Università Roma Tre

Pharmacognosy: introduction, definition, and historical overview of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy. Concepts of medicinal plant, crude drug, active principle, organized and unorganized drugs.
Pharmacopeial monograph and comparison between the monographs of the Italian Pharmacopeia and the European Pharmacopeia.
The phytocomplex: chemical and pharmacological characteristics (interactions among components)
Factors influencing variability in active principle content: endogenous and ontogenetic factors, exogenous factors, artificial or technical factors
Identification of a crude drug: macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, with some examples
Extraction and purification systems of crude drugs and their characteristics
Quality controls on crude drugs: botanical, microscopic, chemical, and standardization according to Pharmacopeia regulations. Monographic examples for quality control
Adulteration, sophistication, falsification, alteration, and counterfeiting: definitions and examples
Preservation of a crude drug: lyophilization, drying, stabilization, contamination phenomena
List and description of some crude drugs registered in the Italian Pharmacopeia (FU) or the European Pharmacopeia (PhEu) of major interest and use in Italy: drugs active on the respiratory system, drugs active on the gastrointestinal system, drugs active on the cardiovascular system, drugs active on the nervous system, drugs stimulating the immune system
Toxicity of crude drugs and interactions with pharmaceuticals
Reporting form for adverse reactions to herbal products
Galenic and herbal formulations.
Seminars by experts in the field of medicinal plants are planned.

Trease & Evans – Pharmacognosy