Articles
THE A B C OF MODERN PHARMAGOGNOSY
Article number
597_21
Pages
151 – 157
Language
English
Abstract
Pharmacognosy has evolved considerably during the past two hundred years and in recent years has regained importance, partly because of the renewed interest in natural products as lead molecules for the development of orthodox medicines, but also because of the growth in industrialised countries of the use of complementary medicinal products.
New developments in pharmacognosy which are being developed to meet the challenges posed by the current situation can be categorised as A analysis, B biological testing and C collaboration.
The need to define and trace source material to optimise guarantees of quality, and thereby safety and efficacy, of phytopharmaceuticals requires that any sample has to be defined analytically beyond the macroscopical, microscopical and chemical parameters that are traditionally used.
There is much intraspecific variation in chemical content so the composition must be defined, not only by established techniques, but also by computer-aided analysis of the profiles of the complex mixture of compounds present, which can now be generated by techniques such as near infra-red spectroscopy.
The introduction of in vitro bioassays has been the most important change in pharmacognosy research over the last twenty years.
These small scale assays enable bioassay-guided fractionation to be utilised to identify active compounds in extracts.
However, there are dangers in such a reductionist approach when searching for new compounds to treat a particular disease state and it is best to use a portfolio of tests, backed up by in vivo studies.
Collaboration between scientists of different disciplines is now a necessary part of any worthwhile research project because of the explosion of knowledge and shortage of resources.
The pharmacognosist can be a valuable bridge between specialists and has much to offer to help pharmaceutical knowledge of phytomedicines to advance.
New developments in pharmacognosy which are being developed to meet the challenges posed by the current situation can be categorised as A analysis, B biological testing and C collaboration.
The need to define and trace source material to optimise guarantees of quality, and thereby safety and efficacy, of phytopharmaceuticals requires that any sample has to be defined analytically beyond the macroscopical, microscopical and chemical parameters that are traditionally used.
There is much intraspecific variation in chemical content so the composition must be defined, not only by established techniques, but also by computer-aided analysis of the profiles of the complex mixture of compounds present, which can now be generated by techniques such as near infra-red spectroscopy.
The introduction of in vitro bioassays has been the most important change in pharmacognosy research over the last twenty years.
These small scale assays enable bioassay-guided fractionation to be utilised to identify active compounds in extracts.
However, there are dangers in such a reductionist approach when searching for new compounds to treat a particular disease state and it is best to use a portfolio of tests, backed up by in vivo studies.
Collaboration between scientists of different disciplines is now a necessary part of any worthwhile research project because of the explosion of knowledge and shortage of resources.
The pharmacognosist can be a valuable bridge between specialists and has much to offer to help pharmaceutical knowledge of phytomedicines to advance.
Authors
P.J. Houghton
Keywords
Pharmacognosy, analytical methods, bioassays, phytochemistry
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