Unit PLANT BIOLOGY APPLIED TO HEALTHY NUTRITION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Course
Biology
Study-unit Code
A002132
Curriculum
Bionutrizionistico
Teacher
Paola Angelini
Teachers
  • Paola Angelini
Hours
  • 42 ore - Paola Angelini
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2022
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
ETHNOBOTANICS module. Introduction to ethnobotany: the ethnobotanical uses of spontaneous plants in the tradition of the Mediterranean world.
HEALTH AND PROTECTION module. Medicinal plants and mushrooms: description of the main plant and fungal species containing active and / or medicinal ingredients. Aerobiology - Main airborne bioallergens (pollen and fungal spores).
PLANT AND NUTRITION module. Food uses of plants and mushrooms: at the origins of agriculture; spontaneous flora in today's diet; the perspectives of nutraceuticals.
ENVIRONMENT module. Production and use of medicinal plants (spontaneous and cultivated species); in situ and ex-situ conservation of plants and fungi.
Reference texts
- Caneva G., Pieroni A., Guarrera P.M. 2013. Etnobotanica - Conservazione di un patrimonio culturale come risorsa per uno sviluppo sostenibile. EDIPUGLIA, Bari.
- Maugini E., Maleci Bini L., Mariotti Lippi M. 2014. Botanica farmaceutica. Piccin-Nuova Libraria.
- Rinallo C. 2018. Piante alimentari. Biologia, composizione chimica, utilizzo. Piccin Editore.
- Sanità di Toppi L., Bruno L, Bruni R., Ligrone R., Ferrarese A., Paoli L., Lingua G. 2018. Interazioni Piante-Ambiente. Piccin Editore, Padova.
Educational objectives
At the end of the course, the student acquires knowledge: on ethnobotany, a discipline that studies the traditions and popular uses related to plant species in different sectors (medicinal, veterinary, cosmetic and food); on plants and substances of plant origin important for food and health; on the role of plants as organisms capable of monitoring environmental quality and influencing it through the release of airborne biological material such as pollen; on the possible use of plants in bioremediation. During the laboratory activity, the student learns in vitro culture techniques for the conservation of germplasm and preparation techniques for various types of plant extracts with antioxidant, antimicrobial and allelopathic activity and related in vitro activity tests.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of General Botany and Plant Biodiversity is required
Teaching methods
The course is divided into 32 hours of frontal teaching conducted in the classroom on the topics reported in the program and 10 hours of theoretical-practical lessons, aimed at the microscopic of plant extracts with antioxidant, antimicrobial and allelopathic activity and relative in vitro activity tests.recognition of the main pollen and fungal spores causing allergy, to the learning of cultivation techniques in vitro for the conservation of germplasm and preparation techniques for various types.
Other information
The schedule of the lectures and that of the exams are available on the website of the Department: http://www.dcbb.unipg.it. The teacher can be contacted by e-mail for any need (reception, exam dates, program). Additional teaching materials, such as course slides or scientific publications concerning the topics covered, are made available to students with free access to uni-studium during the course.
Learning verification modality
Oral examination or written tests both in itinere and in the final.
Extended program
1) ETHNOBOTANIC module (9 hours)
- Introduction to ethnobotany: materials and sources of ethnobotany research, historical-documentary research; manuscripts and codices; herbaria; the identification of plants in ancient texts; archaeobotanical studies in ethnobotanical research; dialectal names of plants and linguistic roots.
- The ethnobotanical uses of spontaneous plants in the tradition of the Mediterranean world, with particular reference to species of medicinal, cosmetic, veterinary and food interest. General problems in the use of plants in the health sector; phytotoxicity and phyto-vigilance; traditional medicines and remedies (plants and essential oils in human medicine); use in cosmetics and perfumery.
- Ethnobotany for the conservation of nature and culture of peoples: plants and culture, the need for integrated conservation; ethnobotany in environmental education; the gardens and botanical gardens; ecomuseums and thematic museums; archaeological and archaeo- and ethnobotanical parks.
2) HEALTH AND PROTECTION module (12 hours)
- Medicinal plants and mushrooms: description of the main plant and fungal species containing active and / or medicinal principles; importance of a correct determination of the species through the use of morpho-molecular methods; synthetic review of cytology and plant anatomy, with particular attention to the parts that contain the active ingredients.
- Secondary metabolites: terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds and glycosides. Role of these substances in plants and importance for humans.
- Substances with anticancer, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
- How to test antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (laboratory activities).
- Aerobiology - Main airborne bioallergens (pollen and fungal spores): pollen and pollination; self-incompatibility, an evolutionary mechanism useful for preserving biodiversity: different methods in the different families of plants. Aerobiologia. How to recognize under the microscope the main pollens and the main fungal spores causing allergy. Allergenic plants.
3) VEGETABLES AND NUTRITION module (12 hours)
- Food uses of plants and mushrooms: at the origins of agriculture; spontaneous flora in today's diet; growth habitats; places and methods of collection; gastronomic aspects; Mediterranean diet and food tradition: general problems in the use of plants in the food sector; aromatic plants; uses of plants to support food practices. Mushrooms and feeding. The perspectives of nutraceuticals.
- Nutritional characteristics of spontaneous plants and mushrooms: parts used; proteins and starches; toxic substances; toxic plants and fungi.
4) ENVIRONMENT module (9 hours)
- Production and use of medicinal plants: spontaneous and cultivated species; rules for the collection of spontaneous species; in situ and ex-situ conservation of plants and fungi; drafting of Checklist and Redlist; germplasm conservation by in vitro culture techniques (with laboratory activities); phyto- and micro-recovery; plants and mushroom dyers, allelopathy: the underground struggle for dominance!
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