Sources & Active Principles

of Drugs
 Objectives
• What is a drug?
• What are different sources of drugs?
• What are active principles of crude drugs?
Drug / Therapeutic agent
“A chemical, physical or biological agent
used for the treatment, prevention and
diagnosis of animal and human diseases”
Sources of drugs
1. Mineral drugs
2. Animal drugs
3. Synthetic drugs
4. Vegetable drugs
5. Microbial drugs
1. Mineral drugs
• Metals, metalloids & non metals & their
compounds are used as drugs
– Mercury was used for syphilis
– Purified iron (ferrous sulphate) is used for certain types
of anemia
– Iodine for goiter
– Magnesium sulphate as purgative
– Potassium iodide as expectorant
– Potassium nitrate as diuretic
2. Animal drugs
• Various organs & body parts were used as
drugs in the past without understanding
their mechanism of action
• At present insulin & sex hormones are
obtained from animal source
• Antisera e.g., Canine distemper antiserum
& Rabies antiserum
3. Synthetic drugs
• More than 90% of drugs are prepared in
pharmaceutical laboratories, these days
• May be organic or inorganic or combination
of both
– For example: Sulphonamides, antihistamines,
antipyretics & antianxiety drugs
n
4. Vegetable drugs
• The oldest source of drugs
• All parts of plants are used as drug sources
– Belladona leaves & roots, Cinchona bark,
Digitalis leaves, Nuxvomica seeds
• Action of crude drugs is due to active
principles contained in them
– Bellodona contains atropine
5. Microbial drugs
• Antibiotics
“Products of living cells particularly fungi
which have suppressive action on bacteria”
– Penicillin
– Streptomycin etc.
Active Principles of Crude Drugs
• Alkaloids
• Glycosides
• Oils
• Resins
• Gums
• Tannins
 Alkaloids
“Basic nitrogenous substances found in many plants”
Their characteristics are:
– Bitter taste
– Alkaline reaction
– Free solubility in chloroform, ether & oil
– Less soluble in alcohol
– Almost insoluble in water
– Name ends with letters “ine”
 Alkaloids…
• Plants containing alkaloids are very
important as they may cause plant
poisoning in herbivorous animals e.g.,
– Strychnine (Alkaloid of Nuxvomica)
– Atropine (Alkaloid of Atropa belladonna)

(Both may cause death in minute quantities)

 Alkaloids…
For therapeutic purpose
– Alkaloidal salts may be administered
parenterally
– Crude drug extracts for oral use only

• More than one alkaloids in a single plant

e.g., more than 30 alkaloids in opium
 Glycosides
“Compounds which contain a sugar molecule
& on treatment with dilute acids split into
glucose & other substances (alcohol,
aldehyde, etc.)”
• Splitting can also be brought by:
– Heating
– Fermentation &
– Strong alkalis
 Glycosides…
• Most of glycosides contain nitrogen but not
all
• Neutral in reaction
• Examples are:
– Digoxin
– Digitoxin
(both are from digitalis plant)
 Oils
• Two types
– Fixed oils
– Volatile oils
• Fixed oils
– Leave permanent stain
– Some are edible (Olive oil & CS oil)
– Used as drugs (Castor oil as purgative)
– With alkalis form soap & glycerin
 Oils…
Fixed oils…
• Fixed oils and fats contain
– Olein (liquid)
– Palmitin (semi-solid)
– Stearin (solid)
• Oils mostly contain olein while fats mostly
contain palmitin & stearin
 Oils…
• Volatile / essential / flavoring oils
– Characteristic aroma (Peppermint oil, spearmint
oil & clove oil)
– Disappear on heating
– Carminative (Anise oil)
– Antiseptic (Turpentine oil)
– Pain killing effect (Clove oil in carious tooth)
 Resins
“Solid plant substances that are also found as
liquid exudates of certain trees”
• They are:
– Insoluble in water
– Soluble in alcohol & alkaline solutions (form
resin soaps which are used in preparation of
emulsions & pills)
– Resin in Jalap, Podophyllum & Gamboge are of
medicinal importance
 Gums
“These are viscid bodies obtained by
collecting exudates from incised leaves and
branches of certain plants”
• They are used as:
– Emulsifying agents
– Lubricants &
– Protectives
 Gums…
• They are pharmacologically inert
• Can pass through GIT unaltered
• May be digested & utilized as
Carbohydrates
– Gum acacia
– Gum tragacanth
 Tannins
“Non-nitrogenous substances having an
irritant or astringent action on mucous
membranes”
• They are used in:
– Diarrhea
– Burns
– Inflamed mucous membranes
– e.g., Catechu tannins from Catechu
Human sources
Thank You

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