The Applied Pharmaceutical Botany module aims to achieve the educational objectives of the course of study in "Nutrition Sciences" by using the necessary tools to understand the plant kingdom as a renewable source of biologically active molecules. The course provides the plants food  basic knowledge (identification, botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics, chemical and organoleptic composition, nutritional properties).
A brief introduction to Pharmaceutical Botany will help the student to better understand:
-the importance of general metabolism characterised by a series of molecules that are identical in different species; -
-the interactions between plants and the environment that determine the production of specialised metabolites by land plants in response to evolutionary pressures and environmental stimuli.
The monographic treatment of the most functionally and culturally relevant species (food-providing plants and plants from which food additives are derived) will also be covered.

Generalities and presentation of the course

Definition and history of Botany and Applied Pharmaceutical Botany

Wild plants; domestication of plants

Plant food quality and food safety

Medicinal plants: their legislation and their role in nutrition.

Concept of foods, functional foods, food supplements, nutraceuticals, drugs, cosmetics, health care products.

Plants and interaction with the environment: environmental, biological and physiological conditions controlling the synthesis of functional biological molecules as a manifestation of biodiversity. General and specialised metabolism. Functional biological molecules for humans: alkaloid glycosides, tannins, terpenes, essential oils, flavonoids, mucilages, saponins.

Elements of Botany

Systematic Botany and Taxonomy: use of dichotomous keys

Special part: 

Fungi, Algae

Plants in the diet as foods, food additives, flavourings, spices:

Plants producing food additives: stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents.

Antioxidants, emulsifiers and waxes

Colourants

Sweetening substances

Algae: general aspects, evolution, distribution, nutritional value and botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics

Botanical description and systematic classification of food plants.

Main cereal species (Gramineae and Pseudocereals): general aspects, evolution, distribution. Nutritive value and role in the diet. Cultivation techniques. Symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Wheat, Rice, Maize, Rye, Minor Cereals  

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of Pseudocereals (Amaranth, Chia, Buckwheat, Quinoa).

Antinutritional factors

Leguminous plants: general aspects, evolution, dissemination. Nutritive value.

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Chickpea, Fava, Lentil, Pea, Soya, Lupin bean.

Anti-nutritional factors

Starch-producing plants: general aspects, evolution and dissemination. Nutritive value

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of Batata 

Antinutritional factors

Sacchariferous plants: general aspects, evolution and dissemination. Nutritive value

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Sugar maple, Sugar beet, Sugar cane, Sugar palm, Sugar sorghum.

Antinutritional factors

Oil plants: general aspects, evolution and distribution. Nutritive value

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Safflower, Rapeseed, Sunflower, Olive, Palm, Sesame, Soybean.

Antinutritional factors

Nervine plants: general aspects, evolution anddiffusion. Nutritive value.

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Cacao, Coffee, Cola, Guarana, Maté, Tea.

Antinutritional factors

Aromatic plants: general aspects, evolution and diffusion. Nutritive value.

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Garlic, Laurel, Green Anise, Basil, Onion, Shallot, Coriander, Juniper, Tarragon, Meadow Cumin, True Cumin, Fennel, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Myrtle, Nepitella, Rosemary, Sage, Celery, Thyme.

Spice plants: general aspects, evolution and distribution. Nutritive value.

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Cinnamon, Cardamom, Turmeric, Nutmeg, Pepper, White Pepper, Green Pepper, Pink Pepper, Chili Pepper, Mustard, Saffron, Ginger, Cloves

Antinutritional factors

Vegetable species: general aspects, evolution and spread. Nutritive value. Food consisting of different vegetable organs (stem, shoot,, leaf, fruit, flower, root and bulb, tuber). Water intake; mineral, vitamin and fiber content.

Botanical-pharmaceutical characteristics of: Aubergine, Tomato, Peppers, Potato, Goji berries, Tobacco

Green leafy vegetables: Spinach, Kale, Chard, Cabbage, Chicory

Fruit tree species: general aspects, evolution and spread. Nutritive value. Ripening and fruit quality: ripening indices.

Fruit quality: case studies from literature (apples, pears, blueberries, pomegranate).

Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Botany.

There are no bridging for this course although plant biology skills and basic knowledge of organic chemistry are required. This information will be provided as it arises during the course of the programme.

D1- Knowledge and understanding:

Knowledge of the  Pharmaceutical Botany Fundamentals  and its applications in science. Knowledge of the scientific method and appropriate vocabulary.

The Interaction between plants and the environment knowledge and resulting  general and specialized metabolites  biosynthesis as a manifestation of biodiversity are requested. Understanding of anthropogenic influences, conservation of environmental and soil quality.The expected results are achieved through frontal instruction and in-depth teaching activities.

D2- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

The student must demonstrate to meet mastery of the fundamental elements  for recognising, classifying and describing the most important food plant species. The student must also demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the different general and specialized metabolites synthesized by those plants  (herbaceous and tree species).

D3- Autonomy of Evaluation

The student will have to demonstrate mastery of the fundamental concepts to autonomously and critically evaluate the relationships between plants and the environment and all that derives from these interactions, including the potential applicability of the plants studied in scientific research in the nutritional field.

D4-Communication skills

The student should be able to demonstrate language skills by correctly using scientific terminology and to describe the Applied Pharmaceutical Botany  fundamentals learned during the course.

D5-Learning skills

The student should be able to construct his or her own scientific growth path in the botanical-pharmaceutical field critically and independently, using the knowledge acquired. These skills will be stimulated by the lecturer by proposing in-depth studies.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Course books

L. Sanità di Toppi: Interazioni Piante- Ambiente – Ed. Piccin

S. Pancaldi et al.: Fondamenti di  Botanica Generale: teoria e pratica in laboratorio

F. Poli: Biologia Farmaceutica. Biologia Vegetale, Botanica Farmaceutica, Fitochimica. Ed Pearson

C. Rinallo: Piante alimentari. Biologia – Composizione Chimica- Utilizzo Ed. Piccin

F. Basso: Piante alimentari cereali e proteaginose – Pitagora Editrice Bologna

Assessment

Oral assessment

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.