B2930 - Phytopharmaceutical Chemistry and Analysis

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will acquire advanced knowledge in the field of phytopharmaceutics, encompassing the mechanism of action, development, extraction and isolation of compounds. The student will also acquire the knowledge on modern techniques for the analysis and quality control of natural plant materials and their derivatives.

Through the theoretical concepts presented in lectures and individual laboratory activities, the student will develop a solid and critical phytopharmaceutical competence, based on the scientific principles underlying plant-derived products from traditional medicine and traditional herbal medicines.

Course contents

MODULE 1: Phytopharmaceutical Chemistry-Prof.ssa Alessandra Bisi

Lectures

Traditional Medicine and Drug Discovery: natural products as functional scaffolds for drug development.

Molecular mechanism of interaction with biological targets and relationships between chemical structure and biological activity (examples: atropine, nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, digitalis).

Definition of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and phytocomplex. Herbal medicines and traditional herbal medicines: definition and legislative aspects. Structural features, structure-activity relationships (SAR) and structure-affinity (SAfiR) of the most common herbal medicines on the market in Pharmacy (treatment of anxiety, mild depression, circulatory disorders, colds and constipation).

Drugs interacting with the receptors of the endocannabinoid system: Cannabis and derivatives.

Potential offered by waste matrices in the circular economy: raw materials and molecules with biological activity.

MODULE 2: Phytopharmaceutical Analysis-Prof.ssa Laura Mercolini

Extraction of natural compounds from plant materials: fundamentals and challenges in the extraction phases of biologically active compounds from plant materials. Solid-liquid extraction, solid phase extraction, ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction; agitation, centrifugation and filtration procedures.

Instrumental analysis of plant extracts: distinctive features of qualitative and quantitative analysis of biologically active compounds in matrices of plant origin and their derivatives. Applications of UV-Vis spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric analysis to natural compounds in different types of plant samples.

Quality control of herbal medicines: analysis of active ingredients of natural origin, aimed at the quality control of the most well-known and widespread herbal medicines. HPLC methodologies coupled to UV-Vis spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric detectors for identity confirmation and quantitative determination of active ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations.

Analysis of waste plant materials: researching active molecules obtained from vegetable waste used for pharmaceutical purposes.

European Pharmacopoeia: consultation and critical commentary on the extraction procedures and analytical methods defined by the European Pharmacopoeia for natural compounds of phytopharmaceutical interest.

Processing and evaluation of analytical data: experimental data processing aimed at qualitative and quantitative analysis, according to the main international guidelines. Comparative and critical evaluation of the experimental results and performance of the employed extraction and analytical procedures.

Laboratory activities

During the laboratory exercises, the knowledge acquired from the lectures will be applied and put into practice to carry out effective qualitative and quantitative analysis of the main natural compounds present in some of the most well-known herbal medicines currently available in pharmacies.

Different types of pharmaceutical formulations will be studied, also in comparison with starting plant materials, for the treatment of stress-related disorders, sleep disorders, anxiety and inflammatory conditions of various origins. Additionally, Cannabis samples and derived drugs will be analysed.

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials used for lectures and laboratory activities are available to students on the dedicated Unibo website (Virtuale platform).

For further reading, the following textbooks are recommended:

1. European Pharmacopoeia.

2. P.M. Dewick: Medicinal Natural Products-a biosynthetic approach. Ed. Piccin (2012).

3. F. Capasso, G. Grandolini, A.A. Izzo, Phytotherapy: Rational use of herbal drugs. Springer Science & Business Media (2006)

4. A Carrieri, Manual of Quantitative Analysis of Medicines. Editions (2019)

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures and laboratory activities, both with compulsory attendance. It is divided into two teaching modules:

- Phytopharmaceutical Chemistry (module 1), 3 ECTS of lectures

- Phytopharmaceutical Analysis (module 2), 3 ECTS (2 ECTS of lectures and 1 ECTS of laboratory activities).

The laboratory activities of module 2 are carried out individually and each student is guided by the teacher and the tutor in all the experimental procedures foreseen by the program.

As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit, all students (including all the international incoming exchange students, i.e. ERASMUS) must attend Module 1, 2 online [https://www.unibo.it/it/servizi-e-opportunita/salute-e-assistenza/salute-e-sicurezza/sicurezza-e-salute-nei-luoghi-di-studio-e-tirocinio], while Module 3 on health and safety is to be attended in class. Information about Module 3 attendance schedule is available on the website of your degree programme ("studiare"--"formazione obbligatoria su sicurezza e salute").

Assessment methods

The final exam of the course aims to evaluate the achievement of the teaching objectives and takes place through the preparation of a written text describing both the pharmaceutical and botanical properties of a selected plant.

The final grade is determined by evaluating the grades obtained in this text and is integrated by the results of the practical examinations carried out during the laboratory activities of module 2.

Students can register for the oral exam exclusively using the procedures provided by the AlmaEsami online system. Exam sessions are offered within specific periods for current students, and exam dates can be scheduled throughout the academic year for students registered over the 5^th year, subject to agreement with the teachers, also through AlmaEsami.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be carried out with the support of common audio-visual means. The laboratory activities will be carried out individually by the students in single-place teaching laboratories, specially equipped with the instruments and materials (products and reagents) necessary for phytopharmaceutical analysis.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandra Bisi

See the website of Laura Mercolini