Medicinal Plants

This course will permit students to internalize their understanding of the chemical compounds (secondary metabolites), present in plants, that can be utilized to obtain extracts or prepared for medicinal use (in house). These can also be used in the pharmaceutical industry. The student will learn definitions, classifications, nomenclature and the plants that produce: Essential oils, cardiotonics, sterols, flavonoids, quinones and related compounds, steroidal saponins, and sesquiterpene lactone. In the practical part of the course, students will learn skills to obtain items such as extracts, infusions, dyes, juices, and plasters. In labwork, students will be able to extract, isolate and purify different chemicals present in the leafs, flowers, seeds and roots of a particular plant.

Description of the course
This course will permit students to internalize their understanding of the chemical compounds (secondary metabolites), present in plants, that can be utilized to obtain extracts or prepared for medicinal use (in house). These can also be used in the pharmaceutical industry. The student
will learn definitions, classifications, nomenclature and the plants that produce: Essential oils, cardiotonics, sterols, flavonoids, quinones and related compounds, steroidal saponins, and sesquiterpene lactone. In the practical part of the course, students will learn skills to obtain items such as extracts, infusions, dyes, juices, and plasters. In labwork, students will be able to extract, isolate and purify different chemicals present in the leaves, flowers, seeds and roots of a particular plant.

Justification
The student of any science health program that received the course Medicinal plants will acquire basic knowledge of organic chemistry of secondary metabolites in plants, which present some of the following activity: biological (antimicrobial, cytotoxic, inhibiting the growth of other plants, insecticide ) or pharmacological: analgesic, expectorant, emetic, antiemetic, rubefacient, bactericidal or bacteriostatic, hemostatic, cardiotonic, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, sedative, hypnotic, and others. He/she would also handled the concepts and skills in the preparation of solutions and different concentration unit.

Basic Skills
Investigative thinking
The knowledge, skills and attitudes that develops the student to question him/she about reality, applying methods and tools to analyze, explain and interpret, with criteria of reliability and scientific validity.

This Course will focus on:
The student after completing the course will be able to infer potential benefits of a medicinal plant if knowing the general structural formulas of different compounds it contains. The student will acquire skills in the preparation of such solutions, infusions, macerated , decoctions , tinctures , elixirs, lotions, medicinal wines , syrups , inhalation, etc. . Likewise it will be able to extract, isolate and purify compounds of part or the total plant.

Learning results
After completing the course , students should be able to :
Knowledge (know know ):

• Will developed a scientific attitude to the questions and concerns that reality can generate , with open-mindedness to development of new knowledge and findings that may arise, evaluating and applying the completeness and accuracy of the scientific method that has contributed to the development of mankind.

Skills (know how):

• Identify and implement research strategies and the principles on which the discipline is based on problems directly related to study of chemistry.

Attitudes (how to be):

• Addressing the decision-making performance as a student with intellectual autonomy , based on thinking skills , synthesis , analysis and inference , which are attributable to the scientific spirit .

Will be administer informs of Chair Keynote directed by the professor, where , by analyzing selected and suggested according to the subject matter publications, students are led to discover and assimilate the basic principles of the subject medicinal plants and grounds relating to applicability from the scientific perspective . The lectures, in general, provide a forum to foster critical learning, logical analysis and all the thinking skills required in a student through the study of the various issues presented by the teacher and / or student. Student participation would also be motivated through the sharing of exhibitions and supporting bibliographic research. The lessons in the practical part are designed to complement experimentally related concepts in the subject that cannot be develop in the classroom, as well it would introduces students to important new laboratory techniques.
The necessary laboratory equipment will be provided so that the student can carry out the practices and relevant skills neccesary.

Evaluation

• Herbal preparations, essential oils, cardiac, alkaloids: first set and Exhibition note freelancing - 20%
• Sterols, Flavonoids, Quinones: second set and exhibition notes Freelance Work - 20%
• Sesquiterpenlactones and tannins: Third Progress and Exhibition note - 10%
• Cumulative Final Exam: 10%
• Definitive laboratory Note: Progress Reports, full report, Quizzes - 40%