Pharmacognosy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pharmacognosy - Assignment Example ounding and decompartmentation, later they are converted into the membrane-active monodesmosidic saponin that is amphiphilic with detergent activities (GANG, p. 14-16). Saponin has diverse range of properties that include medicinal properties, sweetness and bitterness, pharmacological and hemolytic properties, therefore, finding a variety of application in beverages and confectionery, also in pharmaceutical products as hormone synthesis. Examples of the plants containing saponin include Quillaja saponaria, Glycine max, Dioscorea villosa, Sapindus, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum. They provide good examples of sources of nutrition and traditional medicine, nd has gained interest mainly from the medical community due to their high concentration of saponins (GANG, p. 14-16). Alkaloids are alkaline nitrogen containing heterocyclic compounds derived from higher plants and exhibiting marked pharmacological activity. They are important chemical compounds that serve as a rich reservoir for drug discovery. Many alkaloids isolated from natural herbs exhibit anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis effects on the various effects on several types’ illness such as cancers. Alkaloids contain a ring structure and a nitrogen atom mainly located inside the heterocyclic ring structure. Several categories of alkaloids exhibit biological activities, for instance relieving action of ephedrine for asthma. Additionally, alkaloids are mainly active in plants belonging to Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae, and Loganiaceae, therefore, containing important active components in natural herbs, with some of its compounds being developed successfully into chemotherapeutic drugs. It also has a wide range of bioactivities such as antibacterial, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, and sedat ion among others. Depending on the plant species, alkaloids can occur in all parts of the plant, mostly in roots, thus serves as a storage form of nitrogen and act as a protective agent against damage from Ultra violet light,