Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology /

Abstract

Pharmacognosy and Pharmacobiotechnology by Dr. Ashutosh Kar is a comprehensive academic textbook that integrates the disciplines of natural drug sciences (pharmacognosy) and biotechnology applied to pharmaceutical development. It is designed primarily for senior undergraduate and graduate students in pharmacy, biotechnology, pharmaceutical chemistry, phytochemistry, and related applied sciences.

The book begins with foundational concepts, including a brief history of pharmacognosy and an explanation of the importance and sources of natural drug substances, encompassing plant, microbial, and animal derivatives. It outlines the cultivation, production, and chemical characterization of natural compounds, as well as their roles as prototypes for modern drug development.

Following this, the text introduces pharmacobiotechnology, covering genetic and molecular principles such as mutation, recombinant DNA technology, cloning processes, and protein biotechnology. It explores key biotechnological tools and their applications in modern pharmacy — including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, diagnostic agents, and enzyme‑linked immunoassays.

Subsequent chapters provide in‑depth treatment of major classes of bioactive natural products — carbohydrates, glycosides, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids, and bitter principles — along with discussions on antibiotics, marine‑derived drugs, nutraceuticals, enzymes, and protein‑based therapeutics. Later sections also examine biomedicinals from plant‑tissue cultures, hi‑tech plant‑derived products, and traditional herbal drug systems.

The book is richly illustrated with chemical structures and diagrams and is intended as both a teaching textbook and a reference work that bridges classical natural product study with modern biotechnology applications in drug discovery and development.