The evolution of pharmacognosy takes up arguments of applied pharmaceutical botany, reflections on drugs and not on the medicinal plant. Influences of an endogenous and exogenous nature identify internal factors, which belong to the genetic patrimony of the plant, factors that are part of the ontogenetic cycle of that particular species , as well as natural factors that influence the quality of the plant, but which in the end have to be reflected on the drug intended as its health expression. All these elements, endogenous and exogenous, as well as the strictly called artificial factors, greatly influence the quality of a drug and of its active ingredients, both in qualitative and quantitative terms; for this reason quality control is very important both on a chemical and biological level.
Numerous factors influence the quality of a drug in terms of chemical expression, such as quantity and quality of the active ingredients, and in biological terms, in relation to its appearance, its size, and therefore its morphological characterization. Some examples:
Altea officinalis: Malvacee family, the root that constitutes the drug is used. The active ingredients are mucilages, which from a chemical point of view fall into the category of heteropolysaccharides; that is, they are high molecular weight molecules of carbohydrate nature, with a polymeric characterization where the individual monomers are different. These mucilages can vary in concentration from 5 to 9%, with respect to the dry weight of the drug.
Witch hazel: Hamamelis virginiana, Amamelidaceae family; shrub of American origin, of which the leaves are mainly used; the active ingredients are tannins, molecules with a high molecular weight of a polyphenolic nature, with a firming action, which can vary from 1 to 8%.
Pretty Woman: Atropa belladonna, Solanaceae family; it is a medicinal plant whose leaves are used, rich in alkaloids; these are molecules that generally have basic properties in solution; in Belladonna they can vary from 0.3 to 1% of the dry weight of the drug.
Artichoke: Cynara scolymus, is a plant of the Composite family whose leaves are used; the active ingredients of the artichoke belong to different categories, the flavonoids, however, can vary in concentration from 0.5 to 1%.
All this to say that the endogenous, exogenous and artificial factors are elements that can dramatically influence the concentration of active ingredients, thus significantly determining its belonging to a health sector rather than to a "simply" dietary sector.
Cinchona: it is a typical plant of the Andes, the bark is used and the active ingredients are titrated in quinine. Quinine is the active principle that characterizes the quality of the phytocomplex and that can vary from 9 to 12% of the dry weight of the bark; the factors that influence cinchona in its quality are genetic factors or exogenous factors, such as altitude. Hybridization is also important: different but similar species are crossed to give hybrid cinchona plants with a quantity of active ingredients close to the maximum concentration. Altitude is also important: if the cinchona is cultivated in the plains it grows well, but not with medicinal qualities.
Opium: drug characterized by the congealed latex that gushes from the immature capsules of the Papaver somniferum, a cultivated annual plant, whose cultivation is allowed only for medicinal purposes and only in some countries. From the opium are obtained some very important alkaloids in the health field, such as morphine, but also many others. The concentration can vary from 7 to 20%.
Seine: Cassia senna, shrub of African origin, also cultivated in India; the leaves and the fruits are used. The active ingredients, called sennosides, are anthraquinones, molecules with stimulating laxative properties; senna can vary its content of active ingredients by 50% with respect to not only endogenous but also climatic factors: it is a plant that lives in hot and dry climates.
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