VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Katarzyna Banaszczyk

Substances of natural origin, mainly of plant origin, have been used in medicine almost always. What is pharmacognosy and what exactly does this field of pharmacy do? What substances are responsible for the he alth-promoting properties of selected plants described by pharmacognosy?

The wordpharmacognosiais of Greek origin and comes from the words pharmakon, which means medicine, and gnosis, which means knowledge. Pharmacognosy is the field of substances of natural origin that are used to make drugs. So it is a department of pharmacy, and therefore drug science, which in this case is a broader field.

The vast majority of pharmacognosy deals with substances of plant origin (such as plant extracts), but you should be aware that there are also medicinal substances of animal origin. First of all, the oil and honey should be mentioned here.

Pharmacognosy - what exactly does it do?

The field of pharmacy discussed in this article deals mainly with the study of chemical compounds found in natural products and their influence on our body. Its subject is also the mechanisms of action of given substances.

Moreover, pharmacognosy also deals with the methods of obtaining medicinal substances from raw materials of natural origin. Put simply, this field is developing methods for obtaining effective drugs, for example from plants that are commonly considered herbs.

Pharmacognosy on the example of specific substances and medicinal plants

In order to present the issues related to pharmacognosy in a more vivid and comprehensible manner, it is best to describe a few examples of substances obtained from natural raw materials and explain their impact on our body. Let's take a look at willow bark and dandelion, among others.

Willow bark - substances contained in it and their properties

Willow bark is a raw material known in antiquity, which contains mainly phenolic glucosides, which have anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties.

This is due to the fact that these glucosides in the human body (and more precisely in our intestines) undergoconversion to acetylsalicylic acid, i.e. the commonly known aspirin. What's more, willow bark contains tannins that act as an astringent and anti-inflammatory, as well as flavonoids with diuretic properties.

A contraindication to the use of willow bark is an allergy to salicylates, i.e. the acetylsalicylic acid already mentioned here. The typical dosage of this raw material is 6-12 grams per day. Special decoctions are made from willow bark, which can be taken orally.

Rose fruit and its properties

The rose fruit contains large amounts of vitamins - mainly vitamin C, but also vitamins B1, B2, E and vitamin K. Thanks to the large amounts of vitamin C, found in rose hips, this raw material seals the blood vessels and can be recommended in situations such as a predisposition to nosebleeds.

What's more, rose fruit can be used to supplement deficiencies of the above-mentioned vitamins. Despite these properties, the pharmaceutical literature reports that rose hips have no proven medical effect.

Martyr herb - what does it help?

Another interesting raw material is passion flower, which is used primarily in situations of emotional tension. The substances contained in this plant have a calming and relaxing effect on the muscles, as well as an anxiolytic effect.

In addition, passion flower slightly lowers blood pressure and inhibits the cough reflex. Chemical compounds such as indole alkaloids and flavonoid glycosides are probably responsible for the anxiolytic properties of passion flower.

Passion flower herb is typically used for anxiety-related sleep disorders and also to reduce gastrointestinal disorders, also associated with anxiety. You should use 2 grams of passion fruit extract at a time, and 4-8 grams daily.

Elderberry fruit and its properties

The well-known elderberry fruit contains mainly anthocyanins, vitamin C, and also flavonoids. Thanks to the content of these substances, these fruits have diaphoretic, slightly laxative, diuretic and analgesic properties.

When it comes to dosage, it is typically recommended to use 5-8% elderberry decoction.

Dandelion herb - active substances of dandelion

It is also worth mentioning the properties of the dandelion herb. This raw material contains, among others, phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, minerals and vitamins, including vitamin C, as well as B vitamins. Dandelion is recommended primarily to achieve diuretic and choleretic effects(these substances struggle to secrete bile).

Moreover, dandelion is believed to lower glucose (and therefore sugar levels) in the blood. Dandelion infusions are also used in the course of respiratory tract infections. In addition, dandelion extracts can be found in many preparations that improve digestion.

Pharmacognosy - summary

Based on the above examples, it is much easier to visualize what knowledge we can acquire when dealing with pharmacognosy. Pharmacognosy, however, is not only the knowledge of active substances that come from natural resources.

This field also deals with the selection of chemicals that can become a reference for the production of compounds that will be their equivalents. Pharmacognosy is a broad field of pharmacy that describes many raw materials and chemical compounds with healing effects.

Although nowadays, in many cases the benefits of nature are rejected, it should be remembered that in raw materials of natural origin we can find many valuable compounds with a pro-he alth effect. Of course, in the vast majority of diseases, we should not rely only on herbs and substances of natural origin.

However, it is synthetic compounds that are currently the basis for the treatment of most diseases. In the event of disturbing symptoms that do not pass, it is definitely worth visiting your family doctor, instead of choosing the path of self-treatment with herbs.

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