Teaching code

4S011738

Academic staff

Mauro Commisso, Stefano Negri

Coordinator

Mauro Commisso

Credits

9

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

BIOS-01/A - General Botany

Period

Secondo semestre 2026/2027 dal Feb 15, 2027 al May 31, 2027.

Courses Single

Not Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The teaching is aimed at acquiring knowledge and understanding of the biology and systematics of drug-supplying plants used in traditional and official medicine, of the main taxa of herbal, medicinal, cosmetic interest, of the essential diagnostic characters for the identification of plant species, morphological identification of the drug and description of its origin.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Knowledge of the basics of general biology.

Program

The course is divided into two modules: Plant Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany. The Plant Biology section focuses on cytology, histology, organography, and plant anatomy. The following topics will be covered: 1) Cytology: - the cell wall; - the endomembrane system, endocytosis, and exocytosis; - the vacuole and cell growth by cell distension; - plastids; - cell division in plant cells (mitosis, meiosis, and cytokinesis). 2) Histology: - primary and secondary meristems; - parenchyma tissues; - integumental tissues; - mechanical tissues (collenchyma and sclerenchyma); - conductive tissues; - secretory tissues. 3) Organs and overall organization: - The shoot and its development - The stem, primary and secondary structure - The leaf - The root and its development - Flowers, fruits, and seeds.
1) General topics
Introduction to Pharmaceutical Botany and Pharmacognosy
Definitions of medicinal plants, herbal drugs and other specialized terminology in the field
Overview of approaches to the discovery of medicinal plants: from ethnobotany to bioprospecting
Pharmaceutical relevance of plant specialized metabolism and basic phytochemistry of the major classes of specialized metabolites
Basic principles of plant systematics aimed at recognizing the main botanical characteristics of plant species
2) Biological aspects and pharmaceutical relevance of plants and related organisms
Fungi
Algae
Lichens
Land plants, with emphasis on diversity, major evolutionary innovations, and life cycles:
non-vascular plants: bryophytes;
vascular plants: lycophytes, monilophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms
Alongside the discussion of the major plant groups, monographs on selected medicinal plants will be presented, describing their botanical and pharmacognostic characteristics: garlic, aconite, marshmallow, deadly nightshade, mountain arnica, birch, boldo, marigold, chamomile, hemp, camphor tree, milk thistle, coca, autumn crocus, echinacea, ephedra, horsetail, eucalyptus, gentian, ginkgo, ginseng, St. John's wort, horse chestnut, licorice, peppermint, bilberry, opium poppy, chili pepper, Madagascar periwinkle, psyllium, rhodiola, sage, senna, bearberry, and valerian.
3) Introduction to the production chain of medicinal plants: harvesting, drying, storage, processing, and preservation, together with the main factors affecting the quality of herbal drugs

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Face-to-face lessons. Lessons will be delivered exclusively in Italian and in person, without any recourse to emergency online teaching methods, except in exceptional circumstances, duly justified and always at the instructor's discretion.

Learning assessment procedures

For the Plant Biology section, assessment of the knowledge acquired will take place through a written test with multiple-choice questions.
For the Pharmaceutical Botany section, the exam will consist of a written test with open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, multiple-choice questions, and the completion of one or more monographs.
During the exam, the following will be assessed:
the degree of knowledge and depth of understanding of the subject matter covered during the course;
the appropriate use of terminology related to the subject in question.
In certain cases, the instructor reserves the right to conduct an oral examination.

Evaluation criteria

Knowledge and level of in-depth information of the subject; ability to use appropriate language terms.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final grade, expressed on a scale of 30, will be determined as the weighted average of the results obtained in the two modules: the Plant Biology grade will contribute 1/3, while the Pharmaceutical Botany grade will contribute 2/3.
The grade will be calculated according to the following formula:
Final grade = (Plant Biology grade + 2 × Pharmaceutical Botany grade) / 3.

Exam language

Italiano

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