Pharmacobotany - Theory

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2024-2025

Topic

Pharmacobotany covers all pharmaceutical aspects of botany, including cytology, histology, morphology and chemotaxonomy of plants.

Based on their anatomical and morphological knowledge, students will be able to identify and characterize medicinal plant species.

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

• 1. Structure of the plant cell. Plastids and inclusions. - Farkas Ágnes
• 2. Structure of the cell wall. - Farkas Ágnes
• 3. Plant tissues I. Meristematic tissues. - Farkas Ágnes
• 4. Plant tissues II. Epidermal tissue; stomata, trichomes, secondary epidermis. - Farkas Ágnes
• 5.

  Plant tissues III. Vascular tissues; vascular bundle types.

  - Papp Nóra
• 6.

  Plant tissues IV. Ground tissues: parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, secretory tissues.

  - Papp Nóra
• 7. 1st written exam - Farkas Ágnes
• 8. Root morphology. Modified roots. Root anatomy. - Purger Dragica
• 9. Shoot morphology and anatomy. Shoot types. - Purger Dragica
• 10. Leaf morphology and anatomy. Leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis). Leaf venation. - Purger Dragica
• 11. Flower morphology. Inflorescence types. - Purger Dragica
• 12. Fertilisation, embryogenesis, ovule and seed. Fruit types. - Purger Dragica
• 13. 2nd written exam - Purger Dragica
• 14.

  Taxonomic categories, chemotaxonomic relations, rules of nomenclature.

  - Papp Nóra
• 15. Algae (Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta); Eumycota / Fungi (incl. Lichenes); Hepatophyta, Bryophyta; Pteridophytes: Lycopodiophyta, Monilophyta - Farkas Ágnes
• 16. Gymnosperms: Cycadophyta, Ginkgophyta, Gnetophyta, Pinophyta; Angiosperms: Monocots_1: Acoraceae, Araceae, Dioscoreaceae, Colchicaceae, Liliaceae, Melanthiaceae - Farkas Ágnes
• 17. Monocots_2: Agapanthaceae, Agavaceae, Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae, Convallariaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidaceae, Ruscaceae, Bromeliaceae, Poaceae, Zingiberaceae - Farkas Ágnes
• 18.

  Magnolidae and ancient herbaceous plants: Nymphaeaceae, Illiciaceae, Annonaceae, Magnoliaceae, Myristicaceae, Lauraceae, Monimiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Piperaceae

  - Papp Nóra
• 19.

  Dicots: Berberidaceae, Fumariaceae, Menispermaceae, Papaveraceae, Ranunculaceae, Nelumbonaceae, Buxaceae, Dilleniaceae Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Droseraceae, Phytolaccaceae, Polygonaceae, Portulacaceae, Simmondsiaceae, Santalaceae

  - Papp Nóra
• 20.

  Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Paeoniaceae, Saxifragaceae, Vitaceae, Geraniaceae, Lythraceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae, Krameriaceae, Zygophyllaceae

  - Papp Nóra
• 21. Celastraceae, Erythroxylaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Passifloraceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae, Fabaceae (incl. Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae), Polygalaceae - Purger Dragica
• 22. Cannabaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae - Purger Dragica
• 23. Brassicaceae, Capparaceae, Caricaceae, Cistaceae, Malvaceae, Anacardiaceae, Burseraceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae - Purger Dragica
• 24. Cornaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Theaceae, Apocynaceae, Gentianaceae, Loganiaceae, Rubiaceae, Boraginaceae - Purger Dragica
• 25. Lamiaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, Plantaginaceae, Verbenaceae - Purger Dragica
• 26. Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Apiaceae, Araliaceae - Purger Dragica
• 27. Adoxaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Valerianaceae - Purger Dragica
• 28. Asteraceae, Campanulaceae, Menyanthaceae - Purger Dragica

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Farkas Á.: Pharmacobotany 1, University of Pécs, Institute of Pharmacognosy, Pécs, 2010

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

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

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

WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants, Vol. 1. (1999), Vol. 2. (2002)

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Students have to participate in at least 75% of classes. They have to answer 5 test questions related to the lecture material at the end of each class.
2 written midterm tests.

Mid-term exams

At the end of each class, students have to answer 5 questions related to the topic of the current lecture. Students' attendance of the lecture is acknowledged in case the ratio of their correct answers reaches 80%.

Students have to pass (min. 60%) two written exams based on lecture materials.

For each test, maximum two other chances (B and C chance) will be offered for students who do not pass the exam on the first occassion (A chance).

Making up for missed classes

Lecture materials can be downloaded from MS Teams.

Exam topics/questions

The criterion of admission to the exam is the successful completion of the practice carried out in paralell (midsemester grade with a result different from failed).

Final exam:

Entrance exam:

Preceding the oral exam, 5 medicinal plants (4 herbarium specimens, 1 plant from the medicinal plant garden) should be identified and their brief morphological characterization should be given. Students who get grade 5 for each plant identification test in the practice, will be exempt from the entrance exam.

Oral exam:

Following the successful entrance exam, students are required to present their knowledge on 2 topics (A and B) from the list below.

Topics "A" cover knowledge related to the plant cell, plant tissues and organs.

Topic "B" includes the general, morphological and chemotaxonomic characterization of plant taxa (e.g. families), which should be followed by the brief description of the species that belong to the given taxon.

Exam questions:

Topic "A":

1. Structure of the plant cell.

2. Plastids and inclusions.

3. Structure of the cell wall.

4. Meristematic tissues.

5. Epidermal tissue; stomata.

6. Trichomes, secondary epidermis.

7. Vascular tissues

8. Vascular bundle types.

9. Ground tissues: parenchyma, collenchyma.

10. Ground tissues: sclerenchyma, secretory tissues.

11. Root morphology and anatomy

12. Modifi ed roots.

13. Shoot morphology and anatomy.

14. Shoot types.

15. Leaf morphology and anatomy.

16. Leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis). Leaf venation.

17. Flower morphology.

18. Infl orescence types.

19. Fertilisation, embryogenesis, ovule and seed.

20. Fruit types: dehiscent fruits.

21. Fruit types: indehiscent fruits.

22. Fruit types: compound and aggregate fruits.

Topic "B":

1. Algae (Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta)

2. Eumycota / Fungi (incl. Lichenes);

3. Hepatophyta, Bryophyta; Lycopodiophyta, Monilophyta

4. Cycadophyta, Ginkgophyta, Gnetophyta, Pinophyta

5. Acoraceae, Araceae, Dioscoreaceae, Colchicaceae, Liliaceae, Melanthiaceae

6. Agapanthaceae, Agavaceae, Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae

7. Asphodelaceae, Convallariaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Iridaceae

8. Orchidaceae, Ruscaceae Bromeliaceae, Poaceae, Zingiberaceae

9. Nymphaeaceae, Illiciaceae, Annonaceae, Magnoliaceae, Myristicaceae

10. Lauraceae, Monimiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Piperaceae

11. Berberidaceae, Fumariaceae, Menispermaceae, Papaveraceae

12. Ranunculaceae, Nelumbonaceae, Buxaceae, Dilleniaceae

13. Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae

14. Droseraceae, Phytolaccaceae, Polygonaceae, Portulacaceae

15. Simmondsiaceae, Santalaceae, Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae

16. Hamamelidaceae, Paeoniaceae, Saxifragaceae, Vitaceae

17. Geraniaceae, Lythraceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae, Krameriaceae, Zygophyllaceae

18. Celastraceae, Erythroxylaceae, Euphorbiaceae

19. Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Passifloraceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae

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

21. Cannabaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae

22. Rosaceae

23. Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae

24. Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Myricaceae

25. Brassicaceae, Capparaceae, Caricaceae, Cistaceae

26. Malvaceae, Anacardiaceae

27. Burseraceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae

28. Cornaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Ericaceae, Primulaceae

29. Theaceae, Apocynaceae, Gentianaceae, Loganiaceae

30. Rubiaceae, Boraginaceae

31. Lamiaceae

32. Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, Plantaginaceae, Verbenaceae

33. Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, Aquifoliaceae

34. Apiaceae

35. Araliaceae, Adoxaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Valerianaceae

36. Asteraceae, Campanulaceae, Menyanthaceae

Examiners

• Farkas Ágnes
• Filep Rita
• Papp Nóra
• Purger Dragica

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars