Herbal Medicine and Herbs in Nutrition

Data

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

Topic

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the physiological effects (both beneficial and harmful) of plants and plant drugs commonly used in nutrition and in phytotherapy. The mode of action, indications, application and typical formulations of plant drugs used in the treatment of the most important disease types will be demonstrated through case studies. Particular attention will be paid to the interactions between active compounds of plants and other drugs. The course aims at providing authentic information among the today so widespread beliefs and misbeliefs, relying on evidence based medicine.

Lectures

• 1.

  Ethnopharmacobotany: past and present

  - Papp Nóra
• 2.

  Ethnopharmacobotany: past and present

  - Papp Nóra
• 3. Major biological effects of herbs used in the human diet; characteristics of an optimal nutritional regime in regard of herbal constituents of diets - Farkas Ágnes
• 4. Plant based dietary supplements using the conception of evidence based medicine; evidences, myths and disbeliefs - Farkas Ágnes
• 5.

  Herbs used in dermatological diseases

  - Papp Nóra
• 6.

  Medicinal plants in obesity

  - Papp Nóra
• 7.

  Analgesic herbs and drugs in the treatment of locomotor diseases

  - Csikós Eszter
• 8.

  Mainstream and complementary therapy of malignant diseases

  using herbal products

  - Csikós Eszter
• 9. Medicinal plants in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases - Csikós Eszter
• 10. Medicinal plants in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases - Csikós Eszter
• 11. Phytotherapy of cardiovascular diseases - Farkas Ágnes
• 12.

  Antihyperlipidemic activity of medicinal plants

  - Bencsik Tímea
• 13.

  Anxiolytic and sedative medicinal plants

  - Rák Tibor
• 14.

  Anxiolytic and sedative medicinal plants

  - Rák Tibor
• 15.

  Antidiabetic activity of medicinal plants

  - Bencsik Tímea
• 16.

  Medicinal plants used in the treatment of urogenital diseases

  - Papp Nóra
• 17.

  Clinical phytotherapy

  - Rák Tibor
• 18.

  Clinical phytotherapy

  - Rák Tibor
• 19. Herbal products for alleviating complaints connected to the menstrual cycle and menopause - Farkas Ágnes
• 20. Phytotherapeutic options for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia - Farkas Ágnes
• 21.

  Phytotherapy for prevention and treatment of common cold

  - Bencsik Tímea
• 22.

  Hepatoprotective and antiviral herbs

  - Bencsik Tímea
• 23. Medicinal plant and drug interactions; side effects - Horváth Györgyi
• 24. Medicinal plant and drug interactions; side effects - Horváth Györgyi

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

All lectures are available in MS Teams.

Notes

Recommended literature

Aronson J.K. (ed.): Meylers Side Effects of Herbal Medicines, Elsevier, Amsterdam-Oxford-Tokyo, 2009

Barnes J., Anderson L.A., Phillipson J.D.: Herbal Medicines, 2nd edition, Pharmaceutical Press, London-Chicago, 2002

ESCOP Monographs, The Scientific Foundation for Herbal Medicinal Products, 2nd edition, Thieme, Exeter; Stuttgart; New York, 2003

European Medicines Agency guidelines; www.ema.europa.eu

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

An absence rate of less than 25% is acceptable, no medical or other certificate is necessary.
On a few occassions students have to answer test questions related to the lecture material.

Mid-term exams

Oral exam at the end of the semester.

Making up for missed classes

Students can use the uploaded study materials or can ask a personal consultation with the tutor.

Exam topics/questions

1. Ethnobotanical methods (field work, data evaluation); evaluation of relevant sources and literature

2. Role of food plants in the optimal diet

3. Critical evaluation of dietary supplements of plant origin

4. Sedative, antidepressant and analgesic herbs

5. Herbs for alleviating complaints of the genital tracts and the hormonal system

6. Herbs for bone and joint diseases

7. Herbs for respiratory disorders

8. Herbs to control the cholesterol level

9. Herbs for gastrointestinal disorders

10. Hepatoprotective and antiviral herbs

11. Antidiabetic herbs

12. Herbs for urogenital disorders

13. Herbs for dermatological diseses

14. Herbs for cardiovascular disorders

15. Herbs used in obesity

16. Mainstream and complementary therapy of malignant diseases using herbs

17. Interactions of phytotherapy and nutrition
18. Clinical phytotherapy

Examiners

• Bencsik Tímea
• Csikós Eszter
• Farkas Ágnes
• Horváth Györgyi
• Rák Tibor

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars