Pharmacognosy

This course is of special importance in the professional training of the pharmacist, since the Pharmacognosy subject deals with the study of medicinal plants, and products obtained from them, in all their aspects, from their obtention, quality, chemical composition, to their pharmacological actions and uses.

Its objectives are:
- Provide students with a vision of the isolation of active ingredients from natural products
- Train students in the recognition of plants through microscopic and phytochemical methods
- Relate the effect of the active principles of natural products with their therapeutic applications

GENERAL PHARMACOGNOSY

GENERALITIES

Lesson 1
Introduction to Pharmacognosy. Concept, history and objectives. Concepts of drug and active ingredient. Bibliographical sources.

Lesson 2
Sources of obtaining and preserving natural drugs.
Obtaining and collecting. Desiccation. Stabilization. Storage.

Lesson 3
Natural drug recognition.
Organoleptic characters. morphological characters. Histological characters: diagnostic elements. chemical characters. Biological tests.

Lesson 4
Extraction of active ingredients from natural drugs.
Methods. Fractional separation of constituents. Extracts: their importance.

Lesson 5.
Natural drugs quality control.
Sampling. Pollution: types. Determination of humidity and ashes.

PHYTOCHEMISTRY

Lesson 6
Biosynthetic pathways of natural products of plant origin. Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
Carbohydrates: Generalities. Classification. Polysaccharides: classification, extraction and evaluation. Gums and mucilages. Importance in Pharmacognosy.

Lesson 7
Heterosides: Concept. Classification. General properties. Extraction. Interest in Pharmacognosy.

Lesson 8
Alkaloids: Classification Concept. General properties. Extraction. Interest in Pharmacognosy.

Lesson 9
Tannins: Concept. Classification General properties. Extraction and valoration. Interest in Pharmacognosy

Lesson 10
Terpenic Compounds: Essential Oils. Concept. General properties. Extraction and valoration. Resins. Latex.

Lesson 11
Saponosides. Concept and classification. General properties, extraction and valoration. Interest in Pharmacognosy.

SPECIAL PHARMACOGNOSY

Drugs with active principles on the central nervous system

Lesson 12
Hypnoanalgesics: Opium.
Analgesics, antipyretics, anti-inflammatories: Willow Bark.- Harpagophyte.

Lesson 13
Sedatives: Root of Valerian.-Flowering ends of Passionflower.-Tila.
Antidepressants: Flowering ends of Hypericum.

Lesson 14
Stimulants: Coca leaf. Caffeinated drugs: Coffee Beans. Tea leaf. Other drugs.

Lesson 15
Psychotomimetics: Indian hemp. Other drugs.

Drugs with active principles on the peripheral nervous system

Lesson 16
Sympathomimetics: Flowering ends of Ephedra.
Sympatholytics: Ergot of Rye.
Parasympathomimetics: Jaborandi leaf.
Parasympatholytics: Leaves of Belladonna and Stramonium.

Drugs with active ingredients on the cardiovascular system

Lesson 17
Cardiotonics: Digitalis leaf.
Vasoconstrictors: Hamamelis leaf. Horse chestnut. butcher's broom
Vasodilators: Vinca Leaf. Ginkgo leaf.

Drugs with active ingredients on the respiratory system

Lesson 18
Respiratory antiseptics: Eucalyptus phyllodes. Essence of Niaouli. Thymes.
Expectorants and Balsamics: Balsam of Tolu. Licorice root. Polygala root.
Antitussives: Roots of Ipeca.

Drugs with active ingredients on the renal system

Lesson 19
Diuretics: Drugs with diuretic activity.
Urinary antiseptics: Bearberry leaf.
Prostatic anti-inflammatories: Sabal. Pygeum.

Drugs with active ingredients on the digestive system

Lesson 20
Classification of laxatives.
Anthraquinone laxatives: General characteristics. Rhubarb rhizome. Sen leaves. Frangula bark. Cascara sagrada bark. Aloes.

Lesson 21
Osmotic laxatives: Plantagos seeds.
Antidiarrheals: Ratania root. Other drugs.

Lesson 22
Eupeptics: Classification.
Carminatives: Fruits of Green Anise and Star Anise.
Antispasmodics: Chamomiles. Mint. Balm.

Lesson 23
Cholagogues and choleretics: Boldo leaf. Turmeric rhizome.
Hepatoprotectors: Artichoke Leaf. Milk thistle fruit.

Skin Topics

Lesson 24
Astringents: Hamamelis leaf.
Emollients: Linseeds. Malva flower. Altea root.
Healing: Arnica Flowers. Hydrocotyl Sumity.
Rubefacients: Rosemary. Camphor.

Cytotoxic and other drugs

Lesson 25
Antitumor agents: Podophyllum. Yew. Vinca.
Antiparasitics: Pelitres.
Antimalarials: Quina bark.

Drugs that act on the metabolism

Lesson 26
Antigout: Colchico bulb.
Immunostimulants: Echinacea.
Adaptogens: Ginseng Roots. Eleutherococcus.

Basic
Diego Cortés. Metabolitos secundarios activos. Los medicamentos que nos proporciona la naturaleza. 2017.
Herbal Medicines. Pharmaceutical Press. 2013.
Bruneton J.- Farmacognosia, Fitoquímica, Plantas medicinales. Edit. Acribia. (todas las ediciones).
Trease Evans. Farmacognosia Edit. Interamericana-McGraw Hill (todas las ediciones).

Supplementary
Dewick, P.M. Medicinal Natural Products. Ed. Wiley. 2009.
Heinrich, M., Barnes, J., Gibbons, S., Williamson, E.M.- Fundamentals of Pharmacognosy and Phytoterapy. Churchill Livingstone. 2008.
Bravo Díaz, Luis. Farmacognosia. Edit. Elsevier España. 2003.
Cañigueral, S. Vila, R. Wichti, M.-Plantas medicinales y drogas vegetales para infusión y tisana. Edit. OEMF Internacional. 1998

Knowledge

Con 01. Knowing the origin, nature, and how to design, obtain, analyze, control, and produce active principles, drugs, and medications, as well as other products and raw materials of sanitary interest for human or veterinary use.
Con 02. Knowing the therapeutic and toxic effects of substances with pharmacological activity.
Con 04. Acquiring knowledge to design, prepare, supply, and dispense medications and other sanitary interest products.
Con 05. Acquiring knowledge in pharmacotherapy and diet therapy, as well as in the nutritional and food field in the establishments where services are provided.
Con 06. Acquiring basic knowledge in clinical management, health economics, and efficient use of health resources to promote rational use of medications and sanitary products.
Con 10. Knowing one's own limitations and the need to maintain and update professional competence, giving special importance to self-learning of new knowledge based on available scientific evidence.
Con 11. Knowing the physicochemical characteristics of substances used for drug manufacturing.
Con 12. Knowing and understanding the characteristics of reactions in solution, the different states of matter, and the principles of thermodynamics and their application to pharmaceutical sciences.
Con 24. Knowing medicinal plants: botanical diversity, physiology, use, and management.
Con 31. Safely using medications considering their physical and chemical properties, including any risks associated with their use.
Con 33. Evaluating the effects of substances with pharmacological activity.
Con 37. Knowing and understanding the structure and function of the human body, as well as the general mechanisms of disease, molecular, structural, and functional alterations, syndromic expression, and therapeutic tools to restore health.

Skills or Abilities

H/D 01. Intervening in health promotion activities, disease prevention, at the individual, family, and community level; with a comprehensive and multiprofessional vision of the health-disease process.
H/D 06. Promoting work and collaboration skills in multidisciplinary teams and those related to other healthcare professionals.
H/D 07. Selecting appropriate techniques and procedures in the design, application, and evaluation of reagents, methods, and analytical techniques.
H/D 08. Carrying out standard laboratory processes including the use of scientific synthesis and analysis equipment, appropriate instrumentation included.
H/D 09. Estimating the risks associated with the use of chemicals and laboratory processes.
H/D 12. Developing skills related to the beneficial effects of medicinal plants and understanding the health risks associated with their misuse.
H/D 13. Estimating the biological risks associated with the use of substances and laboratory processes involved.
H/D 19. Acquiring the necessary skills to provide therapeutic advice in pharmacotherapy and diet therapy, as well as nutritional and dietary advice to users of the establishments where services are provided.

Competencies

Instrumental Competencies:
Comp 01. Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
Comp 02. Capacity for organization and planning.
Comp 03. Oral and written communication in the native language.
Comp 06. Information management skills (ability to search for and analyze information from diverse sources).
Comp 07. Problem-solving.
Comp 08. Decision-making.

Interpersonal Competencies:
Comp 09. Critical and self-critical capacity.
Comp 10. Teamwork.
Comp 11. Interpersonal skills.
Comp 12. Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
Comp 16. Ethical commitment.

Systemic Competencies:
Comp 17. Ability to apply knowledge in practice.
Comp 18. Research skills.
Comp 19. Capacity for learning.
Comp 20. Ability to adapt to new situations.
Comp 21. Ability to generate new ideas (creativity).
Comp 24. Ability to work autonomously.
Comp 27. Concern for quality.
Comp 28. Achievement motivation.

Throughout the course, and always through the subject of the VIRTUAL CAMPUS of the USC, the student will follow at all times the guidelines indicated by the professors, for the good coordination and development of the subject.

Expository classes:
Presentation, for 1 hour, of the fundamental concepts of the subject matter, using the necessary didactic elements (videos, presentations, etc.).

Interactive classes:
Face-to-face classes in which theoretical knowledge will be applied when dealing with hypothetical situations within the framework of this discipline. Its purpose is to encourage analysis and discussion on a given issue to which a solution must be proposed.

Practical classes:
On-site practices in the laboratory for natural drugs recognition, both from the microscopic point of view (observation and diagnosis of drug powder preparations included in the Spanish Pharmacopoeia) and phytochemical (isolation and identification of some of the main phytochemical groups to which they belong the active ingredients).

To pass the subject it is necessary to carry out and pass the laboratory practices.

Evaluation of theoretical knowledge (60% of the final grade).

An exam will be held on the day indicated in the official exam calendar drawn up by the School of Pharmacy. The test will consist of a batch of several questions with different possible answers each, of which only one is valid. Wrong answers will have a penalty; the unanswered ones, no. The teacher will inform the students of the minimum grade required in this exam in order to pass the subject (it will depend on the number of questions in the test). The maximum mark attainable in this section is 6 points.

Knowledge: Con 01, Con 02, Con 05, Con 06, Con 10, Con 24, Con 33, Con 37.

Skills or Abilities: H/D 01, H/D 09, H/D 12, H/D 13, H/D 19.

Competencies: Comp 01, Comp 08, Comp 16, Comp 19, Comp 24, Comp 27, Comp 28.



Evaluation of practices (15% of the final grade).

An examination will be carried out after the last practice with the help of a microscope and will consist of the identification of powdered plant drugs, through their diagnostic elements. This exam will be graded with a maximum of 1 point. The student's attitude in practices will be valued on 0.5 points (maximum).

Knowledge: Con 04, Con 11, Con 12, Con 24.

Skills or Abilities: H/D 07, H/D 08.

Competencies: Comp 02, Comp 03, Comp 07, Comp 08, Comp 10, Comp 11, Comp 12, Comp 17, Comp 18, Comp 20.


Continuous assessment and interactive classes (25% of the final grade).

Resolution of questions, raised in person in class. The total sum of the grades obtained in different exercises can reach a maximum of 2.5 points.

Knowledge: Con 01, Con 04, Con 10.

Skills or Abilities: H/D 06, H/D 07.

Competencies: Comp 06, Comp 07, Comp 08, Comp 09, Comp 12, Comp 17, Comp 19, Comp 21, Comp 24, Comp 28.


The second opportunity exam will be similar to the first opportunity exam and the same evaluation criteria will be used.

The final mark will be the sum of the marks obtained in each of the evaluations mentioned above (10 points, maximum). In case of not reaching the minimum mark required in the evaluation of theoretical knowledge, the final mark will be the sum of the grades obtained in the practical evaluations and continuous evaluation and interactive classes (15% + 25% of the final grade).

Individual study 60 hours.
Resolution of exercises 20h.
Prepration of the practices examination: 6h.

Recommendations for evaluation.
Attendance at the expository and interactive classes is recommended, since in the latter a series of questions and exercises will be made that will facilitate learning of the subject.

Recommendations for recovery.
Students are recommended to discuss the results of their exams with the teacher, clarify their doubts and review their notes.

Repeating students

The qualification obtained in the laboratory practices and in the continous avaliation may be maintained for those repeating students who wish to do so; they must ask the teacher for the validation of the internships they carried out in previous courses, before they begin.

Students with exemption from class attendance
Your final grade will not be affected by this fact, although carrying out the laboratory practices is essential to pass.


For cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the "Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións" will apply.