HERBAL DRUG TECHNOLOGY
Prepared By
Dr. Malarkodi Velraj
Professor
Department of Pharmacognosy
School of Pharmaceutical sciences
UNIT I
a. Herbs as raw materials
Definition of herb, herbal medicine, herbal medicinal product, herbal drug
preparation. Source of Herbs, Selection, identification and authentication of
herbal materials.Processing of herbal raw material.
b. Biodynamic Agriculture Good agricultural practices in cultivation of
medicinal plants including Organic farming. Pest and Pest management in
medicinal plants: Biopesticides/Bioinsecticides.
c. Indian Systems of Medicine
a) Basic principles involved in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy
b) Preparation and standardization of Ayurvedic formulations viz Aristas and
Asawas, Ghutika, Churna, Lehya and Bhasma
OBJECTIVE
Upon compilation of this module the student should be able to:
Studies on raw material as source of herbal drugs from cultivation to herbal
drug product can be understood.
Understand the WHO guidelines for cultivation of herbal drugs
Understand about the methods for selection, identification and
authentication of herbal drugs
Information about the processing of herbal and medicinal plants are known
CONTENT
Definition of herb
Herbal medicine
Herbal medicinal product
Herbal drug preparation
Source of Herbs
Selection, identification and authentication of herbal materials
Processing of herbal raw material
HERBAL DRUGS
Drugs are herbal or animal organisms or organs transformed into a storable
condition by drying.
Furthermore, the definition comprises other matter extracted from plants or
animals without organic structure such as resin, gums, fats, essential oils.
Patients
Industrial
Drugs starting
materials
Isolation of
purified
active
substances
ORGANIZED DRUGS
Drugs are either organised or unorganised .
Organised Drugs- which represent cellular structures.
Leaf Flower Seeds
UNORGANISED DRUGS
Drugs which are not made up of cellular structure are called unorganised
drugs.
Opium Acacia Siam Benzoin
DEFINITION OF HERBAL DRUGS
According to pharmaceutical linguistic rules, herbal drugs are dried herbal or
animal starting materials .
The definition for herbal drug in the European Pharmacopoeia is mainly
whole, fragmented or cut plants, parts of plants, algae, fungi, lichen in an
unprocessed state, usually in a dried form, but sometimes fresh.
Certain exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are also
considered to be herbal drugs.
Herbal drugs are precisely defined by a botanical scientific name according to
the binomial system (genus, species, variety and author).
HERBAL MEDICINES
Herbal medicines are plant-based medicines made from differing
combinations of plant parts e.g. leaves, flowers or roots.
Each part can have different medicinal uses and the many types of
chemical constituents require different extraction methods.
Both fresh and dried plant matter are used, depending on the herb
FORMULATIONS OF HERBAL MEDICINES
Water-based preparations
Infusions: dried or fresh herbs, usually aerial parts, steeped in boiling water
Decoction: usually harder plant material, boiled on the stove for longer than
infusions
Syrups: herbs incorporated into a thick, sweet liquid
Poultices: moistened herbs kept in place by a cloth for localised healing
Lotions: infusions or decoctions delivered in a smooth liquid preparation
Compresses: generally a soft cloth wrung out of a hot or cold infusion or
decoction and applied to the affected area
Alcohol-based preparations usually called Tinctures.
Oil-based preparations such as infused oils and ointments are used
externally.
HERBAL FORMULATIONS
Other preparations commonly used:
Powders taken internally and applied externally, may come in loose form
or in capsules
Juices are very nutritive
Creams are often preferred in the treatment of skin conditions
Steam inhalations
Baths and skin washes
Gargles and mouthwashes
Pessaries and suppositories
HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCTS
Herbal medicinal products (Phyto pharmaka) are regarding the active
substance(s), more or less enriched preparations of plants or herbal drugs
which, besides that, contain other concomitant substances exerting or not
exerting therapeutic activity.
Herbal medicinal products (Phyto pharmaka) are those medicinal products
which, as active substances, solely contain herbal drug preparations, such
as comminuted parts of plants, extracts, pressed juices or distillates of
plants.
Herbal medicinal products (Phyto pharmaka) are complex preparations of
herbal origin, i.e. galenical preparations of plants used within the sense of
allopathic therapy.
HERBAL DRUG PREPARATION
Herbal drug preparations are obtained by subjecting herbal drug to
treatments such as extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation,
purification, concentration and fermentation.
These include comminuted or powdered herbal drug, tinctures, extracts,
essential oils, fatty oils, expressed juice and processed exudates.
Extracts obtained from herbal drugs comply with the monograph on
Extracts.
Tinctures obtained from herbal drugs comply with the monograph on
Tinctures.
Herbal teas comply with the monograph on Herbal teas. Instant herbal teas
consist of powder or granules of one or more herbal drug preparation(s)
intended for the preparation of an oral solution immediately before use.
TYPES OF EXTRACTS
Extracts are preparations of liquid (liquid extracts and tinctures), semi-
solid (soft extracts) or solid (dry extracts) consistency, obtained from
herbal drugs or animal matter usually in a dry state.
Soft extracts are semi-solid preparations obtained by evaporation or
partial evaporation of the solvent used for preparation.
Dry extracts are solid preparations obtained by evaporation of the solvent
used for their production.
Dry extracts usually have a loss on drying or water content not greater
than 5 per cent m/m.
LIQUID EXTRACTS & TINCTURES
Liquid extracts are liquid preparations of which, in general, 1 part by mass
or volume is equivalent to 1 part by mass of the herbal drug or animal
matter.
These preparations are adjusted, if necessary, so that they satisfy the
requirements for the content of the solvent and, where applicable, for the
constituents
Tinctures are liquid preparations which are usually obtained using either 1
part of herbal drug or animal matter and 10 parts of extraction solvent or 1
part of herbal drug or animal matter and 5 parts of extraction solvent
