Timeline and bibliography of early isolations of plant metabolites (1770-1820) and their impact to pharmacy: A critical study

- 7 plant acids became official drugs by the end of 18th century, long before alkaloids.
- Morphine was effectively published in 1806 that is after narcotine (1803).
- Oxalic and tartaric acids were described in toxicology in 1814.
- Practical uses of some plant metabolites in therapy preceded their pharmaceutical and toxicological records.
- Unique source of revised bibliographical entries for discoveries of 24 substances is provided.

Plant metabolites became objects of chemical research for pharmaceutical and medicinal reasons. The period of pure plant substances in chemistry started 1770 with isolation of tartaric acid from wine (wine in pharmacy is a plant-derived preparation). Carl Scheele isolated 7 plant acids: tartaric, benzoic, citric, oxalic, malic, glucuronic and gallic. The era of alkaloids started 1803 when narcotine was discovered and published. Since that time, pharmacists and toxicologists began to recognize alkaloids (or substances regarded as such) as highly active principles responsible for their powerful, thus easily-observed actions to humans and test animals. By 1820 when solanine was isolated, pharmaceutical chemistry has dealt with increasing number of natural plant-derived substances as organic medicines or reagents.The following historical facts have been unknown: Scheele's tartaric acid was introduced officially as a medicinal substance as early as in 1775, benzoic, citric and oxalic acids became official by the end of the 18th century. Morphine was effectively published in 1806 (not 1804), hence the first alkaloid known in isolated state is narcotine (published 1803, official since 1827). Morphine became official in French pharmacy in 1818. And, 1814 is the year when 2 first toxicological accounts on plant-derived acids (oxalic and tartaric) appeared. Practical use in therapy, sometimes soon after discovery, inspired practical pharmacy and stimulated the progress of toxicology.We studied the earliest 50 years of plant metabolites isolations era. A revised bibliography and a timeline chart for 24 plant substances from this period is provided. Plants from original publications are taxonomically identified.

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