Chronopharmacognosy

Abstract

This study aims to review the concept of biological rhythms in medicinal plants. Dictionariesgenerally define pharmacognosy as the subject of the study of crude drugs of plant and animal origin. The name is derived from the Greek words pharmakon (drug) and gnosis (knowledge). Today pharmacognosy is also defined as the study of physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances, or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin, as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources. Also, another important phenomenon to be taken care of in the production of therapeutic compounds in medicinal plants is the use of circardian clock. The circardian clock is studied by chronobiology, which can be defined as a field of science that examines periodic (cyclic) phenomena in living organisms and their adaptation to solar and lunar related rhythms. Thus, it is the scientific study of the effect of time on living systems and of biological rhythms. Also rhythmic oscillations in plants lead to the enormous production of particular compounds in plants at particular time, which may or may not produce any therapeutic effect in humans. Thus, the study of chronobiology and pharmacognosy can be put together as chronopharmacognosy.

Keywords: Chronobiology; circadian rhythm; melatonin; pharmacognosy.

Figure 1

Plant clock controls a plethora of biological processes[18]

Figure 2

Components of a circadian system[25]

Figure 3

Intensity and duration of light[27]

Figure 4

Light Intensity for various situations[2527]

Figure 5

Scheme of flower induction of a long-day plant[12]

Figure 6

Regulation of circadian-clock function in Arabidopsis[31]

Figure 7

The phyto- melatonin role and mechanism of action[5152]