Chandigarh University

Assignment-3
Subject- Pharmacognosy and
phytochemistry-I

Subject code-PHT-255

Submitted by- Satyam Sachan

UID NO- 18BPH1042

B.PHARMACY- 4TH SEM

REFRENCE- Das.K “ Pharmacognosy and

phytochemistry-I” Nirali Prakashan, 2nd edn

Pg no- 58-70,78-80,114-126
• What are tannins? List the drugs containing
tannins with their pharmacognostic
information?

Tannin powder
- Tannin, also called tannic acid, any of a group of pale-
yellow to light-brown amorphous substances in the form of
powder, flakes, or a spongy mass, widely distributed in plants
and used chiefly in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink,
and in various medical applications.
- Tannin solutions are acid and have an astringent taste. Tannin
is responsible for the astringency, colour, and some of the
flavour in tea.
- Tannins occur normally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves,
and fruit of many plants, particularly in the bark of oak species
and in sumac and myrobalan. They also occur in galls,
pathological growths resulting from insect attacks.
- In addition to their principal applications in leather
manufacture and dyeing, tannins are used in the clarification
of wine and beer, as a constituent to reduce viscosity of drilling
 mud for oil wells, and in boiler water to prevent scale
formation.

Drugs used in tannins-

CATECHU
- Synonyms – Pale catechu, gambier, kattha
- Biological source – It consists of the dried aqueous extract
prepared from the leaves of Uncaria gambier
- Family – Rubiaceae
- Chemical constituents –
- It contains tannins like catechins and
catechu tannic acid.
- It contains flavonoids like quercetin and
fluorescent substances Gambier fluorescein.
- It also contains catechu- red, pyrogallol, fixed
oil and waxes.

Uses
- Used as an astringent
- Used in the treatment of diarrhea
- Used in the preparation of lozenges
BLACK CATECHU
- Biological source –
- It consists of the dried aqueous extract prepared from heart
wood of Acacia catechu and Acacia chundra
- Family – Leguminosae
- Chemical constituents
- It contains tannins like catechins and catechu
- tannic acid
- It contains flavonoids like quercetin.
- Others like Catechu- red and gum
- Uses
- Used as an astringent, used in diarrhoea
- Used as a cooling and digestive agent.

CHEMICAL TESTS FOR CATECHU

1. Gambir Fluorescin test
- Alcoholic extract of drug, few drops of sodium hydroxide
mix and add petroleum ether, shake and kept aside for few
minutes.
- petroleum ether layer shows green fluorescence ( + ve for
pale catechu due Gambir Fluorescin)

2. Match stick test ( Catechins test)

- A match stick is dipped in aqueous plant extract , dried near
burner and moistened with Hcl. On warming near flame , the
match stick wood turns pink or red due to the formation of
phloroglucinol.
3. Vanillin – Hydrochloric acid test
- Test solution and few drops of Vanillin –
Hydrochloric acid reagent – A red or pink is
Chlorophyll test -
- Powdered drug is heated with chloroform on a water bath for 1-2
minutes .The organic layer is filtered in a china dish and evaporated
on the water bath– green residue formed due the formation of
phloroglucinol.

TANNIC ACID
Biological source
It is obtained from the nutgalls. Galls are vegetable outgrowths found
on the young twigs of Quercus infectoria yields Gallic acid and
glucose on hydrolysis .

- Family – Fagaceae
- Tannic acid is a hydrolysable tannin and
- Uses
- Used as an astringent
- Used externally in the treatment of burns
- Used as an antidote for alkaloid poisoning
NUTGALL
- Synonym – Turkey galls
- Biological source – Galls are the pathological
- outgrowths formed on the twigs of the oak tree Quercus
infectoria
- Family – Fagaceae
- Chemical constituents – 40-60% of tannic acid
- Uses- Used as an astringent, used in the
manufacture of tannic acid
- Write biological source, chemical constituents
and uses of following crude drugs:
a) Benzoin
b) Guggul
BENZOIN:
• SYNONYM: Sumatra benzoin, Loban
(Luban), Benzonium, Gum benjiamin,
Siam benzoin.
BIOLOGICAL SOURCE:
• It is balsamic resin obtained from incision on stem of Styrax
benzoin Dryand (Sumatra benzoin) or Styrax paralleloneurus
Perkins and from other species of Styrax is known in the market
as Sumatra benzoin or it may also contain balsamic resin from
Styrax tonkinesis & other species commercially known as Siam
benzoin, belonging to family Styraceae. It should contain not
less than 25% of total balsamic acids with reference to
dry alcohol soluble matter.

Styrax benzoin Dryand – Sumatra benzoin

Styrax paralleloneurus- Sumatra benzoin
Styrax tonkinesis - Siam benzoin
Styrax subdenticulata – Penang benzoin
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Sumatra benzoin contains free balsamic acids
25 % (benzoic and cinnamic acid (20%) and
 ester derived from them.
• Triterpenoid acids such as sumaresinolic acid & sia resinolic
acid are also present.
The major constituent of Siam benzoin (less amt.
of cinnamic acid) is an ester Coniferyl
benzoate (About 76%).
• The drug also contains styrol, vanillin & phenyl propyl
cinnamate.
• Siam benzoin differs from Sumatra variety that it contain
insufficient cinnamic acid to give an odour of benzaldehyde
when warmed with potassium permagnate solution.
Uses :
- It is used as an irritant expectorant, carminative & diuretic.
- It is externally used as antiseptic & protective.
- It is used in the form of compound tincture of benzoin & as an
inhalation especially in the treatment of upper respiratory tract
infection.
- It is preferred to retard rancidity of fat & oils in the preparation
of benzoated lard.
- Industrially it is used to fix the odour of incense, soaps,
perfumes & several other. cosmetics & to mask the taste of
pharmaceutical preparations.
Guggul
Botanical Name:- Commiphora wightii (Arn.) (2n= 26)
Family: Burseraceae
Common Names:- Indian bdellium-tree, gugal, guggul,
gugul, or Mukul myrrh tree.
Parts Used:- Resin exuded by plant.
Introduction: Guggulu is obtained from Indian Bdellium or
Gum Guggul tree. It is an oleo
gum ‘resin’ exuded by plant during summer months (April to
May in India). To obtain resin,
circular incisions should be made on the main stem.
Chemical Constituents: Guggul is the mixture of ketonic
steroids from the gummy yellowish oleoresin
of the plant extract from India. Mainly resin, volatile oils, and
gum E & Z Guggulusterones 2
to 5 % , Guggul sterols, Diterpenoids , Terpene, Cambrene,
Myrcene, Dimyrcene and Polymyrcene

USES
Guggulu has excellent medicinal properties and used to treat
many disorders.
1. It improves digestion and appetite.
2. It is useful in activating thyroid function.
3. It is useful drug to treat high cholesterol.
4. It also helps eliminate and expel dead tissues, wastes, and
toxins from the body.
5. It breaks down clot and prevents platelet aggregation.
6. It fights obesity and stimulates weight loss. Due to this
property it is used in
preparation of many weight
7. loss herbals such as Himalaya Ayur slim capsules.
 8. It boosts immune system by stimulating the activity of white
blood cells.
9. It stimulates regeneration of nerve tissues, bones and joints.
10. It uterine stimulant and helps in regulating menstruation.
11. Other medicinal uses include skin diseases, anaemia, liver
disease and respiratory illness.

3) Write biological source ,chemical constituents and

uses of following cride drugs :
- Wool fat
- Bees wax

Wool fat/ Lanolin

- Lanolin (from Latin lāna 'wool', and oleum 'oil'), also called
wool yolk, wool wax, or wool grease, is a wax secreted by the
sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals.
- Lanolin used by humans comes from domestic sheep breeds that
are raised specifically for their wool.
- Historically, many pharmacopoeias have referred to lanolin as
wool fat (adeps lanae); however, as lanolin lacks glycerides
(glycerol esters), it is not a true fat. Lanolin primarily consists of
sterol esters instead.
- Lanolin's waterproofing property aids sheep in shedding water
from their coats. Certain breeds of sheep produce large amounts
of lanolin.

Chemical Constietuents

A typical high-purity grade of lanolin is composed

predominantly of long chain waxy esters (approximately
97% by weight) with the remainder being lanolin
alcohols, lanolin acids and lanolin hydrocarbons.
 An estimated 8,000 to 20,000 different types of lanolin
esters are present in lanolin, resulting from combinations
between the 200 or so different lanolin acids and the 100
or so different lanolin alcohols identified so far.
USES

- Lanolin and its many derivatives are used extensively in

both the personal care (e.g., high value cosmetics, facial
cosmetics, lip products) and health care sectors such as
topical liniments. Lanolin is also found in lubricants,
rust-preventive coatings, shoe polish, and other
commercial products.
- Lanolin can also be restored to woollen garments to
make them water and dirt repellent, such as for cloth
diaper covers.
- Lanolin is also used in lip balm products such as
Carmex. For some people, it can irritate the lips.
Thank
You