Wild officinal flora
The chemodiversity and the relationship with endogenous and exogenous factors. Secondary plant metabolites and applications.
Pharmacognosy and histological characters for medicinal plants identification: stem, leaves, roots and their modifications, hairs, types of stomata and stomatal index.
The osmotic potential and photosynthesis in laboratory experiments.
Experimental approach to wild plant identification with dichotomous analytical keys. Techniques for collection, drying and mounting to organize an herbarium of medicinal plants.
The production chain of medicinal plants based products
Collection, selection, drying, extraction, concentration, formulation and packaging.
Experimental observation of medicinal plants in the Botanical Gardens "Giardino dei Semplici"
Excursions for medicinal plants observations in wild.
Guided excursions and visits to processing factory of medicinal plants.
Secondary plant metabolism
General introduction on the secondary metabolites: extraction techniques and analysis.
The phenolic compounds: ecological role and use in medical and food industries. Extraction methods and techniques of qualitative and quantitative determination.
The terpenoid metabolites: generalities, ecological role and application in pharmaceutical and food industries. Extraction and analysis. Steam distillation and solvent extraction of essential oils from aromatic plants.
The saponification with plant based ingredients.
Alkaloids: ecological role and main metabolites used in pharmacy.