Processing of drugs of natural origin MCQs With Answer is an essential study area for B.Pharm students focusing on extraction, isolation, purification and standardization of phytopharmaceuticals and microbial-derived drugs. This introduction covers key concepts such as herbal extraction methods (maceration, percolation, Soxhlet, supercritical CO2), isolation of alkaloids, glycosides and essential oils, quality control techniques (HPTLC, GC-MS, HPLC), stability, GMP and GACP principles, solvent removal, drying (spray, freeze-drying) and formulation considerations. Emphasis on analytical methods, adulteration detection and regulatory requirements prepares students for practical processing and research. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which extraction method commonly uses carbon dioxide above its critical temperature and pressure?
- Soxhlet extraction
- Supercritical fluid extraction
- Maceration
- Percolation
Correct Answer: Supercritical fluid extraction
Q2. Which technique is best suited for measuring volatile oil composition in herbal extracts?
- HPLC
- GC-MS
- TLC
- UV-Vis spectrophotometry
Correct Answer: GC-MS
Q3. Which solvent is most appropriate for extracting alkaloids after basification?
- Water
- Ether (diethyl ether)
- n-Hexane
- Chloroform
Correct Answer: Chloroform
Q4. What is the main purpose of standardization of herbal extracts?
- Increase extraction yield
- Ensure consistent bioactive marker content and quality
- Reduce drying time
- Improve taste
Correct Answer: Ensure consistent bioactive marker content and quality
Q5. Which drying method is preferred to preserve heat-sensitive phytoconstituents?
- Oven drying at high temperature
- Sun drying
- Lyophilization (freeze-drying)
- Spray drying at high inlet temperature
Correct Answer: Lyophilization (freeze-drying)
Q6. Which chromatographic technique gives a rapid fingerprint for herbal quality control and is widely used in pharmacopeias?
- HPTLC
- Size-exclusion chromatography
- Ion-exchange chromatography
- Affinity chromatography
Correct Answer: HPTLC
Q7. In percolation, what is the principal operational variable affecting extraction efficiency?
- Particle size and percolation rate
- Color of plant material
- pH of the final formulation only
- Ambient humidity only
Correct Answer: Particle size and percolation rate
Q8. Which process is essential to remove residual organic solvents from herbal extracts to meet safety standards?
- Granulation
- Rotary evaporation followed by vacuum drying
- Milling
- Percollation
Correct Answer: Rotary evaporation followed by vacuum drying
Q9. Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) primarily aim to:
- Optimize laboratory chromatography
- Ensure quality of raw herbal materials at source
- Accelerate solvent evaporation
- Standardize tablet coatings
Correct Answer: Ensure quality of raw herbal materials at source
Q10. Which unit operation reduces particle size to increase surface area for extraction?
- Comminution (milling)
- Freeze-drying
- Percolation
- Chromatography
Correct Answer: Comminution (milling)
Q11. What assay is commonly used for quantifying polyphenols in plant extracts?
- Folin–Ciocalteu (total phenolic) assay
- Kjeldahl nitrogen assay
- Bradford protein assay
- Flame photometry
Correct Answer: Folin–Ciocalteu (total phenolic) assay
Q12. Which solvent polarity is most suitable for extracting non-polar lipophilic compounds like essential oils?
- Water (polar)
- Ethanol (intermediate polarity)
- n-Hexane (non-polar)
- Acetonitrile (polar aprotic)
Correct Answer: n-Hexane (non-polar)
Q13. What is a key advantage of spray drying for herbal liquid extracts?
- Longer thermal exposure of actives
- Rapid conversion to stable dry powder with controlled particle size
- Increased microbial load
- Inability to encapsulate actives
Correct Answer: Rapid conversion to stable dry powder with controlled particle size
Q14. Which test detects adulteration by comparing chromatographic fingerprints of samples and reference standards?
- Moisture content test
- HPTLC fingerprinting
- Bulk density measurement
- pH determination
Correct Answer: HPTLC fingerprinting
Q15. Which extraction method involves continuous reflux of solvent through the sample in a thimble?
- Maceration
- Soxhlet extraction
- Pulsed electric field extraction
- Steam distillation
Correct Answer: Soxhlet extraction
Q16. During alkaloid extraction, conversion to water-soluble salt is achieved by:
- Basification to free base
- Acidification to form salt
- Adding non-polar solvent
- Heating to 300°C
Correct Answer: Acidification to form salt
Q17. Which regulatory guideline addresses limits for residual solvents in herbal products?
- ICH Q3C
- ICH Q7
- USP general chapter on tablets
- ICH Q1A (R2)
Correct Answer: ICH Q3C
Q18. What is the primary role of excipients in herbal solid dosage formulations?
- Serve only as active ingredients
- Improve stability, flow, compressibility and bioavailability
- Increase microbial contamination
- Remove phytochemicals
Correct Answer: Improve stability, flow, compressibility and bioavailability
Q19. Which analytical method is most suitable for quantitative determination of marker compounds with high sensitivity?
- TLC without densitometry
- HPLC with UV or MS detection
- Visual color comparison
- Gravimetric analysis only
Correct Answer: HPLC with UV or MS detection
Q20. What is the effect of reducing particle size on dissolution and extraction kinetics?
- Decreases surface area, slowing extraction
- Increases surface area, enhancing extraction and dissolution rates
- Has no effect
- Only affects color
Correct Answer: Increases surface area, enhancing extraction and dissolution rates
Q21. Which method is commonly used to dry heat-sensitive botanical extracts into powders while retaining aroma?
- Direct flame drying
- Spray drying with carrier agents
- Oven drying at 150°C
- Ambient air drying for months
Correct Answer: Spray drying with carrier agents
Q22. During microbial fermentation for drug production, what is critical to monitor for reproducibility?
- Ambient noise level
- Culture conditions: pH, temperature, DO and medium composition
- Color of the flask cap
- Time of day only
Correct Answer: Culture conditions: pH, temperature, DO and medium composition
Q23. Which quality parameter assesses the presence of pesticides in plant material?
- Moisture content
- Pesticide residue analysis by GC-MS or LC-MS/MS
- Melting point
- Bulk density
Correct Answer: Pesticide residue analysis by GC-MS or LC-MS/MS
Q24. What is the main disadvantage of maceration compared to Soxhlet extraction?
- Requires lower solvent volume
- Slower extraction and less efficient for some constituents
- Uses high temperatures always
- Always produces cleaner extracts
Correct Answer: Slower extraction and less efficient for some constituents
Q25. In downstream processing of plant-derived drugs, what does ‘fractionation’ imply?
- Mixing all extracts together
- Separating crude extract into groups of compounds based on polarity or solubility
- Drying without separation
- Only removing water
Correct Answer: Separating crude extract into groups of compounds based on polarity or solubility
Q26. Which preservative consideration is unique to liquid herbal extracts compared to synthetic drugs?
- Herbal extracts often contain natural antimicrobial compounds that may reduce added preservative needs
- Synthetic drugs never require preservatives
- Preservatives are not allowed in herbal products
- Preservatives increase microbial growth in herbal extracts
Correct Answer: Herbal extracts often contain natural antimicrobial compounds that may reduce added preservative needs
Q27. What is the role of residual solvent testing in herbal product quality control?
- Ensures no heavy metals are present
- Verifies levels of organic solvents are within safe regulatory limits
- Measures moisture only
- Determines ash value
Correct Answer: Verifies levels of organic solvents are within safe regulatory limits
Q28. Which technique is most appropriate for separation and purification of individual phytochemicals at preparative scale?
- Prep-HPLC
- Paper chromatography
- Simple filtration
- UV-Vis scanning
Correct Answer: Prep-HPLC
Q29. What does shelf-life stability testing of herbal formulations primarily evaluate?
- Only color change under artificial light
- Physical, chemical, microbiological stability and potency over time under defined conditions
- Only dissolution at room temperature
- Only taste changes
Correct Answer: Physical, chemical, microbiological stability and potency over time under defined conditions
Q30. In phytopharmaceutical development, which step directly follows extraction of crude drug material?
- Immediate market release
- Concentration, solvent removal and fractionation/purification
- Tablet coating
- Packaging without testing
Correct Answer: Concentration, solvent removal and fractionation/purification
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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