JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD B. Pharmacy III Year HERBAL DRUG TECHNOLOGY Previous Question Paper (February/March-2022 - R17)

The processing of herbal drugs involves a systematic series of steps to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of the final product. The process begins with the identification and collection of the plant material and concludes with the final dosage form.

1. Collection and Harvesting: Plants must be collected at the optimal stage of growth and during the appropriate season to ensure maximum concentration of active constituents. Proper identification of the botanical source is critical to avoid adulteration.
2. Cleaning and Washing: The harvested material is cleaned to remove soil, dust, insects, and foreign organic matter. Washing is performed using potable water, ensuring that the process does not leach out water-soluble active ingredients.
3. Drying: This is a crucial step to prevent microbial growth and enzymatic degradation. Methods include shade drying, sun drying, or mechanical drying (e.g., tray dryers or vacuum dryers) at controlled temperatures to maintain the stability of thermolabile compounds.
4. Size Reduction (Comminution): Dried plant material is reduced to a specific particle size using mills (e.g., hammer mill or ball mill). This increases the surface area, facilitating the subsequent extraction process.
5. Extraction: The active principles are removed from the plant matrix using suitable solvents (e.g., water, alcohol, or hydro-alcoholic mixtures). Common techniques include maceration, percolation, Soxhlet extraction, or modern methods like supercritical fluid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction.
6. Concentration and Purification: The crude extract is concentrated by removing the solvent under reduced pressure (e.g., rotary evaporation). Further purification steps like filtration, centrifugation, or chromatography may be employed to isolate specific fractions or remove impurities.
7. Formulation and Standardization: The extract is formulated into a suitable dosage form such as tablets, capsules, syrups, or ointments. Standardization involves ensuring the consistency of the product by quantifying marker compounds, testing for heavy metals, microbial load, and pesticide residues to meet pharmacopoeial specifications.
8. Packaging and Storage: The final product is packed in appropriate containers (e.g., amber-colored glass or high-density polyethylene) to protect it from light, moisture, and oxidation, followed by labeling with batch details and storage instructions.