BIO 404 — Nigerian Plants and Animals in Prophylactics and Therapeutics: Lecture Note

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BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: BIO 404 Course title: Nigerian Plants and Animals in Prophylactics and Therapeutics Course credit load: 2 Units Series 1: Historical Development of Pharmacognosy • Part 1.1: Definition and Scope of Pharmacognosy o Sub Part 1.1.1: Definition and etymology of pharmacognosy o Sub Part 1.1.2: Scope and relationship to allied sciences o Sub Part 1.1.3: Importance of pharmacognosy • Part 1.2: Ancient and Classical History of Medicinal Plant Use o Sub Part 1.2.1: Prehistoric and ancient Egyptian use o Sub Part 1.2.2: Greek, Roman, and Chinese contributions o Sub Part 1.2.3: Islamic and medieval contributions • Part 1.3: Development of Pharmacognosy as a Science o Sub Part 1.3.1: Renaissance to 18th century o Sub Part 1.3.2: 19th and early 20th century: the phytochemical era o Sub Part 1.3.3: Modern pharmacognosy • Part 1.4: Historical Development of Pharmacognosy in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.1: Traditional medicine in pre-colonial Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.2: Colonial and post-colonial development o Sub Part 1.4.3: Current status and prospects Introduction

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Pharmacognosy is one of the oldest sciences, rooted in the human need to find remedies for disease and injury from the natural world. Long before the development of synthetic pharmaceuticals, plants, animals, and minerals provided the entire pharmacopoeia of every human society. Understanding the historical development of pharmacognosy is essential for appreciating both the depth of traditional knowledge and the scientific advances that have transformed natural product use into a rigorous discipline. This opening Series traces the history of pharmacognosy from prehistoric plant use through ancient civilisations to the emergence of pharmacognosy as a formal academic discipline, and situates the Nigerian tradition within this global history. It establishes the foundations for the terminology, classification, preparation methods, and quality control topics that follow in subsequent Series. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 define pharmacognosy and explain its etymology (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.2 describe the scope of pharmacognosy and its relationship to pharmacy, botany, phytochemistry, and medicine (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.3 describe the contributions of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Islamic scholars to the development of pharmacognosy (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.4 trace the development of pharmacognosy as a science from the Renaissance to the modern era (Linked to Part 1.3), • SLO 1.5 describe the historical development of traditional medicine and pharmacognosy in Nigeria (Linked to Part 1.4), and • SLO 1.6 describe the current status of pharmacognosy in Nigeria and its prospects for development (Linked to Part 1.4).

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1 Definition and Scope of Pharmacognosy 1.1.1 Definition and etymology of pharmacognosy Pharmacognosy is the scientific study of drugs of natural origin, including their botanical, chemical, biochemical, and biological properties. The word is derived from two Greek words: pharmakon (drug, medicine, or poison) and gnosis (knowledge). The term was first coined by C.A. Seydler in 1815 in his work Analecta Pharmacognostica, and gained widespread use through the work of Johann Adam Schmidt (1815) who used it in his lectures on medicinal natural history. Pharmacognosy encompasses the study of crude drugs obtained from plants, animals, and minerals; their identification, evaluation, and preparation; and the isolation and characterisation of their bioactive constituents. A crude drug is an unprocessed or minimally processed natural material (plant part, animal product, or mineral) used for its medicinal properties. Modern pharmacognosy extends to natural product chemistry, ethnopharmacology, and the development of new drugs from natural sources. Fill in the blank: The term pharmacognosy is derived from the Greek words pharmakon (drug) and ________ (knowledge); it was first coined by C.A. Seydler in 1815 and is defined as the scientific study of drugs of natural origin. 1.1.2 Scope and relationship to allied sciences The scope of pharmacognosy includes: (1) morphological and microscopic study of crude drugs (macroscopic and microscopic identification); (2) phytochemistry (isolation and identification of bioactive compounds from plants); (3) pharmacology of natural products (the biological activity of crude drugs and their constituents); (4) ethnopharmacology (the systematic study of how traditional cultures use plants and animals as medicines); (5) quality control and standardisation of crude drugs and herbal products. Pharmacognosy is closely related to: botany (plant identification and taxonomy); pharmacy (formulation and dispensing of medicines); phytochemistry (chemistry of plant-derived

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS compounds); biochemistry (metabolic pathways producing bioactive compounds); pharmacology (mechanisms and effects of drugs); ethnobotany (cultural uses of plants); and traditional medicine. In Nigeria, pharmacognosy links academic pharmacy departments to the wealth of traditional medical knowledge held by herbalists, traditional bone setters, and traditional birth attendants. Fill in the blank: Pharmacognosy is closely related to botany, pharmacy, phytochemistry, and pharmacology; its sub-field ________ systematically studies how traditional cultures use plants and animals as medicines. 1.1.3 Importance of pharmacognosy Pharmacognosy is important for several reasons: (1) it provides the scientific basis for the continued use and development of medicines from natural sources; (2) approximately 25% of modern pharmaceutical drugs are derived directly from plants or are synthetic analogues of plant compounds (e.g. aspirin from salicylic acid in willow bark; quinine from Cinchona bark; morphine from opium poppy); (3) natural products continue to be a major source of new drug leads, particularly for anticancer and antiinfective agents. In Nigeria specifically, pharmacognosy is important because: approximately 70 to 80% of the population relies primarily on traditional medicines for primary healthcare; Nigeria has an estimated 7,000 plant species with many having documented medicinal uses; and the validation, standardisation, and quality control of herbal medicines used by Nigerians is a public health priority. NAFDAC regulates herbal medicines and requires pharmacognostic data for registration of herbal products. Fill in the blank: Approximately ________ per cent of the Nigerian population relies primarily on traditional medicines for primary healthcare; pharmacognosy provides the scientific basis for validating, standardising, and ensuring the safety of these medicines.

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Figure 1.1: Diagram showing the scope of pharmacognosy and its relationship to allied sciences Pilot questions 1.1 1. Define pharmacognosy and explain its etymology. 2. State five areas covered by the scope of pharmacognosy. 3. Name five sciences to which pharmacognosy is related and explain one relationship. 4. State three reasons why pharmacognosy is important globally. 5. State three reasons why pharmacognosy is especially important in Nigeria. 1.2 Ancient and Classical History of Medicinal Plant Use 1.2.1 Prehistoric and ancient Egyptian use The use of plants as medicines is as old as human civilisation. Archaeological evidence from the Shanidar Cave in Iraq (approximately 60,000 years ago) shows that Neanderthals placed flowers

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS of medicinal plants alongside their dead, suggesting early plant-use for healing. The Ebers Papyrus (approximately 1550 BC), one of the oldest known medical documents, lists over 700 plant-based prescriptions used in ancient Egypt, including garlic (Allium sativum), castor oil (Ricinus communis), and aloe (Aloe vera). Ancient Egyptian medicine distinguished between priests who performed religious healing and physicians who applied plant remedies. Key plants used included: opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) as a sedative and analgesic; willow bark (Salix species) for fever and pain; and mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) as an anaesthetic. The ancient Egyptians also made extensive use of myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) and frankincense (Boswellia sacra) both as medicines and in religious rituals. Their knowledge was transmitted to Greece through trading contacts. Fill in the blank: The ________ Papyrus (approximately 1550 BC) is one of the oldest known medical documents; it lists over 700 plant-based prescriptions including garlic, castor oil, and aloe, and represents the earliest recorded systematic study of medicinal plants. 1.2.2 Greek, Roman, and Chinese contributions Hippocrates (460-377 BC), the "Father of Medicine", recommended approximately 400 plant remedies and emphasised careful observation and rational treatment. Theophrastus (371-287 BC), the "Father of Botany", described approximately 500 medicinal plant species in Historia Plantarum. Dioscorides (40-90 AD), a Greek military physician, wrote De Materia Medica, a five-volume work describing approximately 600 plant, animal, and mineral drugs; it remained the standard pharmacognosy reference in Europe for over 1,500 years. Galen (129-200 AD), the Roman physician, compiled extensive herbal knowledge and introduced the concept of Galenicals (plant-based preparations such as infusions, decoctions, and ointments). Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) compiled a 37-volume encyclopaedia of natural history describing hundreds of medicinal plants. In China, the Pen Ts'ao Kang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) compiled by Li Shizhen (1578 AD) described approximately 1,892 drugs; the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine; approximately 2,700 BC) contains the earliest Chinese medical plant records.

BIO la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Fill in the blank: Dioscorides wrote De Materia ________

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