Research Insight: Pharmacognosy

Abstract

Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural inchoation as well as the search for incipient drugs from natural sources. It is withal defined as the study of crude drugs. Pharmacognosy is the study of drugs of natural inception. The term emanates from two Greek words: "pharmakon" betokening drug or medicine, and "gnosis" denoting erudition. Plant preparations are verbalized to be medicinal or herbal when they are habituated to promote health beyond fundamental pabulum. The study of drugs from plants includes the subjects of botany, chemistry and pharmacology.