Role of pharmacognosy in allopathy MCQs With Answer is a vital topic for B. Pharm students exploring how natural products inform modern medicine. Pharmacognosy studies biological sources, phytochemistry, extraction, standardization, quality control and safety of plant- and animal-derived drugs used in allopathy. It links traditional knowledge with analytical techniques (TLC, HPLC, chromatography, spectrometry), regulatory standards, and clinical relevance, including herb–drug interactions, marker-based standardization, and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP). Understanding pharmacognosy helps pharmacists evaluate authenticity, purity, efficacy and safety of phytopharmaceuticals and guides drug discovery from natural leads. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which primary objective of pharmacognosy most directly supports allopathic drug development?
- Studying dosing traditions in folklore
- Isolation and characterization of bioactive natural compounds
- Teaching herbal preparation rituals
- Marketing herbal supplements
Correct Answer: Isolation and characterization of bioactive natural compounds
Q2. Which plant-derived drug is a cardiac glycoside historically used in allopathy for heart failure?
- Paclitaxel
- Digoxin
- Morphine
- Atropine
Correct Answer: Digoxin
Q3. Which pharmacognostic parameter assesses inorganic residue remaining after burning plant material?
- Loss on drying
- Foreign matter
- Ash value
- Moisture content
Correct Answer: Ash value
Q4. Which analytical technique is commonly used for chemical fingerprinting of herbal extracts?
- TLC/HPTLC
- Gram staining
- Light microscopy only
- ELISA for all compounds
Correct Answer: TLC/HPTLC
Q5. What is the major advantage of marker-based standardization in herbal medicines?
- Identifies a single compound responsible for all effects
- Provides reproducible chemical benchmarks for quality control
- Eliminates need for biological assays
- Is cheaper than any other test
Correct Answer: Provides reproducible chemical benchmarks for quality control
Q6. Which natural product is the source of the anticancer drug paclitaxel?
- Taxus species (yew)
- Rauwolfia serpentina
- Cinchona officinalis
- Digitalis purpurea
Correct Answer: Taxus species (yew)
Q7. Which test helps detect adulteration and foreign matter in crude herbal drugs?
- Organoleptic evaluation
- Pharmacokinetic study
- Clinical trial
- Placebo control
Correct Answer: Organoleptic evaluation
Q8. DNA barcoding in pharmacognosy is primarily used for:
- Quantifying active marker content
- Authenticating plant species and detecting adulteration
- Measuring ash values
- Determining clinical efficacy
Correct Answer: Authenticating plant species and detecting adulteration
Q9. Which monograph source is frequently consulted for standardized information on herbal drugs used in allopathy?
- WHO monographs on medicinal plants
- Consumer product reviews
- Social media posts
- Local folklore notes only
Correct Answer: WHO monographs on medicinal plants
Q10. Which pharmacognostic study examines microscopic features like stomata, trichomes, and starch grains?
- Macroscopy
- Phytochemical screening only
- Microscopy
- In vivo pharmacology
Correct Answer: Microscopy
Q11. Which herb–drug interaction is a known concern in allopathy affecting cytochrome P450 activity?
- St. John’s Wort reducing efficacy of some drugs
- Chamomile increasing blood glucose
- Mint causing antibiotic resistance
- Ashwagandha neutralizing statins
Correct Answer: St. John’s Wort reducing efficacy of some drugs
Q12. What does GACP stand for and why is it important in pharmacognosy?
- General Allowed Chemical Procedures — for extraction
- Good Agricultural and Collection Practices — ensures raw material quality and sustainability
- Generic Applied Clinical Pharmacology — for trials
- Global Association of Clinical Pharmacists — professional body
Correct Answer: Good Agricultural and Collection Practices — ensures raw material quality and sustainability
Q13. Which of the following is a major alkaloid obtained from Cinchona used historically in allopathy?
- Atropine
- Quinine
- Paclitaxel
- Digoxin
Correct Answer: Quinine
Q14. Which parameter measures the amount of volatile and non-volatile minerals lost on drying?
- Moisture content
- Loss on drying
- pH value
- Chromatographic purity
Correct Answer: Loss on drying
Q15. Why are bioassays important in pharmacognosy for allopathic application?
- They replace chemical tests completely
- They link chemical constituents to biological activity and potency
- They are only used for toxicity testing
- They are unnecessary when markers are identified
Correct Answer: They link chemical constituents to biological activity and potency
Q16. Which drug used in pain management is directly derived from opium poppy and relevant to pharmacognosy?
- Atropine
- Morphine
- Artemisinin
- Vincristine
Correct Answer: Morphine
Q17. Which technique provides quantitative separation and is widely used for potency determination of herbal actives?
- Thin layer chromatography qualitative only
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
- Organoleptic testing
- Manual titration without detection
Correct Answer: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
Q18. Which concept emphasizes using the whole extract’s fingerprint instead of a single marker for quality control?
- Marker-only standardization
- Fingerprinting or chromatographic profile approach
- Placebo-controlled profiling
- Single-batch testing
Correct Answer: Fingerprinting or chromatographic profile approach
Q19. Which pharmacognostic evidence is most useful to detect species substitution in powdered herbal drugs?
- Macroscopic color observation alone
- Microscopic diagnostic characters and DNA barcoding
- Patient testimonials
- Boiling test smell
Correct Answer: Microscopic diagnostic characters and DNA barcoding
Q20. Which plant-derived drug is an antimalarial crucial to allopathic therapy?
- Atropine
- Artemisinin
- Vinblastine
- Ibuprofen
Correct Answer: Artemisinin
Q21. Which regulatory document type often provides specifications for herbal raw materials and extracts?
- Pharmacopoeial monographs
- Social media guidelines
- Advertising leaflets
- Internal sales reports
Correct Answer: Pharmacopoeial monographs
Q22. Which parameter assesses presence of non-plant material such as stones, soil, or other contaminants?
- Foreign matter test
- pH test
- Optical rotation
- Viscosity measurement
Correct Answer: Foreign matter test
Q23. Which is a common challenge when integrating herbal products into allopathic practice?
- Herbs always have consistent composition
- Variability in phytochemical content and lack of standardized dosing
- Universal regulatory approval without data
- No potential for herb–drug interactions
Correct Answer: Variability in phytochemical content and lack of standardized dosing
Q24. Which natural-source anticancer alkaloids are obtained from Catharanthus roseus and used in allopathy?
- Vincristine and vinblastine
- Quinine and quinidine
- Digoxin and digitoxin
- Atropine and scopolamine
Correct Answer: Vincristine and vinblastine
Q25. Which stability test is particularly important for herbal preparations to ensure shelf-life?
- Clinical efficacy trial
- Accelerated stability testing under ICH-like conditions
- Only organoleptic check
- Patient adherence study
Correct Answer: Accelerated stability testing under ICH-like conditions
Q26. Which concept describes standard procedures for harvesting, drying and storing medicinal plants?
- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) only
- Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP)
- Random collection practices
- In vitro culture exclusively
Correct Answer: Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP)
Q27. Which phytochemical class includes atropine and is important in allopathy as an anticholinergic?
- Terpenoids
- Alkaloids
- Flavonoids
- Carbohydrates
Correct Answer: Alkaloids
Q28. Which approach in pharmacognosy helps discover new lead molecules for synthetic modification?
- Ethnopharmacology-guided bioprospecting
- Randomized controlled marketing
- Only in silico prediction without extracts
- Exclusive reliance on synthetic libraries
Correct Answer: Ethnopharmacology-guided bioprospecting
Q29. Which quality-control test estimates total volatile oil content in aromatic medicinal plants?
- Distillation (e.g., hydro or steam distillation) and volumetric measurement
- Ash value test
- Loss on drying by oven only
- Microscopic starch test
Correct Answer: Distillation (e.g., hydro or steam distillation) and volumetric measurement
Q30. Which modern tool integrates metabolite profiling for comprehensive quality assessment of herbal extracts?
- Classical organoleptic testing only
- Metabolomics combined with LC-MS/GC-MS and chemometrics
- Simple pH paper
- Paper chromatography without detection
Correct Answer: Metabolomics combined with LC-MS/GC-MS and chemometrics
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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