Classification of Crude Drugs

Definition of crude drug

The term “CRUDE DRUG” generally
is vegetable drugs that contain natural
substances that have undergone only
the processes of collection and drying.
They are used as medicine for human
being and animal, internally and
externally for curing disease,
e.g., Senna
Crude drugs are unprocessed form of
natural products which are treated for
their packing and to prevent them from
decay.
Crude drugs are further grouped as Organized (cellular) and Unorganized (acellular)
ORGANISED UNORGANISED
As the name indicates, these are the These are derived from
organs of the plants and are made up of parts of plants by some
cells or definite structure. process of extraction,
followed by purification, if
necessary.
These are solid in nature. These are solid/semi-solid/liquid in nature.
Botanical terminology can be used to Such terminologies are inadequate but physical
describe these drugs. characters such as solubility, density, optical
rotation, refractive index are important for
description.
Microscopic characters are important Chemical tests and physical standards are
criteria for identification. important for their identification.

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 E.g.: Digitalis, E.g.: opium, castor oil
clove

In pharmacognosy, crude drugs may be classified according to:

1- ALPHABETICAL CLASSIFICATION
The crude drugs are arranged according to the alphabetical order of their Latin and
English names. Some of the pharmacopoeia which classifies crude drugs according to this
system are:
 Indian pharmacopoeia  British herbal pharmacopoeia  European pharmacopoeia
 E.g.: Acacia, fennel, ginger, opium, senna etc.
Advantage:  Easy to identify.  Common for all.
Disadvantage:  Difficult if there is “change in name “
2- TAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION
The drugs are classified according to plants from which they are obtained.
This method of classification is based on the consideration of natural relationship or
phylogeny among plants.
Advantage  Scientific name of plants are helpful as common names are confusing and
different in the commercial landscape business.
 Botanical names are same and unique throughout the world.
Disadvantage  The system of classification is criticized for its failure to recognize the
organized and unorganized nature of the crude drugs.

3- MORPHOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
The morphological terminology is derived from botany, depending upon the source of the
crude drug. In general, color, odor, taste, size, shape, and special features, like, texture,
presence of Trichomes. The study of form of a crude drug is MORPHOLOGY, while
description of the form is MORPHOGRAPHY.
The crude drugs are grouped according to the part of the plant represented into
organized and unorganized drugs.

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 The organized drugs are divided into parts of plants like leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds,
woods. Some of the examples of crude drugs under this type of classification are as follows:
Seeds: Castor Leaves: Eucalyptus Barks: Cinnamon, Woods: Sandalwood
Roots: Aconite hizomes: Turmeric Flowers: Artemisia Dried latices: Opium

Turmeric Rhizomes Castor Seeds Cinnamon Barks Dried latices: Opium

Advantage  It gives idea about source of drugs.

 It gives idea whether it is organized / unorganized.
Disadvantage  During collection, drying & packing morphology of drug changes. They
are difficult to study.  The chemical content or action of drug is not known.

4- CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION
The crude drugs are divided into different groups according to the chemical nature of
their most important constituent.
The crude drugs containing alkaloids are grouped together regardless of their
morphology and taxonomical relationship.
Glycosides: Senna Alkaloids: Datura Tannins: Camellia sp.
Volatile oils: Peppermint

Advantage  The crude drugs belonging to different morphological or taxonomical

categories may be brought together provided there is some similarity in the chemical nature
of active principles.
Disadvantage  This method does not give any idea about source of drug.
 Some drugs contain two important chemicals so it is difficult to classify them.
e. g. Nutmeg contains volatile oil as well as fat.

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The Evaluation of drug involves a number of methods that may be classified as
follows:
1- Morphological evaluation: Evaluation by means
of the color, odor, taste, size, shape and special
features like texture.
2- Microscopic: For identification of the pure
powdered drug. This method allows more detailed
examination of a drug and their identification by
their known histological characters (leaf
constants, stomatal index, and palisade ratio)
3- Biologic: the estimation of potency measuring its effect on living organisms like
bacteria, fungal growth, or animal tissue, compared to the standard drug.

4- Chemical: Chemical assays are best to determine potency and active constituents.
The isolation, purification and identification of active constituents are the methods
of evaluation.
5- Physical: These are helpful in evaluation moisture content, specific gravity, density
etc.

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