INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOLOGY

AND SOURCES OF DRUGS

University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State

Dr. M S Fageyinbo
 INTRODUCTION

• Pharmacology is a branch of medicine and pharmaceutical

sciences which is concerned with the study of drug and action.
• The two main areas of pharmacology are pharmacodynamics and
pharmacokinetics.
• Pharmacodynamics studies the effects of a drug on biological
systems
• pharmacokinetics studies the effects of biological systems on a
drug.
 INTRO COTD

• In broad terms, pharmacodynamics discusses the

drugs/chemicals with biological receptors.
• Pharmacokinetics discusses the absorption, distribution,
metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of drugs/chemicals
from the biological systems
• Pharmacology is not synonymous with pharmacy and
the two terms are frequently confused.
• Pharmacology, a biomedical science, deals with the
research, discovery, and characterization of chemicals
which show biological effects and the elucidation of cellular
and organismal function in relation to these chemicals.
• In contrast, pharmacy, a health services profession, is
concerned with the application of the principles learned
from pharmacology in its clinical settings; whether it be in a
dispensing or clinical care role
• Pharmacology can also focus on specific systems comprising the
body.
• Divisions related to bodily systems study the effects of drugs in
different systems of the body.
• These include neuropharmacology, in the central and peripheral
nervous systems; Immunopharmacology in the immune system.
Other divisions include cardiovascular, renal and endocrine
pharmacology.
• Psychopharmacology, is the study of the effects of drugs on the
psyche, mind and behavior, such as the behavioral effects of
psychoactive drugs.
• It incorporates approaches and techniques from neuropharmacology,
animal behavior and behavioral neuroscience, and is interested in the
behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of action of
psychoactive drugs.
• The related field of Neuropsychopharmacology focuses on the
effects of drugs at the overlap between the nervous system and the
psyche.
 DRUGS

• Drug can be broadly or narrowly defined as any man-

made, natural, or endogenous (from within the body)
molecule which exerts a biochemical or physiological
effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism.
• A drug, is a chemical substance used to treat, cure,
prevent, or diagnose a disease or to promote well-
being.
 SOURCES OF DRUGS

• Drugs may be obtained from:

Plants
Animals
Mineral/earth sources
Synthetic/ Semisynthetic sources
Microbiological sources
Genetic engineering
 Plant/vegetable sources

• The oldest natural source. Even now some drugs are

obtained from plant source.
• Drugs can be obtained from all parts of the plants

• Leaves:
 Digitalis purpurea Digitoxin and Digoxin cardiac glycoside
 Eucalyptus oil of Eucalyptus cough syrup
 Tobacco nicotine
 Atropa belladonna atropine`
• Flowers
 Poppy papaver somniferum morphine (opioid)
 Vinca rosea Vincristine and Vinblastine
• Seeds
 Nux vomica strychnine (CNS stimulant)
 Castor oil castor oil
 Calabar bean physostigmine
(Cholinomimetic)
• Fruits
 Senna pod anthracine purgative
 Calabar bean physostigmine
(Cholinomimetic)
• Root
 Ipecacuanha root Emetine (Poison management )
It has an amoebicidal property
 Rauwolfia serpentina reserpine (hypotensive agent)
• Bark
 Cinchona bark quinine and quinidine (antimalarial)
 Atropa belladonna atropine (anticholinergic)
• Stem
• Chondrodenron tomentosum tubocurarine
(skeletal muscle relaxant used in general
anaesthesia)
 Animal source
• Various organs and tissue of animals are used as
source of drug.
• Active principles of animal drugs are proteins, fat,
oils enzymes and hormones
 Pancreas ------------------------- Insulin
 Cod liver------------------------- Cod liver oil ( contains Vit
A&D)
 Urine of Pregnant -------------- hCG: Human chorionic
gonadotropin
 Sheep thyroid ------------------- Thyroxine
 Animal blood --------------------- Vaccines
 Mineral and earth sources
• Many drugs are mineral substances and their compounds
Metals:
• Iron are used in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia
• Mercurial salts are used in the treatment of Syphilis
• Zinc is used as zinc supplements. Zinc oxide paste is used in wounds an d
in eczema
• Gold salts are used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Non- metallic elements
• Iodine is antiseptic and iodine supplement are also used
Miscellaneous
• Fluorine and selenium
 Semisynthetic

• When the nucleus obtained from the natural source is

retained but the chemical structure is altered is called
semisynthetic.
e.g. 6-aminopencillanic acid (fungus)
semi-synthetic human insulin (pork insulin)
 Synthetic
• When the nucleus of the drug from natural source as
well as its chemical structure is altered is called
synthetic.
• Organic or inorganic or combination Organic and
inorganic compounds.
E.g. Antipyretics, sulphonamides, antihistamine,
anticonvulsants, antianxiety etc.
 Microorganisms

• Penicillium notatum is a fungus which gives penicillin

• Actinobacteria gives streptomycin

• Aminoglycosides such as gentamicin and tobramycin are

obtained from Streptomyces and micromonosporas

 Recombinant DNA technology/Genetic
engineering
• The new technique for preparing certain drugs e.g. human insulin,
insulin analog, Erythropoietin
• Human insulin and insulin analog can be prepared by inserting
human or modified pro-insulin gene into E-coli or yeast and treating
the extracted pro-insulin to form the insulin and insulin analog
Advantages:
Mass production
Cost effective
Less immunological reactions
THANK
YOU