics - Alleregens and allergenic preparation - poisonous plants - biopesticides - biocides – biofungicides
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
scientist David Macht
David Macht
David Israel Macht was a Pharmacologist and Doctor of Hebrew Literature, responsible for many contributions to pharmacology during the first half of the 20th century....
in the 1930s. The term has since changed its meaning to become an established field of drug research, where the active substances come from plants. There is at least one established journal, the Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology
Phytomedicine
Phytomedicine is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing in the fields of phytopharmacology, phytotherapy and phytotoxicology. The journal was first published in 1994. Its editor-in-chief is Hildebert Wagner....
. The advantages of seeking medicines from plants are due both to the millions of years of co-evolution between plants and animals which has led to interactions between their constituent chemicals developing, and the nature of enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
driven synthesis leading to optically pure chiral
Chirality (chemistry)
A chiral molecule is a type of molecule that lacks an internal plane of symmetry and thus has a non-superimposable mirror image. The feature that is most often the cause of chirality in molecules is the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom....
molecules whose reactions in the mammalian body can be very specific.
Many pharmacological preparations currently in use are derived from naturally occurring plant basis. Digoxin
Digoxin
Digoxin INN , also known as digitalis, is a purified cardiac glycoside and extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. Its corresponding aglycone is digoxigenin, and its acetyl derivative is acetyldigoxin...
and aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
are two of the earliest commercially refined plant preparations still available.
Syllabus
University of Madras
Phytopharmacognosy
General introduction – the chemical classification of drugs. Structure, properties, characteristics and mode of action of carbohydrate and related compounds - glycosides - tannins - lipids - vegetable oil - resins and resin combinations - alkaloids - lignin compounds - Vitamins and vitamin containing drugs - enzymes and enzyme containing drugs - proteins and related drugs – antibiotics - Alleregens and allergenic preparation - poisonous plants - biopesticides - biocides – biofungicides
Further reading
- Thomas S.C. Li, Medicinal Plants: Culture, Utilization and Phytopharmacology, (CRC Press, 2000).
- van Wyk & Wink, Medicinal Plants of the World, (Timber Press, ISBN 0881926027)
- Kokate C.K et.al., Pharmacognosy, (NIRALI PRAKASHAN, PUNE)