BIOTECHNOLOGY OF OFFICINAL PLANTS
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2021/2022
- Teacher
- GIANNI SACCHETTI
- Credits
- 6
- Curriculum
- Biotecnologie per la salute
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- BIO/15
Training objectives
- Knowledge
- Knowledge of the context and meaning of biotechnologies applied to medicinal plants.¿Knowledge of the main strategies of biotechnological cultivation of officinal plant sources and production of active ingredients of health interest.
- Knowledge of plant bio-active ingredients of health interest and biotechnological strategies for their production.
- Knowledge of the main analysis and quality control strategies applied to the biotechnologies of officinal plants of the main classes of active ingredients of health interest.
- Competence in setting up and managing the biotechnological models both laboratory and industrial associated with the productivity of plants of health interest.
Know-how
- Know how to operate in a laboratory setting by setting up in vitro cultures of medicinal plants.
- Knowing how to operate on the variables that influence the quality of in vitro cultures in terms of the production of healthy and biomass active ingredients.
- Knowing to work with in vitro cultures to improve the agronomic quality of medicinal plants.
- Knowing how to operate quality control of in vitro cultures and vegetable matrices from medicinal plants. Prerequisites
- - Prerequisites are not foreseen. However, basic knowledge of general chemistry, organic chemistry and general biology are useful for a better understanding of the course topics.
Course programme
- - What are biotechnologies applied to medicinal plants. The areas and roles of biotechnology of medicinal plants. The main biotechnological strategies applied to plants of medicinal interest: the market, the context of research and production.
[approximately 5 hours]
- Secondary metabolites of health interest and biogenetic pathways. Responses to environmental conditioning in plants and biotechnological strategies to increase the production of active ingredients of health interest in vitro: the cell as a synthesis laboratory. In vitro cultures of cells and tissues of medicinal plants and strategies to improve the cultivation of medicinal plants able to produce the active ingredients of interest: the agro-biotechnologies applied to the production of extracts and active ingredients of health interest, the engineering genetics in plants.
[approximately 20 hours]
- Extraction processes and molecular characterization in biotechnological application to medicinal plants. The control of the quality and quantity of a biotechnological system of officinal plants compared to active ingredients of health interest. The application strategies of phytochemical investigation. Notes on the main analytical tests applied to extracts and plant active ingredients of health interest obtained by biotechnology. The fingerprinting of the extracts. Calibration curves and quantification of active ingredients of health interest.
[approximately 5 hours]
- From the herbal tradition to biotechnological production: research, production and the variables at stake with respect to the effectiveness of biotechnological strategies. From the laboratory to the production: models of interpretation of the biotechnological strategies and their productive efficacy of active ingredients of health interest. The main officinal plant sources exploited for production through biotechnological strategies and the control of their productivity. Extraction strategies and recovery of the biotechnological product. Plant Molecular farming. The main classes of active ingredients and hints of their metabolic origin.
[approximately 5 hours]¿
- The biotechnologies of medicinal plants and the production of antitumor active ingredients: from research to examples of industrial production models.¿
[approximately 5 hours]
- Practical activity aimed at
1) the extraction and characterization of active ingredients of health interest from in vitro cultures;
2) bioautographic assessment of bioactivity;
3) methods of setting up an in vitro culture of medicinal plants.
[approximately 12 hours] Didactic methods
- The course will be carried out through theoretical lessons aimed at exposing and explaining the contents of the program, integrated with practical examples, case studies, exercises and theoretical and technical insights.
Learning assessment procedures
- The exam consists in the oral verification of the level of knowledge of the course contents and of the acquisition of the specific vocabulary through both broad and more specific questions. To pass the exam it is necessary to acquire a minimum score of 18 out of 31 (= 30/30 cum laude) answering the questions related to the two following subject areas each of which contributes to the final grade with a minimum score of 9 and maximum of 15.5
1.
It focuses on verifying oral knowledge of the main biotechnological strategies applied to plants of medicinal interest, of medicinal plant biotechnologies, to biotechnological strategies and variables to increase the production of active principles of health interest in vitro, including those of gentle transformation, to agro-biotechnology.
To pass this part of the interview it is necessary to acquire at least 9 points out of 15.5.
2.¿
It focuses on the assessment of knowledge on the main classes of active ingredients and their metabolic origin, on the methods of cell culture extraction, on the quality and quantity control of a biotechnological system of officinal plants with respect to active ingredients of health interest , chemical fingerprinting. The student will also have to answer questions related to concrete contexts of research and industrial application of successful models of biotechnology of medicinal plants.
To pass this part of the interview it is necessary to acquire at least 9 points out of 15.5. Reference texts
- - Sacchetti G., Paganetto G. Biotecnologie delle piante medicinali. DeAgostini UTET Editrice. 2021
- Pasqua G. Biologia cellulare e biotecnologie vegetali. Piccin Editore. 2011.
