Subject guide

Pharmacognosy MCQs for Pharmacy Exams

Crude drugs, natural products, their sources, constituents and evaluation.

Practice Pharmacognosy MCQs

Pharmacognosy is the study of drugs from natural sources: plants, animals and minerals. In Pakistan it is taught across multiple Pharm-D professional years and appears in PPSC and NTS pharmacist tests, usually as questions on biological source, family, active constituents and chemical tests.

It rewards organised revision more than any other subject. Grouping crude drugs by their chemical class — alkaloids, glycosides, volatile oils, tannins — turns a long list into a manageable one. These pharmacognosy MCQs follow that structure.

Topics covered

What Pharmacognosy questions on PharmaPrep cover.

High-yield Pharmacognosy topics

  • Biological source and family of major alkaloid-containing drugs
  • Cardiac glycoside sources and the Keller-Killiani test
  • Anthraquinone laxatives and the Borntrager's test
  • Murexide test for purine alkaloids
  • Methods of crude drug evaluation and common adulterants

Exams that test Pharmacognosy

Sample Pharmacognosy MCQs

Original practice questions with answers and explanations.

  1. 1The murexide test is used to identify:

    • APurine alkaloids such as caffeine
    • BCardiac glycosides
    • CAnthraquinone glycosides
    • DTannins
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. Purine alkaloids such as caffeine

    The murexide test gives a purple colour with ammonia after purine alkaloids such as caffeine and theobromine are evaporated with an oxidising agent. Cardiac glycosides are identified by the Keller-Killiani test and anthraquinones by Borntrager's test.

  2. 2Senna owes its laxative action mainly to:

    • AAnthraquinone glycosides (sennosides)
    • BCardiac glycosides
    • CSaponins
    • DTropane alkaloids
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. Anthraquinone glycosides (sennosides)

    Sennosides are anthraquinone glycosides that are converted by colonic bacteria to active aglycones which stimulate peristalsis. Saponins are surface-active glycosides and tropane alkaloids are anticholinergic.

  3. 3Quinine is obtained from the bark of a plant belonging to the family:

    • ARubiaceae
    • BSolanaceae
    • CPapaveraceae
    • DApocynaceae
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A. Rubiaceae

    Quinine is a quinoline alkaloid from Cinchona bark, family Rubiaceae. Solanaceae yields tropane alkaloids and Papaveraceae yields opium alkaloids.

Practice all Pharmacognosy MCQs

Pharmacognosy FAQs

What is the best way to learn pharmacognosy for MCQs?

Group crude drugs by chemical class and learn each as biological source, family and active constituent, plus the chemical test that identifies the class.

Is pharmacognosy tested in recruitment exams?

Yes. PPSC and NTS pharmacist tests commonly include short questions on sources, families and constituents of important crude drugs.

Do the questions cover chemical identification tests?

Yes. Tests such as Borntrager's, Keller-Killiani and murexide are included alongside questions on sources and uses.

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