CHEMISTRY OF NATURAL SUBSTANCES
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- CLAUDIO TRAPELLA
- Credits
- 6
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- CHIM/06
Training objectives
- The main objective of the course is to give students in-depth knowledge in terms of the chemistry of natural organic substances, with particular attention to their classification, structure, properties and biosynthesis.
The main knowledge gained will be:
-aminoacids: structure, properties and function
-proteins: structure, properties and function
-carbohydrates: structure, properties and function
-nucleic acids: structure, properties and function
-aminoacids: structure, properties and function
-terpens and alcaloids: structure, properties and function
-characterization and biosynthesis of natural organic compounds
Skills acquired during the teaching:
-recognition and classification of natural compounds
-prevision of physical and chemical properties of natural compounds based on chemical structure
-interpretation of reaction mechanism in main biosynthetic routes Prerequisites
- Basic Organic Chemistry knowledge is required.
Main topics:
-properties and reactivity of main organic compound classes
-stereochemistry
-relevant organic reactions and related mechanism Course programme
- The teaching is structured in 48 hours of frontal lessons.
Bioenergetic (4 h)
Biogenetic routes. Primary and secondary metabolites.
Aminoacids and sugars (6 h)
Properties and reactivity of aminoacids and sugars. Focus on stereochemistry.
Nucleic Acids (2 h)
Main organic reactions in biosynthesis:
Claisen, Aldol, Michael and Mannich, focus on reaction mechanism. (6 h)
Biosynthetic routes (30 h)
Acetate pathway, fatty acids, poliketides, prostaglandins, THC (6h)
Shikimate pathway, aromatic aminoacids synthesis and phenyl propanoids. (6 h)
Mevalonate pathway, terpens and steroids biosynthesis, steroids. (10 h)
Alcaloids: tropanic and pyrimidine alcaloids, nicotinic acid, cocaine, nicotine. (8h) Didactic methods
- Frontal lessons. All topics will be studied in details.
Learning assessment procedures
- Final exam will consist in an oral talk. (30 minutes)
It will be structured in 4 questions:
1) amino acids and sugars: properties and reactivity
2) reaction mechanism of main organic reactions in biosynthetic routes
3)focus on a class of compounds and related metabolic pathway
4) terpens, alcaloids
Every questions will be evaluated with a maximum of 7 points, 2 more points will be gained depending on the chemical language used by the students. Due to the pandemic emergency the exam could be held trough Google meet, 15 multiple choice questions in 30 minutes. Reference texts
- Teacher’s handout.
Specific topics can be further developed in the following texts:
J. G. Smith - Fondamenti di Chimica Organica - McGraw Hill Education
P.M. Dewick - Chimica, Biosintesi e Bioattività delle Sostanze Naturali- Ed. Piccin
