aF1FG1_12 Pharmacognosy I

Faculty of Pharmacy
Spring 2026

The course is not taught in Spring 2026

Extent and Intensity
3/4/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PharmDr. Renata Kubínová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PharmDr. Karel Šmejkal, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PharmDr. Ivana Daňková, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PharmDr. Margita Dvorská, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PharmDr. Dagmar Jankovská, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. PharmDr. Renata Kubínová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PharmDr. Milan Malaník, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PharmDr. Lenka Molčanová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PharmDr. Alice Sychrová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Ing. Jiří Václavík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PharmDr. Karel Šmejkal, Ph.D.
Department of Natural Drugs – Departments – Faculty of Pharmacy
Prerequisites
af1BO2_12 Pharmaceutical Botany II && aF1FO1_12 Phytochemistry
The students should have passed basic subject touching organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biology, botany, and physiology.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
Objectives of Pharmacognosy are to impart knowledges of those drugs of biological origin and their constituents that are of value for their therapeutic, profylactic and diagnostic use in the human and veterinary medicine.
Its scope includes the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances, or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources. Research problems in pharmacognosy include studies in the areas of phytochemistry, microbial chemistry, biosynthesis, biotransformation, chemotaxonomy, and other biological and chemical sciences.
Pharmacognosy represents a highly interdisciplinary science which is one of five major areas of pharmaceutical education.
Learning outcomes
The student must be able to microscopically and macroscopically identify selected drugs, know their main content substances, use, basic biosynthetic reactions, basal classes of secondary metabolites. Know the main plants used in the pharmacy. Chemical characteristics of secondary metabolites, basic knowledge of structure-activity relationships, basic knowledge of adverse effects and interactions.
Key topics
Syllabus of lectures
" Introduction and historical background.
" Generalities on collection, preservation, evaluation, and factors that influence the quality and price of drugs.
" Systemes for classification and characterization of natural drugs.
" Methodology of pharmacognosy.
" Natural drugs in relation to the European Pharmacopoeia.
" Biosynthesis of natural compounds, primary and secondary metabolism, precursors, relationship.
" Carbohydrates and their derivatives. Monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides (starches, mucilages). Polysaccharides from microorganisms, fungi, and algae, glycoconjugates. Lipids.
" General characterization of the individual class of plant constituents:
glycosides, essential oils, terpenoids and steroids, bitter substances, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, compounds with hormonal activity, vitamins, coloring principles, sweeteners.
" Antibiotics, macrolides, cytostatics, important drugs of animal origin.
" Natural compounds derived from the shikimic acid.
" Natural compounds derived from the acetic acid.
" Natural compounds derived from mevalonic acid.
" Natural compounds derived from the aminoacids.SYLABUS OF PRACTICAL CLASSES FROM PHARMACOGNOSY II
1. Drugs containing carbohydrates
Identification assays
Purity assays
2. Drugs containing polysaccharides and mucilages
Identification assays
Determination of number of swelling
3. Drugs containing phenolics glycosides
Identification assays
Chromatographic proof of hydroquinones and arbutin
Determination of arbutin content by titration
4. Drugs containing cardioglycosides (test no. 1)
Identification assays
Chromatographic proof
Colorimetric determination
5. Drugs containing the anthracene derivatives
Identification assays
Chromatographic proof of anthraquinone derivatives
Quantification of hypericin
6. Drugs containing flavonoid glycosides
Identification assays
Colorimetric quantification of flavonoids
Chromatographic proof
7. Drugs containing saponins (test no. 2)
Identification assays
Determination of hemolytic activity using blood agar
Determination of foaming power according to Kofler
Quantification of glycyrrhizinic acid
8. Drugs containing tannins
Identification assays color, precipitation
Chromatographic proof
Quantification of tannins in drug quantification of total phenolics
9. Drugs containing essential oils
Identification assays
Chromatographic proof
Quantification of essential oils
10. Drugs containing alkaloids I. (test no. 3)
Precipitation and color reaction of alkaloids
Quantification of tropane alkaloids using titration
11. Drugs containing alkaloids II.
Precipitation and color reaction of alkaloids
Gravimetric quantification of purine alkaloids
Thin layer chromatography of opium alkaloids
12. Drugs containing bitter substances
Identification assays
Determination of number of bitterness
13. Drugs containing thioglycosides of Brassicaceae
Identification assays and purity
14. Drugs containing coumarins, anthocyanins ( test no. 4)
Chromatographic proof
Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • Šmejkal, K., Kubínová, R., Suchý, V. Farmakognozie část obecná. 2016. ISBN 978-80-7305-785-5. info
  • Kubínová R., Jankovská D. Obrazový atlas farmaceuticky významných drog. Brno, 2013. ISBN 978-80-7305-667-4. info
    recommended literature
  • HEINRICH, Michael; Joanne BARNES; José M. PRIETO GARCIA; Simon GIBBONS and Elizabeth M. WILLIAMSON. Fundamentals of pharmacognosy and phytotherapy. Edited by A. Douglas Kinghorn - Mark Blumenthal. Fourth edition. [London]: Elsevier, 2024, x, 272. ISBN 9780323834346. info
  • Pharmacognosy : fundamentals, applications, and strategies. Edited by Simone Badal McCreath - Yuri N. Clement. Second edition. London: Elsevier, 2024, xxv, 819. ISBN 9780443186578. info
  • From herbs to healing : pharmacognosy - phytochemistry - phytotherapy - biotechnology. Edited by Éva Szöke - Ágnes Kéry - Éva Lemberkovics. Cham: Springer, 2023, xvii, 570. ISBN 9783031173004. info
  • Nagy, M., Mučaji, P., Grančai, D. Farmakognózia. 2017. ISBN 9788089631643. info
  • Samuelsson G., Bohlin L. Drugs of Natural Origin. A Treatise of Pharmacognosy. 7th revised edition. 2015. info
  • Grančai, D., Nagy, M., Mučaji, P. Farmakognózia - Biogenéza prírodných látok. 2015. ISBN 978-80-8063-368-4. info
  • Suchý V. Fytofarmaka. In Kuchař M. ed. Farmaceutický encyklopedický slovník. Praha, 2014. info
  • Tomko, J. a kol. Farmakognózia. Osveta, 1999. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Lectures, practical classes
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Written tests
Language of instruction
Czech
Teacher's information
Assesment methods: 100% attendance at practical exercises, min. 60% success rate of each test, submission of protocols for completed assignments
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