Pharmacognosy:- The word “Pharmacognosy” is derived from the two Greek words, “pharmakon” (drug), and “gnosis” (knowledge).  Pharmacognosy deals with study of crude drugs  derived from plants, animals, minerals, marine  and microorganisms. It involves the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of molecules of natural origin.  Pharmacognosy is interdisciplinary branch involving a broad spectrum of biological and socio-scientific topics, including botany, ethno botany, marine biology, herbal medicine, phytochemistry, plant biotechnology – tissue culture, production of secondary metabolites and development of herbal formulations.

Pharmacognosy occupies an important place in the pharmacy curriculum because it provides systematic and scientific validation of traditional medicines; it helps to develop lead molecules from natural source and to establish the pharmacological and biochemical roles of these molecules. Though the traditional medicine provides a gold mine for alleviating diseases there is a lacuna in the availability of standard preparation. Hence there is an urgent need to standardize these preparations, a major area of research. Pharmacognosy has undergone significant changes in recent years and today it is a highly interdisciplinary science. The subject seeks to bridge the gap between modern and traditional systems of medicines.

WHO has estimated that majority of all the global inhabitants depend on curative natural systems of medicine for their primary health needs and these systems are largely of traditional origin. Herbs are staging a comeback and herbal ‘renaissance’ is happening all over the globe. The herbal products today symbolise safety in contrast to the synthetics that are regarded as unsafe to human and environment.

The department of Pharmacognosy is engaged in imparting knowledge in the various fields of natural medicinal products through theoretical and practical mediums. The department is well equipped with an undergraduate research laboratory, a crude drug museum & herbarium specimens of several plant materials; and modern equipments essential for   Extraction , isolation identification and standardization  of natural medicinal products.

 Major Research Area

• Herbal drug standardization.
• Histological analysis of Crude drug.
• Extraction of Volatile oil and fixed oil.
• Isolation and characterization of Phytoconstituents.
• Chromatographic identification of Phytoconstituents.
• Formulation and evaluation of herbal Cosmetics.
• Evaluation of marketed herbal and Ayurvedic formulations.