Pharmacognosy 1

Data

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

Topic

Pharmacognosy covers general aspects of medicinal plants (such as industrial applications, research, cultivation and cultivars, gene technology, critical evaluation of holistic medicine and homeopathy, possibilities of phytotherapy) and discusses the chemical composition and other qualitative characteristics, as well as the most important areas of usage and pharmacology of herbal drugs and drug fractions such as oils and essential oils. Based on their previous pharmacobotanic knowledge students become acquainted with medicinal plants and drugs that are used in pharmacotherapy (especially in phytotherapy) both in Hungary and abroad. Students are required to recognize the most important tea drugs and drugs with strong physiological effect that are traded and/or imported in Hungary. In the frame of practices students obtain experience in drug analysis and identification methods and the ability to solve daily arising problems, with special emphasis on processing information from literature, databases and the internet.

Course objective and role in the curriculum: students should become familiar with plant materials and drugs, as well as their effective substances in general, preparing for the detailed knowledge and analysis of drugs in the spring semester

Lectures

• 1. Introduction of the requirements of the course. Scope and subject of Pharmacognosy. Natural substances in pharmaceutical research. - Horváth Györgyi
• 2. (Traditional) herbal medicines and dietary supplements. - Horváth Györgyi
• 3. Wild, protected and cultivated medicinal plants. - Horváth Györgyi
• 4. Tea drugs, primary processing of medicinal plants, plant extracts. Qualification and phytochemical evaluation of medicinal plants. - Horváth Györgyi
• 5. Synthesis, role and usage of carbohydrates. - Horváth Györgyi
• 6. Drugs containing carbohydrates. - Horváth Györgyi
• 7. Biosynthesis and classification of terpenoids. - Horváth Györgyi
• 8. Drugs containing monoterpenes. - Horváth Györgyi
• 9. Triterpenes. - Horváth Györgyi
• 10. Drugs containing triterpenes, saponins and sterols. - Horváth Györgyi
• 11. Phytotherapy. - Horváth Györgyi
• 12. Aromatherapy. - Horváth Györgyi
• 13. Iridoids. - Horváth Györgyi
• 14. Drugs containing iridoids. - Horváth Györgyi
• 15. Othe therapeutic areas using herbal ingredients - Horváth Györgyi
• 16. Drugs of fungus and animal origin. - Horváth Györgyi
• 17. Midterm written exam. - Horváth Györgyi
• 18. Plant biotechnology. - Horváth Györgyi
• 19. Synthesis, role and usage of lipids. Oils and waxes. - Horváth Györgyi
• 20. Drugs containing vegetable oils and waxes. - Horváth Györgyi
• 21. Cianogen-glycosides. - Horváth Györgyi
• 22. Glucosinolates. - Horváth Györgyi
• 23. Essential oils I. - Horváth Györgyi
• 24. Essential oils II. - Horváth Györgyi
• 25. Sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, phloroglucinols. - Horváth Györgyi
• 26. Sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, phloroglucinols. - Horváth Györgyi
• 27. Amino acid derivatives. - Horváth Györgyi
• 28. Cardenolides, Bufadienolids. - Horváth Györgyi

Practices

• 1. Introduction. Methods of analysis for medicinal plants in the European Pharmacopoeia. Investigation of Matricariae flos on the basis of the Ph.Eur. Drugs with carbohydrate content I. Microscopic distinction of starch grains.
• ...

  2. Introduction. Methods of analysis for medicinal plants in the European Pharmacopoeia. Investigation of Matricariae flos on the basis of the Ph.Eur. Drugs with carbohydrate content I. Microscopic distinction of starch grains.
• 3. Introduction. Methods of analysis for medicinal plants in the European Pharmacopoeia. Investigation of Matricariae flos on the basis of the Ph.Eur. Drugs with carbohydrate content I. Microscopic distinction of starch grains.
• 4. Drugs with carbohydrate content II. Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions.
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  5. Drugs with carbohydrate content II. Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions.
• 6. Drugs with carbohydrate content II. Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions.
• 7. Drugs with essential oil I. – Organoleptic examination of essential oils. Identification of Lamiaceae-type glandular trichomes and essential oil cavities.
• 8. Drugs with essential oil I. Organoleptic examination of essential oils. Identification of Lamiaceae-type glandular trichomes and essential oil cavities.
• 9. Drugs with essential oil I. Organoleptic examination of essential oils. Identification of Lamiaceae-type glandular trichomes and essential oil cavities.
• 10. Drug identification test 1. Drugs with essential oil II. – Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions. Identification of Asteraceae-type glandular trichomes.
• 11. Drug identification test 1. Drugs with essential oil II. Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions. Identification of Asteraceae-type glandular trichomes.
• 12. Drug identification test 1. Drugs with essential oil II. Identification of unknown drugs based on pharmacopoeial descriptions. Identification of Asteraceae-type glandular trichomes.
• 13. Drugs containing triterpene saponins. Distinction of Solidaginis herba and Solidaginis virgaureae herba based on micromorphological features.
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  14. Drugs containing triterpene saponins. Distinction of Solidaginis herba and Solidaginis virgaureae herba based on micromorphological features.
• 15. Drugs containing triterpene saponins. Distinction of Solidaginis herba and Solidaginis virgaureae herba based on micromorphological features.
• 16. Problem-based learning on medicinal plants.
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  17. Problem-based learning on medicinal plants.
• 18. Problem-based learning on medicinal plants.
• 19. Drug identification test 2. Drugs containing bitter substances I. Determination of the bitterness value by organoleptic evaluation.
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  20. Drug identification test 2. Drugs containing bitter substances I. Determination of the bitterness value by organoleptic evaluation.
• 21. Drug identification test 2. Drugs containing bitter substances I. Determination of the bitterness value by organoleptic evaluation.
• 22. General methods of analysis for drugs of plant origin. Accident and fire-protection instruction. Nitrate, nitrite detection in drinking water and nettle tea.
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  23. General methods of analysis for drugs of plant origin. Accident and fire-protection instruction. Nitrate, nitrite detection in drinking water and nettle tea.
• 24. General methods of analysis for drugs of plant origin. Accident and fire-protection instruction. Nitrate, nitrite detection in drinking water and nettle tea.
• 25. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing carbohydrates; honey adulteration test.
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  26. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing carbohydrates; honey adulteration test.
• 27. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing carbohydrates; honey adulteration test.
• 28. Written test. Analysis of fatty oils.
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  29. Written test. Analysis of fatty oils.
• 30. Written test. Analysis of fatty oils.
• 31. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing essential oil. Essential oil extraction for quantitative measurements, detection of essential oil components.
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  32. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing essential oil. Essential oil extraction for quantitative measurements, detection of essential oil components.
• 33. Written test. Analysis of drugs containing essential oil. Essential oil extraction for quantitative measurements, detection of essential oil components.
• 34. Written test. TLC examination of drugs containing bitter substances. Chemical reactions of cardiac glycosides.
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  35. Written test. TLC examination of drugs containing bitter substances. Chemical reactions of cardiac glycosides.
• 36. Written test. TLC examination of drugs containing bitter substances. Chemical reactions of cardiac glycosides.
• 37. Written test. Extraction and detection of alliin.
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  38. Written test. Extraction and detection of alliin.
• 39. Written test. Extraction and detection of alliin.
• 40. Separation and identification of carotenoids.
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  41. Separation and identification of carotenoids.
• 42. Separation and identification of carotenoids.

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

1. Farkas Á., Horváth Gy., Molnár P.: Pharmacognosy 1, digital learning material, 2014 TÁMOP-4.1.2.A/1-11/1-2011-0016

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

Course materials will be sent by Neptun for students.

Notes

Recommended literature

1. Evans W.C.: Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy, Saunders, London-New York, 2000

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

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

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

5. Poole C.F., Poole S.K.: Chromatography Today, Elsevier, Amsterdam-Oxford-New York-Tokyo, 1991

6. WHO Guidelines on Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for Medicinal Plants, 2003

7. Kayser O., Quax W. (eds.): Medicinal Plant Biotechnology, volume 1-2, Wiley, Weinheim, 2007.

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Lectures: max. 25% of absences is allowed. Participation is compulsory on the laboratory practices.

Mid-term exams

Students need to be write 1 writtem exam based on the lectures (acceptance: min. 60%). In the case of failed exam, there is one possibility to rewrite it.

In the case of failed practice result, there is no possibility to try the oral exam.

Students need to take one practice oral presentation during semester.

At oral exam: 2 topics. Final results of oral exam: oral communication + lecture written exam + practice result

If somebody writes the 4 drug reports with min. fullfill 90% (4 x 90%)during the semester, will receive rid of the drug entrance exam in Pharmacognosy 2. oral exam.

Making up for missed classes

There is possibility to make up for the missed practices but with the course supervisor's permission.

Exam topics/questions

Exam questions is the same with the lecture topics.

Examiners

• Farkas Ágnes
• Horváth Györgyi

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Ács Kamilla
• Farkas Ágnes
• Horváth Györgyi