1. Fertilisers applied before planting (strike off which is not

The carbohydrates are one of the three main classes of food materials in addition to proteins and fats and one of the most important groups of natural products. These are the primary products of metabolism and are utilised by the plants when required. These help in the production of the secondary metabolites which are deposited in the cells. Carbohydrates are organic compounds which contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio of 1 : 2 : 1 and these are a less efficient source of energy than fats and oils. These are regarded as hydrates of carbon. The final source of carbohydrates in plants is photosynthesis. Widely distributed in plants and animals, they serve as the main source of energy (represented by the sugars) and also store energy (as starch and glycogen). Some carbohydrates give the required support for the plant tissues (as chitin) while some are associated with the shells of crabs and other animals. Other important uses are: they produce alcohol on fermentation; cellulose materials supply various raw materials and are the components of nucleic acids determining the heredity. Thus, carbohydrates find a universal application in medicine, pharmaceuticals and biochemicals.

These can be broken down into their constituent sugars by hydrolysis. These are usually amorphous, solid without a taste and are insoluble in water or form a colloidal suspension, with a higher molecular weight. The two most abundant polysaccharides in plants are starch and cellulose.

The drugs containing the different categories of carbohydrates are classified as: sugars and sugar containing drugs (sucrose in sugarcane, lactose in cow milk, xylose or wood sugar and honey), drugs with the compounds which are metabolically related to sugars (cherry juice, raspberry juice, citric acid, lactic acid and ethanol), drugs containing the products of reductive metabolism (mannitol and sorbitol), polysaccharides used in coating drugs (starch, inulin, dextran and cellulose) and gums and mucilages (acacia, tragacanth, karaya gum, guar gum and agar).

Gum Acacia, Chaar gund, Char goond, Meska, Acacia gum, Egyptian thorn, Gum Arabic, Indian gum, Gum Senegal, Galam gum, Gomme Arabique, Gomme de Senegal, Gomme Mimosae, Gummi Africanum, Khadir, Kher (English), Kumatia, Turkey gum, Meska harra (Moraccan Arabic), Driehaakdoring (Afrikaans), Gummic arabique, Acacia a gomme arabique (French), Gummiarabikumbaum, Senegal-Akazie, Arabisches gummi (German), Arap zamki (Turkish), Khor (Sindhi), Kumta, Kumat (Hindi and Rajasthani), Somali gum, Sudan gum Arabic, Yellow thorn.