General Pharmacology

Pharmacognosy

TRFarmakognozi

The study of medicinal substances of natural origin, mainly from plants but also from fungi, microorganisms and animals, including their identification, chemistry, biological activity and quality control.

In depth

Pharmacognosy covers the botanical authentication of crude drugs, extraction and isolation of active constituents (alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids and others), standardisation of herbal preparations and evaluation of their efficacy and safety. It has supplied many important drugs or lead compounds, including morphine, digoxin, quinine, atropine, artemisinin, paclitaxel and the first statins, which were derived from fungal metabolites.

In Turkey, pharmacognosy is a core discipline in faculties of pharmacy, and traditional herbal medicinal products are subject to TİTCK regulation.

Clinical pearl

Herbal products are not inherently safe: St John's wort induces CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein and can cause failure of ciclosporin, hormonal contraceptives and HIV protease inhibitors, so herbal use should be asked about routinely.

Example drugs

Morphine Digoxin Quinine Atropine Artemisinin Paclitaxel
TRIn Turkish

Farmakognozi

Başta bitkiler olmak üzere mantar, mikroorganizma ve hayvan kaynaklı doğal tıbbi maddelerin tanımlanmasını, kimyasını, biyolojik aktivitesini ve kalite kontrolünü inceleyen bilim dalıdır.

Farmakognozi ham droglerin botanik açıdan doğrulanmasını, etken bileşenlerin (alkaloitler, glikozitler, terpenoitler, flavonoitler vb.) ekstraksiyonu ve izolasyonunu, bitkisel preparatların standardizasyonunu ve etkinlik ile güvenliliklerinin değerlendirilmesini kapsar. Morfin, digoksin, kinin, atropin, artemisinin, paklitaksel ve fungal metabolitlerden elde edilen ilk statinler gibi birçok önemli ilaç veya öncü bileşik bu alandan kaynaklanmıştır.

Türkiye'de farmakognozi eczacılık fakültelerinin temel disiplinlerinden biridir; geleneksel bitkisel tıbbi ürünler TİTCK düzenlemelerine tabidir.

Bitkisel ürünler doğal kaynaklı oldukları için kendiliğinden güvenli sayılmamalıdır: sarı kantaron CYP3A4'ü ve P-glikoproteini indükleyerek siklosporin, hormonal kontraseptifler ve HIV proteaz inhibitörleriyle tedavide başarısızlığa yol açabilir; bu nedenle bitkisel ürün kullanımı rutin olarak sorgulanmalıdır.

Updated 24.09.2026 0 views Educational reference — verify against current sources before clinical use.

Read next

Herb–Drug InteractionBitki–İlaç Etkileşimi

An interaction between a herbal medicine or botanical supplement and a conventional drug that alters the drug's pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics.

 Drug Discoveryİlaç Keşfi

The early research process of identifying a disease-relevant biological target and finding and optimizing a molecule that modulates it, to yield a candidate suitable for development.

 Lead CompoundÖncü Bileşik

A molecule with confirmed, reproducible activity at a chosen target and acceptable drug-like properties that serves as the chemical starting point for optimization into a drug candidate.

 PharmacologyFarmakoloji

Pharmacology means the science of the drugs

 Drugİlaç

A substance or product used, or intended for use, to modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states for the benefit of the recipient, that is, to prevent, diagnose, treat or relieve disease.