DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOGNOSY AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE (PCG) COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR PHARMD PROGRAMME
| Introductory Pharmacognosy and Unorganized Crude Drugs (2 Units) |
PCG 221 |
- Introduction to Pharmacognosy; Definitions (organized and unorganized, adulteration, adulterants, crude drugs, metabolites),
- Classification of Vegetable Drugs: Alphabetical, morphological, pharmacological, chemical, and biogenetic basis.
- Organized Drugs: Plant description – morphology and histology, the cell wall, and cellular structures. The microscope and its uses. Plant cell anatomy. Biological and geographical sources and uses of plant drugs (crude drugs) with reference to Nigerian sources.
- Unorganized Drugs: Carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, essential oils, fats and fixed oils, resins, balsams, waxes, gums and mucilages, etc. Plant sources, chemistry, identification and uses with emphasis on those used in pharmacy and pharmaceuticals.
- Endogenous and exogenous factors involved in cultivation of medicinal plant (climate, soil, plant pests and pesticides, genetics etc.); collection (cultivated and wild, adulteration).
- Examples of Nigerian medicinal plants and their possible adulterants; collection, preparation and storage of voucher (herbarium) specimen.
- Methods of identification of crude drugs – microscopy (powdered crude drugs), macroscopy, organoleptic, and chemomicroscopy, chromatography, DNA barcoding.
| Special Classes of Natural Products (2 Units) |
PCG 222 |
- Selected examples of Nigerian medicinal plants will be discussed under the following headings: local names, geographical sources, medicinal uses, chemical constituents, and toxicity profile. Examples will be taken from the following areas: antimalarials, antisicklings, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antimicrobials, hallucinogens, allergens and molluscicides.
| Practical Pharmacognosy (1 Unit) |
PCG 224 |
- Laboratory experiments covering the topics discussed in the theory classes of Introductory Pharmacognosy and unorganized crude drugs and Special Classes of Natural Products. Collection of herbaria (medicinal plants) samples from ecological survey based on folkloric use or scientific data. Ten to fifteen indigenous medicinal plants should be collected and studied by each student.
Microscopic study of unorganized crude drugs
| Natural Products and Nigerian Medicinal Plants (2 Units) |
PCG 321 |
- Plant collection, identification, preparation, and storage of herbarium specimens.
- Standardization/evaluation of crude drugs with particular emphasis on chemical constituents, adulteration, microbial contamination, toxic residues, pests and pesticides (molluscicides, insecticides, rodenticide, herbicides etc.), moisture content, ash values, extractive values, crude fibres and other numerical values of crude drugs.
- Natural sources of fibres and surgical dressings, and pharmaceutical raw materials.
- The secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, amino acids, steroids, carbohydrates, peptides and proteins, alkaloids and terpenes, purines and xanthines, nitrogenous bases and nucleic acids will be discussed under the following headings: biological sources, types, chemistry, classification, identification tests, medicinal uses, and toxicities.
- Study of at least 20 Nigerian medicinal plants taking at least two examples from each of the following plant families: Solaneceae, Rubiaceae, Apocynaceae, Ranunculaceae, Erythroxylaceae, Amaranthaceae, Icanthaceae, Anacadiaceae, Annonaceae, Ascliapediaceae or any other plant family. The study should follow the following headings: scientific name (generic, specific or species, authority, and family), common name and synonyms, local names and any foreign name. For each plant, the study will involve the anatomical and histological inherent characteristics of the plant organ, major chemical medicinal compounds in the organ.
| Practicals on Evaluation of Organized Crude Drugs (1 Unit) |
PCG 323 |
- Experiments to cover topics discussed in the theory classes. Macroscopic examination of organized crude drugs
- Microscopy of powdered crude drug and sections, chemo microscopy, organoleptic of the leaf, stem bark, root rhizomes, bulbs, fruits and seeds, flowers.
- Numerical standards where applicable
- Field trips to herbal homes/clinics, medicinal plant gardens/forests areas
- Demonstration of photo-microscopy technique
- Use of camera lucida and lycopodium spores in drug evaluation
| Phytochemistry of Secondary Plant Metabolites (2 Units) |
PCG 421 |
- Extraction methods including maceration, percolation, Soxhlet and counter-current, microwave, supercritical carbon dioxide etc. Advantages and disadvantages of each method.
- Separation of extracts and isolation methods: solvent-solvent fractionation;
- Chromatographic techniques: Principles of chromatography, adsorbents and solvents in chromatography, and their applications.
- Types of chromatographic techniques: Analytical thin layer, preparative layer, conventional column, High performance thin layer, High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Vacuum liquid, Droplet counter-current chromatography (DCCC), gas chromatography (GC), gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography, flash chromatography, moderate pressure liquid chromatography and affinity chromatography.
- Phytochemical compounds of medicinal importance: alkaloids – Tropane alkaloids (including cocaine), quinoline, isoquinoline, indole, imidazole, purine, steroidal alkaloidal glycosides. The Indian hemp, glycosides (cardiac, cyanogenetic, glycosinolate), phenolics (tannins and flavonoids), steroids and terpenoids (artemisinin). These will be treated under the following headings: botanical sources, identification methods, chemistry and physiochemical properties of the compounds, medicinal importance, and toxicity.
| Practical Phytoevaluation/Phytoanalysis (1 unit) |
PCG 422 |
- Test of medicinal plants for the presence of classes treated in the theory (general and specific tests for secondary plant metabolites)
- Analytical TLC
- Preparative layer and paper chromatography
- Qualitative and quantitative TLC
- Column separation
- Gas chromatography (GC) – Demonstration only, to be applied for the analysis of volatile oils.
| Alternative Medicines and Biosynthetic Pathways (2 Units) |
PCG 521 |
- This course will introduce various categories of alternative/ complementary medicinal practices and explore the reasons for the rising trend towards alternative medicine including cultural, socio-economic, immigration, and perceptions of conventional medicine.
- Herbal medicine
- Mind-body interventions. Manual manipulations, Asian and Chinese healing methods. Aromatherapy, Ethno-psychiatry, hypnosis, acupuncture, diet, homoeopathy, traditional birth attendance, Exercise, prayer and meditation, energy therapies, nutrition and lifestyles, psychiatry, bone setting, hydrotherapy, will be discussed.
- Global situation in the use of traditional medicine will be discussed.
- The course will use case studies to enhance understanding of the relationship between the various alternative medical practices and orthodox medicine.
- Formulations of phytomedicines of some Nigerian medicinal plants.
- Physicochemical properties involved in the formulation of phytomedicines will be discussed.
- Substantial emphasis will be laid on physiochemical and pharmacological assessment of quality, efficacy and safety.
- NAFDAC, WHO and PCN regulations for assessment, standardization and registration of herbal drugs will be discussed.
- History and present state of herbal medicine.
- Biosynthetic partway for secondary plant metabolites:
- Shikimic acid pathway (alkaloid biosynthesis)
- Glycolytic cycle
- Terpenoids and steroids (isoprenoid compounds)
- Use of radioactive tracers in the biosynthesis of secondary plant metabolites
- Plant tissue culture to produce secondary metabolites.
