Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Flashcards
6 cards from real MPharm Master of Pharmacy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pharmacognosy and Natural Products flashcards as text
Which class of secondary metabolites includes morphine, quinine, and vincristine?
Answer: Alkaloids
Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites derived from amino acids and include many pharmacologically significant compounds like morphine and quinine.
What is the pharmacologically active component of the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea) used in cardiac therapy?
Answer: Digoxin and digitoxin (cardiac glycosides)
Digitalis contains cardiac glycosides (digoxin, digitoxin) that inhibit Na+/K+ ATPase, increasing cardiac contractility used in heart failure treatment.
Which extraction technique is most commonly used to isolate essential oils from plant material in pharmacognosy?
Answer: Steam distillation
Steam distillation is the classical method for isolating volatile essential oils; steam carries the volatiles, which are then condensed and separated.
Artemisinin, the antimalarial compound derived from Artemisia annua, belongs to which chemical class?
Answer: Sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide
Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone containing a unique 1,2,4-trioxane endoperoxide bridge essential for its antimalarial activity.
Which test is used to detect the presence of tannins in plant extracts?
Answer: Ferric chloride test
Tannins form blue-black or green complexes with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) due to their phenolic hydroxyl groups chelating iron.
Which plant is the natural source of taxol (paclitaxel), an important anticancer agent?
Answer: Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew)
Paclitaxel was originally isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) and works by stabilizing microtubules to prevent cell division.