QUALITY CONTROL OF

CRUDE DRUGS-
ADULTERATION
B.Pharm Sem 3
Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry I
BP305TP

Prepared By:
Priya Shah
Department of Pharmacognosy
L.J. Institute of Pharmacy 1
Introduction
 To find out or evaluate the crude drug to its true to type
by quality and purity on the basis of its morphological,
histological, chemical, physical, biological etc
parameters and compare with the standards.

 In Commercial market, It is necessary to maintain

quality and purity of crude drugs for attributing
medicinal properties. However, they found to be
adulterated and do not comply with the standards
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prescribed for authentic drug.
Q.C of Drugs includes the following Factors:

 Stable

 Produced in an environment which does not permit the

inclusion of any impurities.

 Presented in a container and stored such as that is

protected from any potential charges, which are
possible from the environment.

 Free from any contamination of foreign substances or

impurities. 3
Contd..
 Comply with official standards

 Produced under the control of pharmacognosists.

 By proper selection, training and motivation, quality

consciousness can be encouraged in the personnel of
the entire institution producing crude drugs.

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Adulteration- Definition
 Adulteration is the debasement of Genuine materials.

 Adulteration is a practice of substituting original crude

drugs partially or wholly with other similar looking
substances.

 The adulterated drug is either free from or inferior in

chemical therapeutic properties.

 The motives for it is one for its profit.

 The adulteration is done deliberately or it may occur

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accidentally in some cases.

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Reasons for Adulteration

 Confusion in vernacular names

 Lack of knowledge about authentic sources

 Similarity in Morphology

 Lack of authentic plants

 Unscientific collection

 High price of the drug in the market

 With the intention of enhancing profits 7

Conditions

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Contd…

 DETERIORATION: is the impairment in the quality of a

drug.

 ADMIXTURE: is the addition of one article to another

due to ignorance or carelessness, or by accident.

 SOPHISTICATON: is the intentional or deliberate type

of adulteration.

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Contd…

 SUBSTITUTION: occurs when some totally different

substance is added in place of original drug.

 INFERIORITY: refers to any sub-standard drug.

 SPOILAGE: deterioration due to the attack of

microorganisms.

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Types of Adulterants

 Generally the drugs are adulterated by

substitution with sub-standard commercial
varieties, inferior drugs, or artificially
manufactured commodities.

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Types of Adulterants
 Substitution with sub-standard commercial varieties

 Substitution with superficially similar inferior drugs

 Substitution with artificially manufactured substances

 Substitution with exhausted drug

 Use of synthetic chemicals

 Presence of Vegetative matter from the same plant

 Harmful adulterants

 Adulteration of Powders 13
1. SUBSTITUTION WITH SUB-STANDARD COMMERCIAL VARIETIES:

 The adulterants here may resemble the original crude

drug in morphological, chemical, or therapeutic
characters, but are sub-standard in nature and hence
are cheaper in cost.

 This is most common practice of adulteration

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Examples:
 Strychnous nux-blanda or S.potatorum in place of S.
nux-vomica

 Capsicum annuum in place of C.minimum

 Indian senna is substituted with arabian senna or dog

senna

 Medicinal ginger is substituted with inferior varieties of

African , Japanese, or Cochin ginger

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2. SUBSTITUTION WITH SUPERFICIALLY SIMILAR INFERIOR DRUGS:

 These inferior drugs used may or may not be

having any chemical or therapeutic value as that
of original drug.

 Due to their morphological resemblance to the

authentic drug, they are marketed as adulterants.

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Examples:
 Belladonna leaves are substituted with Ailanthus
leaves

 Saffron is admixed with dried flowers of Carthamus

tinctorious

 Bees wax is substituted with Japan wax

 Cloves and clove stalks are mixed with Clove

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3. SUBSTITUTION WITH ARTIFICIALLY MANUFACTURED SUBSTANCES:

 It has been also observed that substances artificially

prepared to resemble the original drug are used as
substitutes. This practice is followed for much
costlier drugs.

 Examples:

 Compressed Chicory in place of coffee

 Yellow colored paraffin wax substituted for bees wax

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4.SUBSTITUTION WITH EXHAUSTED DRUG:

 The same drug is admixed but is devoid of any

medicinally active constituents as they are already
extracted out.

 This practice is more common in case of volatile oil

containing drugs like fennel, clove, coriander, caraway
etc.

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Contd…

 Sometimes natural characters of exhausted drugs like

color, and taste are manipulated by adding other
additives and then it is substituted.

 Examples:

 Exhausted gentian made bitter with aloes,

 Artificial coloring of exhausted saffron, etc.

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5. Use of Synthetic Chemicals

 Besides these common practices, sometimes other

methods are also employed like use of synthetic
chemicals to enhance the natural character.

 Examples:

 Addition of benzyl benzoate to balsam of peru,

 Citral to citrus oils

 like oil of lemon and orange oil, etc.

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6. PRESENCE OF VEGETATIVE MATTER FROM THE SAME PLANT:

 Sometimes, the other miniature plants growing

along with medicinal plants are admixed with the
authentic drug, due to their resembling colour,
odour, and in some cases constituents.

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Examples:
 The lower plants like moss, liverworts, and epiphytes
growing on bark portion are mixed with cascara or
cinchona.

 The stem portions are mixed along with leaf drugs

like stramonium , lobelia, and senna.

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7. HARMFUL ADULTERANTS:

 Sometimes the waste from the market are

collected and admixed with the authentic drug.
This is particularly noticed for liquids or
unorganized drugs.

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Examples:
 Pieces of amber coloured glass in colophony,

 Limestones in asafoetida,

 Lead shot in opium,

 White oil in coconut oil,

 Cocoa butter mixed with stearin or paraffin .

 The addition of rodent fecal matter to cardamom

seed is a very harmful adulteration.
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8. ADULTERATION OF POWDERS:

 Besides the entire drug the powdered forms are

frequently found to be adulterated.

 Examples:

 Dextrin in ipecacuanha,

 Powered liqourice or gentian admixed with

powdered olive stones,

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Contd…

 Exhausted ginger powder in powdered colocynth

or ginger,

 Red-sanders wood in capsicum.

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Examples:
Botanical Active
Name Adulterants
Name constituents

Gellidium Agarose, Gelatin is admix

Agar
amansii Agaropectin with Agar

Gum from Acacia

Acacia Gum Acacia arabica Arabic
senegal

Glucose and Artificial invert

Honey Apis mellifera
fructose sugar is added.

Sterculia gum Sterculia urens Uronic acid Karaya gum

Ricinus Croton seeds are

Castor oil Ricinoleic acid
communis adulterated. 29
Questions:

Define Adulteration of crude drugs. Discuss different

types of adulteration and adulterants with suitable
examples.

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THANK YOU

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