ADULTERATION OF CRUDE DRUGS
DEFINATION
Adulteration is a practice of substituting
original crude drug partially or whole with
other similar looking substances but the latter
is either free from or inferior in chemical and
therapeutic properties.
OR
Adulteration in simple words is the debasement of an
article.
OR
Adulteration is broadly defined as admixture
or substitution of original or genuine article/
drug with inferior, defective
uselessor harmful substances.
or otherwise
ADULTRANT :

The adulterant must be some material
which in both cheap and available in fairly
large amounts.

Substitution is the addition of an entirely
different article in place of that which is
required e.g. Supply of cheap cottonseed oil
in place of olive oil (Sweet oil).
TYPES OF ADULTERATION
1.Deliberate ( Intentional ) adulteration
2. Accidental ( In-deliberate) adulteration
1. DELIBERATE ADULTERATION
( INTENTIONAL )
Deliberate
adulteration
– Are normally
commercial mainly with the intention of
enhancement
of profits
.
2. IN-DELIBERATE ( ACCIDENTAL)
ADULTERATION
In - Deliberate adulteration –
Are normally naturally occurring, accidental,
careless or by ignorance and non harmful.
REASONS FOR ADULTERATION
1.Scarcity of the drug.
2.The high price of the drug in the market,
eg: Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom
3.It is very common with the contraband
drugs e.g. Opium
CONDITIONS OR STAGES OF
ADULTERATION
The term 'adulteration' or debasement of an
article covers a number of conditions, which
may be deliberate or In- deliberate.
Inferiority,
Spoilage,
Deterioration,
Admixture,
Sophistication
Substitution
,
Inferiority
Is a natural substandard condition (e.g. where
a crop is taken whose natural constituent is
below the minimum standard
particular drug)
for that
Spoilage

Is a substandard condition produced by
microbial or other pest infestation, which
makes a product unfit for consumption.
Deterioration

Is the loss in the quality or value of an article
due to destruction valuable constituents by
bad treatment or aging or to the deliberate
extraction of the constituents.
Admixture

Is the addition of one article to another
through accident, ignorance or carelessness
e.g. Inclusion of soil on an underground
organ or the co-collection of two similar
species.
Sophistication

Is the deliberate addition of inferior material with
intent to defraud ( cheat to get money ) ; such
materials are carefully produced and may appear
at first sight to be genuine.

E.g. Powder ginger may be diluted with starch
with addition of little coloring material to give the
correct shade of yellow colour.
Substitution

Is the addition of an entirely different article
in place of that which isrequired.

E.g. Supply of cheap cottonseed oil in place
of olive oil (Sweet oil).
METHODS OF DRUG ADULTERATION
1.Substitution with Inferior/Sub- standard
Commercial Varieties
2. Adulteration by Artificially Manufactured Substitutes
3. Substitution by Exhausted Drugs
4. Adulteration by Addition of Worthless Heavy Materials
( Harmful Adulteration)
5. Addition of Synthetic Principles
6. Usage of Vegetative Matter from the Same Plant
7. Adulteration of Powders
1.Substitution with
Inferior/Sub-standard
Commercial Varieties
Due to morphological resemblance
to the
authentic drugs, different inferior commercial
varieties are used as adulterant which may or
may not have any chemical or therapeutic
potential asthat original natural drug
This is the most common type of adulteration
Eg. Arabian Senna and Dog Senna have been
used to adulterate Indian Senna (Cassia
senna)
Eg. Medicinal Ginger ( Zingiber officinale) is
replaced by Japanese ginger (Zingiber mioga )
2.
Adulteration by Artificially Manufactured
Substitutes
Here the substances artificially prepared to
resemble the original drug ( provide the
general form and appearance
i.e colour,
shape, size) and are used as substitute of the
original one.
Generally , this practice is followed for much
costlier drugs
Eg. Artificial invert sugar for Honey
Eg. Paraffin wax made yellow coloration and
substituted for Bees wax.
Eg. Compressed chicory in place of Coffee
3.
Substitution by Exhausted Drugs
In this type
the
same
plant
drug
is
admixed but it is devoid of any medicinally
active
constituents as they
extracted
out.
components as
extracted out).
(no
are
active
already
medicinal
they have already been
This practice is most common in case of
volatile oil containing materials like clove,
fennel , cardamom, cinnamon etc.,
Eg. Exhausted Clove to Clove
Eg. Exhausted Ginger to Ginger
24
5. Adulteration by Addition of Worthless Heavy
Materials ( Harmful Adulteration)
Here, the wastes from market are collected and
admixed with original drug.
This is particularly noticed for liquids and
unorganized drugs.
Eg. Limestone in Asafoetida
Eg. Pieces of amber colored glass in
Colophony
Eg. Addition of rodent is a waste matter to
cardamom seed adulteration very harmful
Eg. White stones in rice
6.
Addition of Synthetic Principles
Sometimes to
fortify
inferior
natural
products, synthetic principles are added
Eg. Adding Citral to Oil of Lemon
Eg. Benzyl benzoate to Balsam of Peru etc.
7.
Usage of Vegetative Matter from the Same
Plant
Some times, the other plants growing along
with medicinal plant are mixed due to
their resembling colour, odour and in some
cases constituents.
Eg. The lower plants like Moss,Liver warts and
epiphytes growing on plant (bark) portion are
mixed with Cinchona or Cinnamon
Eg : Stems portions are mixed along with leaf
drugs like Lobelia, Senna, Datura etc
8. ADULTERATION OF POWDERS
Besides the entire drugs, the powdered forms
are frequently , found to be adulterated.
Eg. Red Sanders wood in Capsicum
Eg. Exhausted Ginger powder in powdered
Ginger
Eg. The powdered bark is frequently
adulterated with Brick powder
QUESTION BANK
Long Essays: 10 Marks
1.Explain in detail the various methods of adulteration of
crude drugs with examples.
2. Explain the five different methods used for adulteration of
crude drugs and discuss.
4. Define adulteration. Explain the various methods of
adulteration with examples.
5.What do you mean by deliberate and indeliberate
adulteration give examples
Short Essays: 5 Marks
1. Define adulteration and explain the various methods of
adulteration.
2. Define adulteration and give the reasons for adulteration
with examples.
3. What do you mean by deliberate and indeliberate
adulteration with examples?
4. Discuss with examples on adulteration of powder and
liquid drugs.
5. Explain in detail the methods of adulteration of crude
drugs with examples.
6. Name five different methods used for adulteration of crude
drugs and explain with examples.
7.What is adulteration? Explain in-deliberate adulteration of
crude drugs with examples
8. Name five different methods used for adulteration of crude
drugs and explain with examples.
9. What is adulteration? Explain in-deliberate adulteration of
crude drugs with examples
10.What is adulteration? Explain the deliberate adulteration
of crude drugs with examples.
Short Answers: 2 Marks
1.Define Adulteration and Substitution.
2. What do you mean by deliberate and indeliberate
adulteration?
3. Give the various reasons of adulteration
4. Artificial adulteration with examples.
5. Name the different methods of adulteration of crude drugs.
6. Define adulteration and sophistication.
7.What are exhausted drugs? Give examples.
8.What is harmful adulteration? Giveexamples.
9. Give the difference between substitute and official drug
with example.
10.What is substitution? Giveexamples.
11.What is deterioration? Giveexample.
12.Adulteration of crude drugs with artificial adulterants