Pharmacobotany - Practice

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2026-2027

Topic

Pharmacobotany covers all pharmaceutical aspects of botany. Students will be introduced to the basics of plant morphology and histology, relevant in case of medicinal plants. Plant systematics discusses the classification and geographical origin of plant species, the possibilities of cultivation and nature conservation. A special emphasis is laid on chemotaxonomic aspects, since the medicinal effect of a plant is often related to its taxonomic classification and chemical characteristics. The thorough knowledge of both general and specific pharmacobotany is a prerequisite of studying pharmacognosy.

Lectures

Practices

• 1.

  Use of the light microscope. Microscopic techniques and preparations (leaf clearing, cross sections, epidermal peels). Microscopic examination of cleared leaves and starch grains.
  Medicinal plant species 1.

• 2.

  Chemical substances (cellulose, lignin) and thickening types of the cell wall. Microscopic examination of calcium oxalate and calcium carbonate crystals.
  Medicinal plant species 2.

• 3.

  The root and shoot tip; meristematic tissues. Microscopic examination of cambium types.
  Medicinal plant species 3.

• 4.

  Examination of the leaf epidermis and its appendages with light microscope (cross sections, epidermal casts, cleared preparations) and stereo microscope.
  Medicinal plant species 4.

• 5.

  Microscopic study of the vascular tissue system and mechanical tissues in stem cross sections.
  Medicinal plant species 5.

• 6.

  Microscopic examination of ground tissues. Plant secretory systems (schizogenous, lysigenous cavities, laticifers, glandular trichomes, glandular scales, nectaries). Study of aerenchyma and nutrient storing gorund tissue.
  Medicinal plant species 6.

• 7.

  Morphological analysis of the root and its modifications. Microscopic examination of the tissue structure of true and modified roots.
  Medicinal plant species 7.

• 8.

  Shoot system types, shoot modifications. Microscopic examination of the tissue structure of above-ground and below-ground shoot types.
  Medicinal plant species 8.

• 9.

  Leaf types, leaf arrangement, parts of the leaf. Shape, margin and venation of leaves, leaf modifications. Study of leaf traits on herbarium specimens. Microscopic analysis of leaf cross sections.
  Medicinal plant species 9.

• 10.

  Morphological analysis of the flower: perianth, androecium, gynoecium. Floral formula, floral diagram. Microscopic study of flower parts.
  Morphological investigation of inflorescences. Identification of inflorescence type on herbarium specimens. Microscopic examination of capitulum.
  Medicinal plant species 10.

• 11.

  Fruit morphology: Dry dehiscent and indehiscent fruits. Fleshy fruits, compound fruits and false fruits.
  Medicinal plant species 11.

• 12.

  Morphology and histology of seeds.
  Medicinal plant species 12.

• 13.

  Fungi: Ganodermataceae, Polyporaceae; Lichens; Pteridophytes: Lycopodiaceae, Equisetaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Polypodiaceae

• 14.

  Gymnosperms: Ginkgoaceae, Ephedraceae, Pinaceae, Taxaceae, Cupressaceae

• 15.

  
  Angiosperms: Monocots: Dioscoreaceae, Colchicaceae, Alliaceae, Asparagaceae

• 16.

  Hyacinthaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Ruscaceae, Poaceae, Zingiberaceae

• 17.

  Illiciaceae, Lauraceae, Aristolochiaceae, Piperaceae

• 18.

  Berberidaceae, Fumariaceae, Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Droseraceae, Polygonaceae, Santalaceae

• 19.

  Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Vitaceae, Geraniaceae, Lythraceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae

• 20.

  Celastraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Passifloraceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae, Fabaceae (incl. Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae)

• 21.

  Cannabaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae

• 22.

  Brassicaceae, Malvaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae

• 23.

  Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Apocynaceae, Gentianaceae, Rubiaceae, Boraginaceae

• 24.

  Lamiaceae, Oleaceae, Plantaginaceae, Verbenaceae

• 25.

  Visit to the Medicinal Plant Garden

• 26.

  Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, Araliaceae, Apiaceae, Adoxaceae, Valerianaceae, Asteraceae

• 27.

  Visit to the Botanical Garden

• 28.

  Aquifoliaceae, Campanulaceae, Menyanthaceae

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

Farkas Á., Papp N., Bencsik T., Horváth Gy.: Digital Herbarium and Drug Atlas, electronic learning material, 2014 TÁMOP-4.1.2.A/1-11/1-2011-0016

Á. Farkas: Pharmacobotany 2. University of Pécs, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Pécs, 2021

N. Papp: Pharmacobotany Practices. University of Pécs, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Pécs, 2011

Notes

Purger D., Filep R., Papp N., Farkas Á. (2021): Medicinal Plants. Teaching Supplement for the Pharmacobotany Subject. University of Pécs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy. Pécs, 2021, ISBN 978-963-429-682-9, pp. 340

Recommended literature

Z. Yaniv, U. Bachrach (eds.): Handbook of Medicinal Plants, Haworth Press Inc., 2005

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Participation is compulsory in lab practicals; up to 2 absences are allowed.
Online, oral and written tests.
Students are requested to compile a laboratory notebook reflecting the classroom activities.

Mid-term exams

Students have to pass various tests (identification and characterization of medicinal plant species, and plant tissues) on multiple occassions.

The tests can be: online (Moodle), oral or written.

Making up for missed classes

Missed practicals can be made up either by joining the other groups or taking extra time at the following lab practical. In all cases, students must make arrangements with their lab instructors in advance.

Exam topics/questions

The mid-semester grade of the practice will be based on the grades of the oral and written tests (plant species and tissue type identification) and the quality of the lab notebook.

Exam topics of Pharmacobotany Theory:
Topic "A"
1.      Structure of the plant cell.

2.      Plastids and inclusions.

3.      Structure of the cell wall.

4.      Meristematic tissues.

5.      General characteristics of the epidermis; stomata.

6.      Trichomes, secondary dermal tissues.

7.      Vascular tissue system.

8.      Vascular bundle types.

9.      Ground tissues: parenchyma in general, true ground tissues.

10.  Ground tissues: supporting tissues.

11.  Ground tissues: secretory tissues.

12.  Root morphology

13.  Modified roots.

14.  Root anatomy (tissues).

15.  Shoot morphology and anatomy.

16.  Shoot modifications.

17.  Leaf morphology.

18.  Leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis). Leaf venation.

19.  Leaf anatomy (tissue structure of the leaf).

20.  Flower morphology.

21.  Inflorescence types.

22.  Fruit types: dry, dehiscent fruits.

23.  Fruit types: dry, indehiscent fruits.

24.  Fruit types: fleshy fruits, compound and aggregate fruits.

25.  Classification of plants, taxonomic categories.

26. Rules of nomenclature (scientific name of plants).

Topic "B":
1.      Algae (Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta)

2.      Eumycota / Fungi (incl. Lichenes);

3.      Lycopodiophyta, Monilophyta

4.      Ginkgophyta, Gnetophyta, Pinophyta

5.      Acoraceae, Dioscoreaceae, Colchicaceae, Melanthiaceae

6.      Agavaceae, Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae

7.      Asphodelaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae

8.      Ruscaceae, Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Poaceae, Zingiberaceae

9.      Illiciaceae, Annonaceae, Magnoliaceae, Myristicaceae

10.  Lauraceae, Monimiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Piperaceae

11.  Berberidaceae, Fumariaceae, Menispermaceae, Papaveraceae

12.  Ranunculaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae

13.  Droseraceae, Polygonaceae, Simmondsiaceae, Santalaceae

14.  Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Saxifragaceae, Vitaceae

15.  Geraniaceae, Lythraceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae, Krameriaceae

16.  Celastraceae, Erythroxylaceae, Euphorbiaceae

17.  Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Passifloraceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae

18.  Fabaceae (incl. Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae), Polygalaceae

19.  Cannabaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae

20.  Rosaceae

21.  Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae

22.  Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae

23.  Brassicaceae, Caricaceae, Cistaceae

24.  Malvaceae, Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae

25.  Cornaceae, Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Theaceae

26.  Apocynaceae, Gentianaceae, Loganiaceae, Rubiaceae, Boraginaceae

27.  Lamiaceae

28.  Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, Plantaginaceae, Verbenaceae

29.  Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, Aquifoliaceae

30.  Apiaceae, Araliaceae

31.  Adoxaceae, Valerianaceae, Campanulaceae, Menyanthaceae

32.  Asteraceae

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Farkas Ágnes
• Filep Rita
• Papp Nóra