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Natural Products
Definition: - The products that obtained from natural sources e.g.
plants, animals and microorganisms.
Sources of the natural products:
1- Plants e.g. Vincrestine and Vinblastine obtained from vinca and used
as anticancer. Also eugenole obtained from clove and used
for the treatment of teeth ache.
2- Animals e.g. Insulin obtained from B- cells of the pancreas and used
as antidiabetic.
3- Microorganism e.g. Penicillin obtained from microorganisms and
used as antimicrobial agent.
What is medicinal plant?
A medicinal plant is any plant which contains substance that can be
used for therapeutic purpose or used in synthesis of useful drugs.
Complementary or alternative medicine
It is the use of medicinal plants in the prevention, diagnosis,
improvement or treatment of illness.
Types of the natural products
1- Carbohydrates as sugars and starch
2- Fats granules as milk
3- Fixed oils as castor oil, olive oil and corn oil
4- Volatile oils as peppermint oil and jasmine oil
5- Proteins as beans
6- Vitamins as vitamin C obtained from citrus fruits
7- Minerals as Ca+2, Fe+2, Zn+2 and Mg+2
8- Alkaloids as Vincrestine and Vinblastine
9- Glycosides as digoxin and digitoxin cardiac glycoside obtained from
digitalis and used for the treatment for heart diseases
10- Saponin as in liquorices
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Chemical tests for identification of the natural products
1- Carbohydrates
(a) Sugars
(1) By Fehling's solution
Red p.p.t
Sample + Fehling's A + Fehling's B ---------→
(2) By Benedict's solution
Sample + Benedict's solution
Red p.p.t
----------→
(b) Starch
---------→
Starch + I2 solution
blue color
2- Alkaloids
With Mayer's reagent
---------→
Yellow p.p.t
3- Saponin
With water
---------→
Froths
4- Oils
With Suddan III
---------→
Red color
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Extraction Processes
Definition:The treatment of plant or animal tissues with solvent whereby the
medicinally active constituents are dissolved, and most of the inert
matter remains undissolved.
Processes used for extraction
1- Infusion
2- Decoction
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Solvent used in extraction Processes
(I) Water
* Used for proteins, coloring matter, gums, sugars, enzymes, organic
acids, organic salts, glycosides and alkaloidal salts
* Waxes, fats, fixed oils and most of alkaloids are insoluble in water
Advantages of water
1- It is cheap
2- It has a wide solvent action
3- It is non-toxic
4- It is non-inflammable
Disadvantages of water
1- It may dissolve undesirable substances with the desirable
substances
2- Water helps in the growth of bacteria and moulds
3- Water causes hydrolysis of many substances
4- Required large amount of heat for extraction
(II) Alcohol
* It dissolves many substances as alkaloids, volatile oils, resin, tannins,
organic acids and salts.
* Alcohols do not dissolve waxes, fats, fixed oils and sugar
Advantages of alcohol
1- It is neutral
2- Required small amount of heat for extraction
3- It is non-toxic
4- It dissolves selective active constituents of drugs
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Disadvantages of alcohol
1- It is expensive than water
2- It is inflammable
(III) Other Solvents
Ether, chloroform are also used for extraction
Infusion
By pouring cold or boiling water on the drug, then allowed to stand for
15 minutes and finally filtering off the liquid
Decoction
By boiling of the drug with water for 10 minutes and finally filtering
off the liquid
Digestion
The drug is extracted by heating at particular pressure.
Comparison between infusion and decoction
Infusion
Decoction
1- Cold or boiling water is used
1- Drug is boiled with water
2- Drug having soft tissues is used
2- Drug of hard tissues is used
3- Drug constituents may be volatile 3- Drug constituents should be nonvolatile
4- Final volume is not adjusted
4- Adjustment to volume is done
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Anise
Pimpinella anisum
Apiaceae
Anise is a flowering plant
Active Constituents: - Anethole
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Medicinal Uses: 
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Anise is a mild antiparasitic.
Its leaves can be used to treat digestive problems and relieve
toothache.
Its essential oil to treat lice and scabies.
Anise can be used to relieve menstrual cramps.
Also its essential oil is used to treat colds and flu.
Carminative.
Its used to flavor tea.
Its used as a cure for sleeplessness.
Its used to freshen the breath in the morning by mixing with honey.
Rauwolfia
Rauwolfia serpentina
Apocynaceae
Active Constituents: - Reserpine
Medicinal Uses: - leaves stem and roots are used as
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Sedative.
Antihypertensive i.e. reduce the high blood pressure.
Painful affection of bowels.
Treatment of diarrhea.
Treatment of dysentery.
Treatment of cholera and fever.
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Vinca
Vinca rosea
Apocyanaceae
Active constituents: - Vincristine and Vinblastine
Medicinal uses: - Anticancer or Antitumor or Antineoplastic
Cancer is abnormal growth of tissues or mass of tissues.
Black Pepper
Piper nigrum
Piperaceae
It is dried fruits
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Active constituents:- Piperine
Medicinal uses:1- It is used as spicy
2- It is used for the treatment of constipation, diarrhea, earache,
toothache, tooth decay, oral abscesses, gangrene, heart disease, hernia,
indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung
disease and sunburn.
Capsicum
Capsicum annuum
Solanaceae
Active constituents:- Capsicine
Medicinal uses:1- It is used as food in Africa
2- It is used as counter irritant
3- It is used for the treatment of rheumatism and gout.
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Caraway
Carum carvi
Apiaceae
It is dried flowers and fruits (seeds)
Active constituents:- Essential oils mostly carvone and limonene.
Medicinal uses:1- It is used as spicy
2- It is used as flavor
3- It is used for the treatment of colic, loss of appetite and digestive
disorders.
4- It is used to dispel worms
5-Caraway seed oil is also used as a fragrance component in soaps,
lotions and perfumes.
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Digitalis Leaves
Digitalis purpurea
Scrophulariaceae
Active constituents:- Cardiac glycosides mainly digoxin and digitoxin.
Medicinal uses:1- Cardiotonic or cadiostimulant.
2- Increase the force of contraction of the myocardial.
3- Increase the cardiac output.
4- Decrease the cardiac enlargement.
5- used for the treatment of congestive heart failure.
6- Used to decrease the heart rate.
Toxicity:Depending on the species, the digitalis plant may contain several deadly
physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides.
The entire plant is poisonous (including the roots and seeds); although the
leaves of the upper stem are particularly potent, with just a nibble being
enough to potentially cause death. Early symptoms of ingestion include
nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations,
delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the severity of the toxicities
the victim may later suffer irregular and slow pulse, tremors, various
cerebral disturbances, especially of a visual nature (unusual color visions
with objects appearing yellowish to green and blue halos around lights),
convulsions, and deadly disturbances of the heart.
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Drying does not reduce the toxicity of the plant. The plant is toxic to
animals including all classes of livestock, as well as cats and dogs.
Digitalis poisoning can cause heart block and bradycardia (lowered heart
rate) and tachycardia (increased heart rate). It can cause either, depending
on the dose and the condition of one's heart. It should however be noted,
that electric cardioversion (to "shock" the heart) is generally not indicated
in ventricular fibrillation in digitalis toxicity, as it can increase the
dysrhythmia in digitalis toxicity. Amiodarone (300mg)(cordarone(R)) can
worsen the dysrhythmia caused by digitalis, therefore, the second choice
drug Lidocaine (1.5mg/kg) is to be used.
Senna Leaves
Cassia angustifolia
Caesalpinaceae
Active constituents:- Sennoside A, Sennoside B Sennoside C and
Sennoside D.
Medicinal uses:1- It is used for the treatment of constipation.
2- It is used as laxative in small dose and purgative in large dose.
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Datura leaves
Datura stramonum
Solanaceae
Active constituents:- Alkaloids hyoscine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine
and atropine.
Medicinal uses:1- It has strong aphrodisiac effect
2- It is used as tonic
3- It is used as anthelmintic.
4- It is used as febrifuge.
5- It is used as emetic.
6- It is used in the treatment of leucoderma and other skin disorders.
7- It is used in the treatment of ulcer.
8- It is used in the treatment of bronchitis.
9- It is used as antispasmodic.
10- Atropine is used as CNS stimulant and dilates the eye pupil.
11- It is used as narcotic i.e. sedative.
Toxicity:All Datura plants contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine,
hyoscyamine, and atropine, primarily in their seeds and flowers. Because
of the presence of these substances, Datura has been used for centuries in
some cultures as a poison and hallucinogen. There can easily be a 5:1
variation in toxins from plant to plant, and a given plant's toxicity
depends on its age, where it is growing, and local weather conditions.
These wide variations make Datura exceptionally hazardous to use as a
drug. In traditional cultures, users needed to have a great deal of
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experience and detailed plant knowledge so that no harm resulted from
using it. Such knowledge is not available in modern cultures, so many
unfortunate incidents result from ingesting Datura. In the 1990s and
2000s, the United States media contained stories of adolescents and
young adults dying or becoming seriously ill from intentionally ingesting
Datura.
In some parts of Europe and India, Datura has been a popular poison for
suicide and murder. From 1950-1965, the State Chemical Laboratories in
Agra investigated 2,778 deaths that were caused by ingesting Datura.
Effects of ingestion
Due to the potent combination of anticholinergic substances it contains,
Datura intoxication typically produces effects similar to that of an
anticholinergic delirium: a complete inability to differentiate reality from
fantasy (frank delirium, as contrasted to hallucination); hyperthermia;
tachycardia; bizarre, and possibly violent behavior; and severe mydriasis
with resultant painful photophobia that can last several days. Pronounced
amnesia is another commonly reported effect.
Ginseng Roots
Panax ginseng
Araliaceae
Active constituents:- Ginsenosides
Medicinal uses:- Ginseng roots are taken orally as
1- Aphrodisiacs
2- Stimulants
3- Treatment of type II diabetes.
4- Treatment of sexual dysfunction in man.
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5- Energetic
Side effects
One of P. ginseng's most common side-effects is the inability to sleep.
Other side-effects can include nausea, diarrhea, euphoria, headaches, high
blood pressure and low blood pressure.
Colocynth
Citrullus colocynthis
Cucurbitaceae
It is fruit
Active constituents:- Fats, proteins and oils. The oil contents of the
seeds is 17-19% (w/w), consisting of 67-73%
linoleic acid, 10-16% oleic acid, 5-8% stearic
acid and 9-12% palmitic acid.
Medicinal uses:- Laxative in small dose and purgative in large dose.
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Cannabis
Cannabis sativa
Cannabaceae
As the drug it usually comes from flowers (marijuana), resin (hashish) or
various extracts known as hashish oil.
Active constituents:- Chemical substance known as cannabinoids
mainly 9Δ– tetrahydrocannabinol "THC"
Medicinal uses:1- Narcotic drug.
2- It produces change in physical and mental characters.
3- It is used as psychoactive drug.
Side effects
1- Respiratory depression
2- Constipation
3- Pin eye pupil
4- Physical dependence or tolerance or addiction
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Coffee
Coffea arabica
Rubiaceae
It is dry seeds
Active constituents:- Caffeine
Medicinal uses:- Central Nervous System (CNS) Stimulant.
Colchicum
Colchicum autumnale
Colchicaceae
Active constituents:- Colchicines
Medicinal uses:- It is used for the treatment of gout.
Gout Is an inflammation of the soft joint due to increase of uric acid
level.
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