Knowra Pharmacognosy Pharmacognosy Pharmacognosy studies medicines and bioactive substances obtained from natural sources, including plants, fungi, microbes, and animals. It examines their identification, chemistry, biological effects, and uses.
Natural product chemistry : The study of chemical compounds produced by living organisms and their structures, properties, and synthesis. It provides methods for isolating and characterizing the compounds pharmacognosy investigates.
Pharmacopoeia : An official compendium of standards for the identity, quality, strength, and purity of medicines and ingredients. Pharmacopoeial standards define tests used to authenticate and assess crude drugs.
Drug discovery : The process of finding and developing substances that can prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. Natural-source research has supplied drug leads and compounds for therapeutic development.
Materia medica : The body of knowledge about substances used in medicine, including their sources, properties, and applications. Pharmacognosy developed from the older study and cataloging of medicinal substances.
Bioprospecting : The systematic search of biological resources for compounds, genes, or organisms with useful properties. It extends natural-product discovery while raising questions about access and benefit sharing.
Phytochemistry : The study of chemical compounds produced by plants, including their structures, biosynthesis, and biological activities. Plant compounds are a major focus of pharmacognostic chemical analysis.
Botanical identification : The determination of a plant’s scientific identity using diagnostic features, reference collections, or molecular methods. Correct species identification is essential when medicinal activity varies among related plants.
Artemisinin : An antimalarial compound isolated from Artemisia annua and used in combination therapies against malaria. Its discovery illustrates how traditional plant knowledge can lead to a modern medicine.
Dioscorides : A first-century Greek physician whose work De materia medica described medicinal substances and their uses. His influential compilation shaped European knowledge of medicinal plants for centuries.
Nagoya Protocol : An international agreement governing access to genetic resources and fair sharing of benefits from their use. It shapes how researchers access biological materials and share benefits with provider communities.
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