Corsi di studio in
Farmacia - Chimica e tecnologia farmaceutiche

PHARMACOGNOSY

Teaching objectives

The course aims to teach the necessary basics to understand the action and kinetic of drugs and to describe and characterise the pharmacological effects of the principle actions of these drugs of both animal and plant origin. In addition, particular importance will be given to the classification and description of animal and herbal drugs paying particular attention to those described in pharmacopoeia.

 Prerequisites

Knowledge of the basis of animal and plant biology, botanical pharmacy, phytopharmacy and the principles of chemistry that are indispensable for the understanding of the action and kinetic of drugs; a good integration of biochemistry and physiology is indispensable.

PHARMACOGNOSY

Definition of drug and herbal drug

History of pharmacognosy

Herbal drugs

Pharmacopoeial monograph of herbal drugs. Differences among monographs of the Italian Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and WHO monographs.

Classification of herbal drugs – Taxonomical, Morphological, Pharmacological and Chemical classifications.

Macroscopic and microscopic description of drugs.

The herbal drug composition: primary and secondary metabolites, the phytocomplex. Active compounds in herbal drugs: extraction, quantitative and qualitative determinations according to the Italian Pharmacopoeia.

Quality control of herbal drugs; factors affecting herb quality: natural (exogenous and endogenous) and artificial factors. Tests used for quality control. Foreign matter and the risk of toxicity: pharmacopoeial limits.

Herbal drugs described in Pharmacopoeia:

herbal drugs acting on respiratory system

herbal drugs affecting gastrointestinal function

herbal l drugs affecting cardiovascular function

herbal drugs acting on the central nervous system

herbal drugs affecting immune system.

Herbal drug toxicity and interaction with drugs

Animal drugs

Definition

Animal drugs in European pharmacopoeia

Blood products and related biologicals

Immunosera: pharmacopoeial definition, preparation and features

Vaccines: pharmacopoeial definition, preparation, features; italian immunization program.

GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY

Drug definition

Receptors: an overview

G protein- coupled receptors

Ion channel receptors

Tyrosine kinase receptors

Cell adhesion receptors

Cytokine receptors

Toll like receptors

Guanilato cyclase-coupled receptors

Lipoprotein receptors

Intracellular receptors

Signal  transduction pathways

Methods to study receptors: dose-response curve, binding studies, ligand-receptor interaction theories; potency and efficacy, agonism and antagonism.

Pharmacokinetics:   routes of drug administration, the dynamics of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination; clinical pharmacokinetics.

Pharmacogenetics

Drugs evaluation: preclinical and clinical trials, summary of product characteristics and package leaflet, adverse event report; posology.

Books

• Trease ed Evans, Farmacognosia, ed. Piccin;
• F.U.I., Farmacopea Europea
• Clementi F., Fumagalli G., Farmacologia generale e molecolare, ed. UTET
• Capasso F., De Pasquale R., Grandolini G., Mascolo N., Farmacognosia - Farmaci naturali, loro preparazioni ed impiego terapeutico, ed. Springer
• Rossi F., Cuomo V., Riccardi C. Farmacologia. Principi di base e applicazioni terapeutiche. Ed. Minerva Medica