Pharmacobotany - Practice

Data

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

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).Plastids and inclusions of the plant cell. Microscopic examination of cleared leaves and starch grains.
  Medicinal plant species 1.

• 2.

  Chemical substances (cellulose, lignin) and thickening types of the cell wall. Investigation of vacuolar content (inulin,alkaloids, tannins, anthocyanins). 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, clearedpreparations) 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, glandulartrichomes, glandular scales, nectaries). Study of aerenchyma and nutrient storing gorund tissue.
  Medicinal plant species 6.

• 7.

  Identification of various plant tissues in microscope slides.
  Medicinal plant species 7.

• 8.

  Morphological analysis of the root and its modifications. Microscopic examination of the tissue structure of true and modified roots.
  Medicinal plant species 8.

• 9.

  Shoot system types, shoot modifications. Microscopic examination of the tissue structure of above ground and belowground shoot types.
  Medicinal plant species 9.

• 10.

  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 10.

• 11.

  Morphological analysis of the flower: perianth, androecium, gynoecium. Floral formula, floral diagram. Microscopic study of flower parts.
  Medicinal plant species 11.

• 12.

  Morphological investigation of inflorescences. Identification of inflorescence type on herbarium specimens. Microscopic examination of capitulum.
  Medicinal plant species 12.

• 13.

  Fruit morphology: Dry dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.
  Medicinal plant species 13.

• 14.

  Fruit morphology: Fleshy fruits, compound fruits and false fruits.
  Medicinal plant species 14.

• 15.

  Fungi: Ganodermataceae, Polyporaceae; Lichens; Pteridophytes: Lycopodiaceae, Equisetaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Polypodiaceae, Gymnosperms: Ginkgoaceae, Ephedraceae, Pinaceae, Taxaceae, Cupressaceae

• 16.

  Angiosperms: Acoraceae, Alliaceae, Asparagaceae, Orchidaceae, Ruscaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Poaceae, Aristolochiaceae

• 17.

  Ranunculaceae, Berberidaceae, Papaveraceae, Fumariaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Phytolaccaceae, Polygonaceae, Loranthaceae

• 18.

  Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Vitaceae, Geraniaceae, Lythraceae, Onagraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Hypericaceae, Linaceae, Passifloraceae, Salicaceae, Violaceae

• 19.

  Fabaceae, Cannabaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae

• 20.

  Rosaceae, Urticaceae, Cucurbitaceae

• 21.

  Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Brassicaceae, Malvaceae, Anacardiaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae, Ericaceae

• 22.

  Primulaceae, Apocynaceae, Gentianacaeae, Rubiaceae, Boraginaceae, Lamiaceae

• 23.

  Oleaceae, Plantaginaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Verbenaceae, Solanaceae

• 24. Asteraceae
• 25. Visit to the Botanical Garden
• 26. Visit to the Botanical Garden
• 27. Visit to the Medicinal Plant Garden
• 28. Visit to the Medicinal Plant Garden

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

Species descriptions of the medicinal plants studied in the practices will be availabe in Moodle.

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.

Mid-term exams

Students have to pass various tests 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

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. Inflorescence types.

19. Fertilisation, embryogenesis, ovule and seed.

20. Fruit types: dehiscent fruits.

21. Fruit types: indehiscent fruits.

22. Fruit types: compound and aggregate fruits.
23. Scientific nomenclature, taxonomic categories.
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

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Farkas Ágnes
• KURZUSHOZ RENDELT OKTATÓ
• Papp Nóra
• Purger Dragica