Harvesting of Crude Drugs

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Chapter: Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry : Cultivation, Collection and Processing of Herbal Drugs

Harvesting is an important operation in cultivation tech-nology, as it reflects upon economic aspects of the crude drugs. An important point which needs attention over here is the type of drug to be harvested and the pharmacopoeial standards which it needs to achieve.


HARVESTING OF CRUDE DRUGS

 

 

Harvesting is an important operation in cultivation tech-nology, as it reflects upon economic aspects of the crude drugs. An important point which needs attention over here is the type of drug to be harvested and the pharmacopoeial standards which it needs to achieve. Harvesting can be done efficiently in every respect by the skilled workers. Selectivity is of advantage in that the drugs other than genuine, but similar in appearance can be rejected at the site of collection. It is, however, a laborious job and may not be economical. In certain cases, it cannot be replaced by any mechanical means, e.g. digitalis, tea, vinca and senna leaves. The underground drugs like roots, rhizomes, tubers, etc. are harvested by mechanical devices, such as diggers or lifters. The tubers or roots are thoroughly washed in water to get rid of earthy-matter. Drugs which constitute all aerial parts are harvested by binders for economic reasons. Many a times, flowers, seeds and small fruits are harvested by a special device known as seed stripper. The technique of beating plant with bamboos is used in case of cloves. The cochineal insects are collected from branches of cacti by brushing. The seaweeds producing agar are harvested by long handled forks. Peppermint and spearmint are har-vested by normal method with mowers, whereas fennel, coriander and caraway plants are uprooted and dried. After drying, either they are thrashed or beaten and the fruits are separated by winnowing. Sometimes, reaping machines are also used for their harvesting.

 

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