Overview

Pharmacognosy is the study of medicinal drugs derived from plants or other natural sources. Pharmacognosy is "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”. It is also defined as the study of crude drugs. Pharmacognosy covers the following areas.

Medical ethnobotany: the study of the traditional use of plants for medicinal purposes;

Ethnopharmacology: the study of the pharmacological qualities of traditional medicinal substances;

The study of phytotherapy (the medicinal use of plant extracts); and

Phytochemistry, the study of chemicals derived from plants (including the identification of new drug candidates derived from plant sources).

marine pharmacognosy, the study of chemicals derived from marine organisms.

Our department is involved in curriculum which helps the students to attain a deep knowledge of Plant Taxonomy, Identification and Understanding the Chemical Constituents and Uses of Traditionally used Crude Drugs as well as Crude Drugs belonging to different chemical categories like Alkaloids, Glycosides, Terpenoids, Tannins, Resins etc.

Practical knowledge is very important in Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. Physical and Chemical Evaluation of the crude drugs are necessary to identify the authentic drugs as well as their adulterants. Physical and Chemical Evaluation of Crude drugs are essential in pharmacognostical studies. Our laboratories are well equipped with Monolocular Microscope, Compound Microscopes, Simple Microscopes, Extraction Units like Soxhlet Apparatus, Clevenger’s apparatus for Hydrodistillation, TLC Plates, TLC Spreader and TLC Chamber, Camera Lucida-Prism Type and Mirror Type, Stage micrometers and Eyepiece micrometers for Quantitative Microscopy, BOD Incubator, Hot Air Oven, Heating Mantles, Electric Water bath, Colorimeter, Centrifuge, Electronic Balance, Moisture Balance, Dispensing Balance, Hot Plate, Mechanical Stirrers, pH Meter, UV Cabinet and Centrifuge.

Our department is involved in rendering services for different organisations, in laboratory techniques like Extraction of Crude Drugs and Volatile Oil containing Drugs, Phytochemical Screening of Herbal Drugs and Chromatographic Analysis of Herbal Extracts.

Faculty


Dr. Badmanaban R Professor & Principal View more Vidwan Id: 346434	Dr. Vasuki K Professor View More Vidwan Id: 479570	Ms. Lins Mary Joy Associate Professor View more Vidwan Id: 346653

Ms. Joselin Susan George Assistant Professor View more Vidwan Id	Ms. Ann Maria Alex Assistant Professor View more Vidwan Id: 393194

Facilities

BOD Incubator
BOD incubator is used to provide the ideal temperature and conditions for the microorganisms to grow and consume oxygen. The incubator typically has temperature control, which is set to 20°C, the standard temperature for BOD testing. The incubator also provides a dark and sealed environment to prevent any external light or air from entering the chamber.

UV Cabinet
An instrument consists of a mercury vapor lamp, which is used as the source of ultraviolet light. UV cabinets are mainly used for Chromatographic analysis by Ultraviolet fluorescence. These Cabinets are used for viewing Chromatogram combine both long wave and short-wave Ultraviolet lights and also White light in a compact table-top unit.

Soxhlet Apparatus
Soxhlet apparatus is used for the continuous extraction of fats and oils from solid material using an organic solvent. The material to be extracted is usually placed in a porous paper thimble and continuously condensing solvent allowed to percolate through it before returning to the boiling vessel either continuously or intermittently. The solvent can then be evaporated off to leave the extract.

Clevenger Apparatus
Clevenger Apparatus is a laboratory setup used for the determination of volatile organic compounds in a sample. It is a type of distillation apparatus that is commonly used in the analysis of essential oils, perfumes, and other volatile organic compounds. The apparatus typically consists of a distillation flask, a condenser, a collection flask, and a heating source.

Microscope- Simple, monocular & compound
Instrument that produces enlarged images of small objects, allowing the observer an exceedingly close view of minute structures at a scale convenient for examination and analysis. Simple microscopes are those with a single lens only available as monocular microscopes. Single lens monocular microscopes include the various types of lenses that are also known as magnifying glasses. compound microscope is defined as a microscope with a high resolution and uses two sets of lenses providing a two-dimensional image of the sample

Muffle furnace
A muffle furnace is used to heat materials to extremely high temperatures whilst isolating them from fuel and the byproducts of combustion from the heat source. Muffle furnaces allow for the isolation of a material to reduce the risks of cross-contamination and identify specific properties.

Electronic furnace
Electric furnace, heating chamber with electricity as the heat source for achieving very high temperatures to melt and alloy metals and refractories. The electricity has no electrochemical effect on the metal but simply heats it.

Hot air oven
Equipment that uses dry heat (hot air) to sterilize laboratory objects and samples. It is also known as a forced-air circulating oven. The process of dry heat sterilization using a hot air oven was originally developed by Louis Pasteur.

Camera lucida
Camera lucida is an optical device which when connected to a compound microscope can help a person to draw the image of an object in scale with the actual object by tracing on the superimposed image.

Tissue culture rack
Tissue culture racks are made of tubular mild steel pipes duly painted for longer life or made of aluminum useful for various types of tissue culture plants and other tissue culture work in tissue culture room.

Consultancy

Lab Technicians & Assistants

Mr. Sijo Francis

Lab Assistant