01234 - Pharmacognosy

Academic Year 2011/2012

  • Docente: Ester Speroni
  • Credits: 7
  • SSD: BIO/14
  • Language: Italian
  • Moduli: Ester Speroni (Modulo 1) Ester Speroni (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Long cycle 2nd degree programme in Pharmacy (cod. 0039)

Course contents

Course contents: GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY. General pharmacokinetics: movement of drugs across cell membranes;  routes of administration and absorption; bioavailability;  distribution of drugs in the body; volume of distribution, binding to plasma proteins; drug metabolism; excretion; time-course of drug plasmatic contents (after single or repeated administration). General pharmacodynamics: targets and mechanisms of drug  action; dose-response curve; agonists, partial agonists, antagonists; individual variations (effects of age, pathological states, drug interactions, tolerance, placebo effects). General toxicity: side-effects, overdose, idiosyncratic and allergic reactions; teratogenesis and foetal toxicity; carcinogenesis; drug dependency. Clinical evaluation. Pharmacosurveillance  and plant drug monitoring.

 Definition and aim of PHARMACOGNOSY; definition and classification of plant drug; factors affecting the activity: natural, endogenous, exogenous and preparation-dependent. Plant drug: conditions of preservation, analysis, identification, quality control, distinctive characters, endogenous active substances, therapeutic strategies, toxic effects, potion preparation of the following PLANT DRUGS:  containing carbohydrates: Manna*, Starch,  Hollyhock, Flax*,  Agar, Arabic Gum*; Tragacanth Gum*, Cotton.  containing lipids: Castor oil*,  Cacao butter. containing essential oils and gums: Wormwood,  Matricaria*, Roman Chamomile*, Cannabis, Camphor, Capsicum*,  Fish (or Levant) Berry,  Eucalyptus*,  Male fern*, Clove*, Mint, Nutmeg, Valerian*. containing tannins: Witch hazel*.  containing quinones: Aloe*, Cascara sagrada*, , Buckthorn*, Senna*, Rhubarb*,  Saint John's wort.  containing saponins: Licorice*, Ginseng. containing cardiac glycosides:  Foxgloves*, Strophanthus*, .Squill. containing flavonoid glycosides:  Maidenhair tree. containing alkaloids: Opium poppy, Boldo*, Ipacacuanha*, Cinchona*, Rauwolfia, containing xanthines: (Cacao, Coffee, Tea), Tobacco, Nux vomica*, Ergot of Rye*, Ephedras, Jaborandi, Calabar bean, Deadly nightshade*, Henbane,  Thorn apple, Coca, Curare, Common periwinkle, Yew. Plant drugs containing psychotomimetic substances.  DRUGS FROM ANIMALS:  sera, vaccines.

Office hours

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