Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology: bio-prospecting tools and reverse pharmacology MCQs With Answer

Introduction: Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology: bio-prospecting tools and reverse pharmacology MCQs With Answer is designed for M.Pharm students preparing for Advanced Pharmacognosy-II (MPG 202T). This set of MCQs focuses on integrating traditional knowledge with modern drug discovery approaches, covering field methods, documentation, bioprospecting technologies, legal–ethical frameworks, and the science of reverse pharmacology. Questions emphasize practical tools such as ethnobotanical indices, voucher specimen handling, dereplication, metabolomics, phylogenetic targeting, bioassay-guided fractionation, and translational steps from traditional claims to evidence-based leads. Use these items to assess and deepen your understanding of how ethnopharmacological insights are systematically converted into candidate therapeutics.

Q1. Which ethnobotanical index quantifies the proportion of informants who mention a species for the same ailment and is used to indicate consensus on therapeutic use?

• Use Value (UV)
• Fidelity Level (FL)
• Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC)
• Informant Consensus Factor (ICF)

Correct Answer: Fidelity Level (FL)

Q2. In reverse pharmacology, what is the correct sequential workflow when translating a traditional claim into an evidence-based drug lead?

• In vitro pharmacology → Clinical observation → Preclinical toxicology → Mechanistic studies
• Clinical/epidemiological observation → Controlled clinical studies → Preclinical validation → Mechanistic and formulation studies
• High-throughput screening → Animal efficacy → Human use documentation → Commercialization
• Dereplication → Ethnobotanical survey → In silico ADMET → Phase III trials

Correct Answer: Clinical/epidemiological observation → Controlled clinical studies → Preclinical validation → Mechanistic and formulation studies

Q3. Which of the following is a primary purpose of creating a voucher specimen during an ethnobotanical survey?

• To quantify local market value of the plant
• To provide a permanent reference for botanical identification
• To store ethnographic interviews for legal claims
• To extract crude drugs immediately in the field

Correct Answer: To provide a permanent reference for botanical identification

Q4. Dereplication in natural products research primarily aims to:

• Isolate novel compounds regardless of known activities
• Quickly identify known compounds to avoid redundant isolation
• Enhance biological potency of extracts by synergistic mixing
• Replace bioassays with in silico predictions entirely

Correct Answer: Quickly identify known compounds to avoid redundant isolation

Q5. Which international agreement specifically addresses access to genetic resources and fair benefit-sharing from their use?

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Nagoya Protocol
• TRIPS Agreement (WTO)

Correct Answer: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Nagoya Protocol

Q6. A study reports a plant with a Use Value (UV) = 0.8. What does a high UV generally indicate in ethnobotanical terms?

• The plant has a high chemical diversity detectable by LC-MS
• Frequent and diverse use by informants indicating cultural importance
• A low probability of yielding pharmacologically active compounds
• That the species is endangered in the study area

Correct Answer: Frequent and diverse use by informants indicating cultural importance

Q7. Which bio-prospecting tool most directly uses phylogenetic relatedness to prioritize taxa for screening?

• Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
• Phylogenetic or chemophylogenetic targeting
• Randomized high-throughput screening libraries
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics

Correct Answer: Phylogenetic or chemophylogenetic targeting

Q8. In ethnopharmacology, the term ‘ethno-directed screening’ best describes:

• Selecting species randomly to avoid bias
• Using traditional knowledge to prioritize species for bioactivity testing
• Using only in silico models to predict bioactivity
• Collecting samples only from botanical gardens rather than wild populations

Correct Answer: Using traditional knowledge to prioritize species for bioactivity testing

Q9. Which dataset or database is specifically tailored for collating traditional medicinal plant information and phytochemical references useful in bioprospecting?

• PubChem only
• NAPRALERT and Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical Database
• ClinicalTrials.gov
• UniProt

Correct Answer: NAPRALERT and Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical Database

Q10. Which ethical principle requires obtaining explicit consent from a community before documenting or using their traditional knowledge?

• Benefit-sharing after commercialization
• Prior Informed Consent (PIC)
• Intellectual Property Right assignment
• Open access publishing

Correct Answer: Prior Informed Consent (PIC)

Q11. Which analytical platform is most suitable for metabolomic fingerprinting to compare chemotypes among populations during bioprospecting?

• Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) only
• LC-MS or LC-MS/MS and NMR-based metabolomics
• Gel electrophoresis
• Light microscopy

Correct Answer: LC-MS or LC-MS/MS and NMR-based metabolomics

Q12. Reverse pharmacology emphasizes which aspect compared to classical drug discovery?

• Starting from random high-throughput screens without human data
• Beginning with clinical or observational human data and tracing back to mechanism
• Focusing exclusively on single-target small molecules
• Bypassing toxicity studies to accelerate development

Correct Answer: Beginning with clinical or observational human data and tracing back to mechanism

Q13. Which of the following best describes ‘informant consensus factor (ICF)’ in ethnobotanical studies?

• A measure of chemical concentration in plant tissues
• A statistical measure that reflects agreement among informants on treatments for specific ailment categories
• The average number of days needed to collect voucher specimens
• A legal instrument for intellectual property protection

Correct Answer: A statistical measure that reflects agreement among informants on treatments for specific ailment categories

Q14. Which method reduces redundancy and accelerates discovery by comparing mass spectra of extracts against libraries of known natural products?

• Network pharmacology
• Dereplication using LC-MS/MS spectral libraries
• Ethnographic mapping
• In vivo efficacy testing in rodent models

Correct Answer: Dereplication using LC-MS/MS spectral libraries

Q15. What is a primary advantage of integrating GIS (geographic information systems) with ethnobotanical surveys?

• To predict molecular targets of plant metabolites
• To map distribution and habitat data for prioritizing collection and conservation
• To perform in vitro bioassays remotely
• To automatically compute pharmacokinetic parameters

Correct Answer: To map distribution and habitat data for prioritizing collection and conservation

Q16. In the context of benefit-sharing arrangements under the Nagoya Protocol, which element is essential when a company uses traditional knowledge linked to genetic resources?

• Monopolistic patenting without community involvement
• Establishing mutually agreed terms (MAT) and equitable benefit-sharing
• Immediate publication of all traditional recipes online
• Exemption from national biodiversity regulations

Correct Answer: Establishing mutually agreed terms (MAT) and equitable benefit-sharing

Q17. Network pharmacology applied to ethnomedicine primarily helps to:

• Identify single-molecule drugs from complex extracts exclusively
• Model multi-target interactions of complex herbal mixtures and predict synergistic actions
• Replace clinical validation with computational predictions
• Determine agricultural yield of medicinal plants

Correct Answer: Model multi-target interactions of complex herbal mixtures and predict synergistic actions

Q18. Which of the following is considered a major risk when relying solely on ethnobotanical claims without rigorous follow-up studies?

• Accelerated drug approval
• Misidentification, variability, lack of reproducibility, and unrecognized toxicity
• Guaranteed patent protection worldwide
• Automatic conservation of species

Correct Answer: Misidentification, variability, lack of reproducibility, and unrecognized toxicity

Q19. Which preclinical approach aligns best with reverse pharmacology to confirm an observed traditional therapeutic effect?

• Mechanistic in vitro assays informed by clinical observations followed by targeted animal models
• Random screening of unrelated chemical libraries in cell lines
• Large-scale epidemiological surveys replacing bench studies
• Immediate human phase III trials without preclinical toxicology

Correct Answer: Mechanistic in vitro assays informed by clinical observations followed by targeted animal models

Q20. Which documentation practice strengthens reproducibility and legal defensibility of ethnopharmacological research?

• Keeping field notes proprietary and undocumented
• Detailed records: GPS-tagged specimen vouchers, standardized interview forms, photographic evidence, and deposition in herbaria
• Relying on oral memory only without specimen collection
• Publishing only anecdotal success stories without references

Correct Answer: Detailed records: GPS-tagged specimen vouchers, standardized interview forms, photographic evidence, and deposition in herbaria

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