Ch-3 | L-1 | Adulteration of crude drugs | Pharmacognosy | D.Pharm first year

#adulterationofcrudedrugs #pharmacognosy #dpharma #exitexam #organolepticevaluation Notes, PYQ, MCQ, EXIT Exam Preparation, Pharmacist exam prepartion availbale in "MIND NURTURE" app Link for app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... Quality Control of Crude Drugs 1. Crude Drugs Crude drugs are natural substances obtained from plants, animals, microorganisms, or minerals and used for medicinal purposes. They are generally used in their raw or natural form after simple processes such as collection, cleaning, and drying. 2. Adulteration of Crude Drugs Adulteration means mixing a genuine crude drug with substances having less or no medicinal value. The original drug may be partly or completely replaced by inferior, fake, spoiled, useless, or harmful substances. It commonly occurs for increased profit or due to the unavailability of genuine drugs. Adulteration is classified into Intentional (Fraudulent) and Unintentional (Accidental) types. A. Intentional Adulteration 1. Substitution with inferior commercial varieties: Genuine drugs are replaced with similar but therapeutically inferior species, e.g., Senna with Cassia auriculata and Nux vomica with Strychnos potatorum. 2. Artificially manufactured substitutes: The genuine drug is replaced by an artificial imitation, e.g., sandalwood chips replaced with scented balsa wood or artificial nutmeg. 3. Substitution with exhausted drugs: Drugs from which active constituents have already been extracted are dried and mixed with genuine drugs, e.g., exhausted clove, ginger, coffee beans, and vanilla pods. 4. Superficially similar inert substances: Cheaper substances resembling genuine drugs are added, e.g., black pepper with papaya seeds, saffron with safflower, and coffee with chicory. 5. Addition of non-active parts: Excessive non-medicinal parts of the same plant are added to increase weight, e.g., stems mixed with leaf drugs or clove stalks mixed with cloves. 6. Addition of harmful adulterants: Materials such as brick powder, sand, stone chips, talc, or starch are added to increase bulk. 7. Addition of synthetic chemicals: Chemicals may be added to enhance pharmacological action or manipulate tests, e.g., caffeine in herbal energy products. 8. Rotted or spoiled drugs: Spoiled or decomposed drugs are mixed with genuine material, which may cause harm due to microbial growth and toxins. B. Unintentional Adulteration This occurs accidentally due to negligence or lack of knowledge. 1. Misidentification: Similar-looking plants are mistakenly collected instead of genuine drugs. 2. Faulty collection: Drugs collected at the wrong season may have reduced active constituents. 3. Contamination: Drugs may contain microorganisms, pesticides, heavy metals, insect, or rodent contamination due to poor cultivation and storage. 4. Incomplete processing: Failure to remove unwanted or inactive parts properly. 5. Name confusion: Similar traditional names may result in interchange or substitution of different drugs. 6. Lack of knowledge of authentic source: Suppliers may use incorrect plants due to insufficient knowledge. Common examples include adulteration of clove, cinnamon, Senna, Ashwagandha, nutmeg, black pepper, honey, and turmeric. 3. Evaluation of Crude Drugs Evaluation means examining crude drugs to confirm their identity, purity, quality, and potency. Objectives • Confirm the correct biological source and plant part. • Detect adulterants and contaminants. • Determine the amount of active constituents. • Identify deterioration caused by improper storage, moisture, heat, or light. Types of Evaluation 1. Organoleptic evaluation – using sense organs. 2. Microscopic evaluation – studying cells and tissues. 3. Physical evaluation – determining ash value, extractive value, and moisture content. 4. Chemical evaluation – performing tests for active constituents. 5. Biological evaluation – testing biological activity on living organisms. 4. Organoleptic Evaluation Organoleptic evaluation is the simplest method of examining crude drugs without scientific instruments. It uses sight, smell, taste, touch, and sometimes sound. Sight The drug is examined for: • Size and shape • Colour • Surface characteristics • Fracture • Internal colour and structure Fracture may be short, tough, or flexible. Smell Characteristic odours help identify drugs, such as: • Aromatic – Cardamom, coriander • Spicy – Ginger, cloves • Alliaceous – Asafoetida • Camphoraceous – Camphor Taste Common tastes include: • Sweet – Liquorice • Bitter – Gentian, Nux vomica • Acrid – Ginger, Capsicum • Astringent – Myrobalan • Mucilaginous – Ispaghula husk • Salty – Sodium chloride Taste testing should never be performed on unknown, toxic, or potent drugs. Touch Texture may be smooth, rough, hard, soft, greasy, or oily. Sound Some drugs can be identified by characteristic sounds, such as the crack sound produced when good-quality Indian opium is broken.