Pharmacognosy is a discipline related to medicinal plants and other natural materials. It seeks to embrace a complete understanding of commerce, botany, horticulture, chemistry, enzymology, genetics, quality control and pharmacology of medicinal plants and other materials form natural sources. With the advent of WTO regime from 2005, the Indian systems of traditional medicines with greater emphasis on natural products are emerging as key areas. Herbal drug development using leads from the traditional knowledge and scientific validation using modern technologies will help us compete globally because the country possesses a tremendous medicinal plant wealth.

The department of Pharmacognosy is engaged in the academic and research persuits for the undergraduate and post-graduate students in Pharmacy by way of imparting knowledge in the various fields of natural products. The department has an undergraduate and a post-graduate research laboratory, a crude drug museum and herbarium specimens of several plant materials.

Research Areas:

Over the years the department has actively pursued research in the various areas of natural products like activity guided screening of Plant materials, development and standardization of herbal products and development of natural excipients like colourants and binders.

The department has been engaged in the extramural research, collaborations with institutes like Poddar Ayurvedic College, Mittal Ayurvedic College, Foundation of Medical Research (FMR), G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital and BARC Mumbai.

Till date more than Seventy Four (74) students have obtained their M.Pharm. and six (6) students have been awarded with Ph.D. (Tech.) degrees.

Presently Ten (10) Post-Graduate students are pursuing their M.Pharm. in the research areas like development of herbal products and their standardization natural colors and nutraceuticals.

Faculty members:

Dr. (Mrs.) P.M.D’Mello - Prof. & Head of Department of Pharmacognosy
Dr. (Mrs.) Swati S. Patil - Lecturer
Mr. Ashok Patil - Laboratory Assistant
Mr. K.P.Tiwari - Laboratory Attendant