General provisions

Substitutes the previous courses 3FN215 or 3FN000 in Pharmacognosy.

Entry requirements

Within the pharmacy programme applies that 60 credits from term 1-2 have been achieved and that the student has been registered on all previous courses within the programme. For admission to single subject course is required a total of 60 credits of either chemistry or biology, or equivalent.

Learning outcomes

The student should on completion of the course: * know and be able to explain the basic principles of drug development from natural products and the role of natural products in the development and production of drugs * know, and be able to apply the knowledge about, biosynthesis in plants - including the photosynthesis - and the formed compounds structure and classification * have sufficient knowledge in plant morphology and plant anatomy to be able to read and understand scientific literature in pharmacognosy with scientific descriptions of plants and crude drugs * apply the safety directions for laboratory work, keep laboratory records and carry out risk analysis * be able to plan and carry out laboratory procedures for basic preparative extraction, isolation and identification of natural products * know and be able to use light microscopic techniques and the preparation of microscopic slides for identification of powdered crude drugs and observation of plant anatomic features such as stomata, hairs and vascular tissue * be able to identify a selection of the most important medicinal plants, explain their uses and account for their pharmaceutically active compounds * be able to account for rules and legislation concerning natural remedies in an European perspective

Content

The course comprises natural products with usage as drugs and other bioactive molecules from nature, their origin, identification, development, production, control and usage. Further, photosynthesis, biosynthesis, chemical structure and classification and the extraction and isolation of natural products are treated. The importance of natural products as drugs and drug precursors internationally and industrial is addressed. The laboratory part of the course comprises preparative extraction, isolation and identification of natural products. In this course the student obtains further and specific training to: * search, compile and evaluate scientific information in pharmacognosy * present information in written form for a learned public * orally present, explain and justify laboratory results * alone solve and present in writing and argue complex issues under examination.

Instruction

The teaching is given as lectures, case studies, seminars and laboratory sessions. Emphasis is placed on the students own learning and ability to seek information independently and solve problems. Compulsory parts of the course: Course introduction with roll call, all laboratory sessions and assignments, and certain seminars and lectures according to the instructions of course coordinator in timetable, are compulsory. Laboratory examinations can be oral according to the directives of course coordinator.

Assessment

For passed examination, the student should have accomplished the compulsory parts drug microscopy of the course (0,5 credits), quinine lab (1 credit), essay-writing (1,5 credits) and passed at written examination part 1 and part 2 (4,5 credits). Supplementation of failed laboratory course can take place at the earliest at next course and then only in case of a vacancy.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Each student has the right to in all six examinations, i.e. one examination and five re-examinations.