Unit PLANT BIOLOGY

Course
Biotechnology
Study-unit Code
GP003572
Curriculum
In all curricula
Teacher
Paola Angelini
Teachers
  • Paola Angelini
Hours
  • 42 ore - Paola Angelini
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2020
Offered
2022/23
Learning activities
Affine/integrativa
Area
Attività formative affini o integrative
Academic discipline
BIO/03
Type of study-unit
Opzionale (Optional)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
Plant cytology and histology: the plant cell, the tissues. Morphology and anatomy of vegetative organs: stem, leaf and root. The life cycle of angiosperms. Vegetative and sexual reproduction. Structure and development of the flower, the seed and the fruit. Fruit classification. Energy and metabolism: photosynthesis; the water balance; mineral nutrition and nitrogen metabolism; plant hormones. Concepts of taxonomy: bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms (dicotyledons, monocotyledons).
Secondary metabolites and biogenetic pathways. Responses to the environmental conditioning of plants: hormones (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, abscisic acid). The response mechanisms to the biotic environment (allelochemical compounds and allelopathy).
Biotechnological strategies for increasing the production of active ingredients of health interest in vitro: the cell as a synthesis laboratory. In vitro cultures of officinal plant cells and tissues. Extractive processes and molecular characterization in the biotechnological application of medicinal plants. The main officinal plant sources used for production through biotechnological strategies and the control of their efficiency.
Reference texts
BOTANICA GENERALE E DIVERSITA' VEGETALE - Pasqua G., Abbate G., Forni C. - IV edizione, Piccin Nuova Libraria (2019).
BIOTECNOLOGIE DELLE PIANTE MEDICINALI – Sacchetti G., Paganello G. – UTET Università (2021).
The didactic material will be available on the UniStudium platform.
Educational objectives
The student will have to acquire the basic notions of plant biology and biotechnology of medicinal plants.
The main knowledge acquired will be:
- Characteristics of the plant cell and plant tissues.
- Histo-anatomical characteristics of the three vegetative organs of the plant: root, stem and leaf.
- Fundamental traits of plant reproduction.
- Cyto-histological characteristics of the seed and fruit.
- Basic notions about the in vitro cultures of cells and tissues and the extraction of their active compounds.

The main skills (i.e. the ability to apply the knowledge acquired) will be:
- Recognition of different kinds of fruits and seeds;
- Recognition of the various types of tissue and of the different plant organs based of their cyto-histological and anatomical characteristics.
- Methods of setting up an in vitro culture of medicinal plants.
- Knowledge of the main techniques of extraction and characterization of active compounds of health interest from in vitro cultures.
- Evaluation of bioactivity.
- Evaluation of experimental data and the resolution of application problems.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of biology is a prerequisite for this teaching.
Teaching methods
The course will be delivered through theoretical lessons aimed at exposing and explaining the contents of the program, integrated with practical examples, case studies, in-depth moments and laboratory exercises. The laboratory exercises will allow students to develop the ability to recognize different types of fruit and seeds, identify histo-anatomical preparations as well as set up in vitro cultures of medicinal plants, use extraction techniques for the isolation of active ingredients and the study of their activity antimicrobial and allelopathic. The knowledge acquired during the course will also be used, during laboratory exercises and simulations, to solve experimental problems.
Laboratory exercises will be held at the "Green Microscopy Laboratory" of the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology (via del giochetto n. 6, Biological Institutes, Building A, 1st floor).
Other information
Office hours: every day from 12:00 to 13:00 unless educational or institutional commitments.
Contacts: tel. 075 5857346, E-mail: paola.angelini@unipg.it.
Address: Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, via del giochetto 6, 06122 Perugia.
For information on support services for students with disabilities and / or SLD, visit the page http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa.
Learning verification modality
The exam includes only the final oral test consisting of an discussion of about 20 min on the topics discussed during the course and examined in-depth through recommended texts.
For information on support services for students with disabilities and / or SLD, visit the page http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa
Extended program
The plant cell and its peculiar structures: cell wall, vacuole and plastids. Plant tissues: primary and secondary meristems, parenchymatous tissues, integumental tissues, mechanical tissues, conductive tissues, secretory tissues. The stem: morphology, ontogenesis and differentiation of the primary structure, secondary structure, specialization and adaptation of the stem. The leaf: leaf morphology and anatomy, leaf modifications. The root: root apex, differentiation zone, primary structure, secondary structure, specialization and adaptations. Vegetative and sexual reproduction. The life cycle of angiosperms: microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis, macrosporogenesis and macrogametogenesis, pollination, incompatibility, fertilization. The seed: formation and development, germination. The fruit: formation and classification of different kinds of fruit. Photosynthesis: light phase and Calvin-Benson cycle. The water potential: xylem transport and transpiration. Mineral nutrition (micro and macronutrients) and nitrogen metabolism. Plant hormones: auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids. Hints of taxonomy: bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms (dicotyledons, monocotyledons).
Secondary metabolites and biogenetic pathways: the shikimic acid pathway, the acetate pathway (malonate), biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, acetate pathway (mevalonate), complex biogenetic pathways (alkaloids), secretory tissues and storage structures. Responses to the environmental conditioning of plants: hormones (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, abscisic acid). The response mechanisms to the biotic environment (allelochemical compounds and allelopathy).
In vitro cultures of cells and tissues: cultures on solid or semisolid substrate [callus cultures] (explanting, setting up the culture, the culture medium, temporal evolution of the culture). Liquid cultures in suspension (growth curve and study of cell viability, protoplast cultures). Organ cultures (root and hairy-roots cultures; embryo cultures; sprout cultures and micropropagation).
The extraction processes. Liquid-liquid extraction: solid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid extraction with supercritical fluids. Liquid-liquid extraction: liquid-liquid extraction by displacement. Extraction and separation by distillation. The main officinal plant sources used for production through biotechnological strategies and the control of their efficiency (Atropa belladonna, Cannabis sativa, Papaver somniferum, Digitalis purpurea, Catharanthus roseus, Podophyllum peltatum, Camptotheca acuminata, Artemisia annua).
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