Pharmacognosy and Herbal Drug Action
Pharmacognosy the branch of knowledge concerned with medicinal drugs obtained from plants or other natural sources. Drug Action examines how the drug itself works in a living system, which is the definition of pharmacology. The action of the drug can be studied at the molecular level, in a cell, an organ, and in animals. Specialty fields within Drug Action include molecular biology, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, toxicology, and biochemistry.
Pharmacognosy gives a sound knowledge of the vegetable drugs under botany and animal drugs under zoology. It also includes plant taxonomy, plant breeding, plant pathology, and plant genetics and by this knowledge one can improve the cultivation methods for both medicinal and aromatic plants.