Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines or herbal medicines made from natural sources such as plants, microorganisms and animals. This includes analysis of their biological, chemical, biochemical and physical properties. Because herbal medicines occur naturally and are not synthesized, they are considered more acceptable to the human body. Approximately 25% of prescription drugs in the United States are believed to contain active ingredients of natural origin. In developing countries, it is estimated that about 80% of the population depends on traditional medicines made from plants and herbs. Plants and organisms are used in a variety of ways to produce traditional and alternative medicines. A plant's beneficial agents are found everywhere in its physical structure, such as the petals and stems of flowers. Natural products may be inactive in their normal physical form and may require chemical reaction or modification to render them active. Sometimes the active ingredient is extracted directly from the plant, but sometimes it can be synthesized by creating a compound that acts similarly to the plant extract. Humans have been making medicines from plants and other living things for centuries. As such, herbal medicine is widely considered to be the oldest pharmaceutical brand. There is evidence of making medicines in the Sumerian clays of Nagpur dating back 5,000 years, and about a dozen ancient medicinal recipes have been found containing herbal ingredients such as poppy and mandrake, a Mediterranean plant of the Solanaceae family.

Journal of Pharmacovigilance is an Open Access and peer reviewd journal, which aims to publish current topics like pharmacology, drug safety, medication errors ect,.

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