DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOGNOSY AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
AVAILABLE PROGRAMMES
I. Master of Pharmacy (MPharm)
II. Master Of Science (MSc)
III. Doctor Of Philosophy (PhD)
1. PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of the programme is to produce higher caliber Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine who are well equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills in analytical, evaluation and separation techniques required to occupy positions in academics, industrial, governmental and research organizations in the service of a developing national economy.
2. VISION AND MISSION
2.1 Vision
To be an internationally recorgnised centre of excellence in Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine knowledge and research within the next 10 years
2.2 Mission
To deliver cutting edge skills and knowledge to our students equipping them both to service the contemporary needs of the industries, academia and government; and maintain global competitiveness.
3. AIM AND OBJECTIVES
3.1 Aim
The aim of the programme is to raise specialized manpower in Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, with the requisite knowledge, skills and right attitude to pursue career in Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, and related fields.
3.2 Objectives
The postgraduate programme in Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine aims at:
(a) Producing specialized manpower needed for institutions of higher learning.
(b) Producing high-level manpower required for Research institutes and industries.
(c) Providing adequate knowledge to explore and exploit the possible use of indigenous Nigerian Herbal/Traditional Medicines and formulation of these phytomedicines.
(d) Producing specialized cadre of personnel, who would assist in the integration of Herbal Medicine into Modern Medicine.
4. CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT PROSPECT
4.1 Career
The courses are designed to increase the students’ knowledge of various areas in Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine including phytomedicinal separation processes, standardization of herbal drugs, identification and evaluation of herbal medicines, clinical pharmacognosy and phytochemistry. The successful postgraduate students shall be well equipped for careers in industries dealing with quality control, product discovery and development, chemical and pharmaceutical raw-materials sourcing, and in academic institutions, teaching/ research hospitals, quality control/assurance research institutes, research and development (R &D.), custom synthesis and analysis.
4.2 Employment Prospect
On successful completion of the postgraduate programme, the student will be able to pursue careers in teaching and research institutions, hospitals and in industries. The successful postgraduate student will be able to originate and conduct meaningful and relevant research
in a chosen field of Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine and act as a consultant for traditional practitioners in their respective communities for standardization of useful medicinal plants.
5. PROGRAMMES OFFERED AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Programme Offered
Master of Science (MSc)/Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
5.2 Admission Requirements Admission Requirements
a. O’level
5 O’ level credits to include English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, physics obtained at not more than two sittings
b. Master’s Degree
i. Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm)
The candidate must have a first degree with a FCGPA of at not less than 3.0 in Pharmacy from Nnamdi Azikiwe University or a recognized University.
ii. Master of Science (M.Sc.)
The candidate must have a first degree with a FCGPA of at not less than 3.0 in Botany, Crop Sciences, Plant Biology, Chemistry, Biology or Biochemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University or a recognized University.
c. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree
A candidate who holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Biology/Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology (Ethno Pharmacology Option), Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry or Botany with an FCGPA not less than 3.50 on a 5 Point Scale or an average of 60%, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University or a recognized University may be admitted provided the University Matriculation requirement is satisfied
6. STAFF PROFILE
Name of Staff Qualifications Rank Specialization
1. Christopher O. Ezugwu B.Pharm (1986),
M.Pharm Pharmacognosy (1989), Ph.D Pharmacognosy
(2005). Adjunct Professor Phytochemistr, standardization, Phytoevaluation / Ethnobotanical
evaluation.
2.Ikemefuna C. Uzochukwu B.Pharm (1992),
M.Pharm (2003), PhD
(2007) Reader 1. Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design
2. Quality Control and Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry
3. Natural Products Medicinal Chemistry
3. Festus B.C. Okoye B.Pharm (2000),
M.Pharm (2003), PhD
(2009) Reader 1. Natural Products Medicinal Chemistry
2. Pharmaceutical Analysis
3. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
4. Felix Ahamefule Onyegbule BSc. Chemistry (2000), MSc. Pharmaceutical Chemistry (2005), Ph.D Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Analysis) (2013) Senior Lecturer Natural Products; Medicinal Chemistry; Pharmaceutical Analysis; Phytochemistry and Herbal drug standardisation/ profiling/quality
assessment
7. AVAILABLE AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
1. Phytochemistry
2. Biomedicinal Chemistry
3. Ethnobotany
4. Phytopharmacology
5. Drug Evaluation and Quality Control
8. DURATION OF PROGRAMME MASTERS:
– Full Time: Minimum of 3 Semesters Maximum of 6 Semesters
– Part Time: Minimum of 4 Semesters Maximum of 8 Semesters
Ph.D.:
– Full Time: Minimum of 6 Semesters Maximum of 10 Semesters
– Part Time: Minimum of 8 Semesters
Maximum of 14 Semesters
9. TOTAL REQUIRED CREDIT FOR GRADUATION MASTERS:
Course work: 30 units Thesis: 12units
Total: 42 units
PhD:
Course work: 9 units Seminar: 3 units
Dissertation: 18 units
Total: 30 units
10. COURSE DISTRIBUTION PER SEMESTER
10.1 MSc/ MPharm Course Distribution Table
First Semester
Course Code Third Semester Units
PCG 801 Advanced research techniques in Pharmacognosy (core) 3
PCG 831 Comparative Phytochemistry (Option 1, 2 and 4) 3
PCG 834 Microscopical drug analysis (Option 3 and 5) 3
PCG 835 Advanced Separation Techniques in Pharmacognosy (Option 1, 2, 4 and 5) 3
PCG 837 Quality Control and Standardization of Herbal Medicines
(Option 2, 3 and 5) 3
PCG 803 Laboratory Instruction Orientations (core) 3
Total Credits 15
Second Semester
Course
Code Course Title Units
PCG 802 Analytical Techniques in Pharmacognosy(core) 3
PCG 832 Medicinal and poisonous plants of Nigeria (Option 1, 2, 3 and 4) 3
PCG 834 Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices (Option 1, 3, 4 and 5) 3
PCG 804 Applied Biostatistics (core) 3
PCG 806 Field Trip and Clinical Pharmacognosy Rotation (Core) 3
Total Credits 15
Course Code Course Title Units
PCG 809 Thesis (core) 12
Total Credits 42
10.2 Ph.D Course Distribution Table
FIRST YEAR First Semester
Course Code Course Title Units
PCG 901 Applications of Bioinformatics in the Biomedical Sciences (CORE) 2
PCG 931 Chemotaxonomy and Advanced Phytochemistry 2
PCG 933 Phytogenetics and Plant Cell/Tissue Culture 2
PCG 935 Novel drugs from medicinal plants 2
Total Credits 6
FIRST YEAR Second Semester
Course Code Course Title Units
PCG 906 Seminar I & II Research Grant and Proposal Writing (CORE) 9
PCG 932 Advanced Biomedicinal Chemistry 2
PCG 934 Herbal Medicine Formulation and Standardization 2
PCG 936 Advanced Structural elucidation of plant constituents 2
Total Credits 6
SECOND AND THIRD YEARS
Course Code Course Title Units
PCG 909 Dissertation (CORE) 18
Total Credits 30
11. COURSE DESCRIPTION
COURSE DESCRIPTION (MSc/MPHARM)
PCG 801: Advanced research and separation techniques in Pharmacognosy
3 units Quantitative microscopic evaluation of crude drugs; Microtome, histological techniques and photomicrography; Radioactive Tracers-Applications in Pharmaceutical Biology; Advances
in Chromatographic Techniques and their applications in the study of crude drugs. Principles of the different chromatographic techniques. Qualitative and quantitative chromatography; molecular and biotechnological approaches in the evaluation of medicinal plants.
PCG 802: Analytical Techniques in Pharmacognosy 3 units Spectroscopic evaluation of the active constituents of medicinal plants. Structure elucidation of secondary plant metabolites by a combination spectroscopic and chemical analysis. Pharmacognostical applications of absorption photometry; emission photometry, coulometry; electrogravimetry; tracer techniques (use of Geiger muller counters and scintillation counters); x-ray diffraction analysis; optical rotary dispersion in drug standardization.
PCG 803: Laboratory Instruction Orientations 3 units
This involves participation in the preparation and instruction of undergraduate practicals in Pharmacacognosy and Traditional Medicinal Department as a teaching assistant followed by the submission of a written report in the form of a Logbook and laboratory report of assigned practicals in critical areas of pharmacognosy .
PHM 804: Applied Biostatistics 3 units
Biostatistical definitions: Variance, Standard Deviation and Standard Error,. Normal Distribution; Confidence Limits; Meaning and uses of statistics; Frequency distribution; Sampling and sampling techniques, questionnaire design; Measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion; Probability and probability distribution; Estimation, Point and interval estimation; Test of hypothesis; Regression and correlation; Chi-Square; Null Hypothesis, T-test; Analysis of Variance, one way and two way ANOVA; Simple non- parametric tests; Latin Square Design; Randomized complete Block Design; Missing Data; Sub sampling; Transformation; Analysis of clinical trials; Application; Fertility indicators and positive health indicator and index; Pictorial presentation of data: pie chat, bar charts, etc; Risk assessment, odd ratios etc; study of various computer packages relevant in solving pharmaceutical and biomedical problems.
PCG 806: Field Trip and Clinical Pharmacognosy Rotation 3 units
Field trips to designated botanical gardens and a 1-2 weeks rotation in any approved traditional medical center followed by a written report to be submitted to the supervisor/ Field trip coordinator.
PCG 831: Comparative Phytochemistry 3 units
Plant metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary plant metabolites-plant growth regulators- chemotaxonomy of medicinal plants. Differential accumulation of various groups of plant constituents by plant drugs. Chemical racism and plant genetics-cytotoxic agents of plants origin. Alkaloids as drugs of addiction. Saponins and their relationship to steroidal hormones: development of new therapeutic agents from natural products.
PCG 832: Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Nigeria 3 units Botanical and geographical sources, history, morphology, medicinal or toxic constituents and action of the important medicinal and poisonous plants growing in Nigeria- therapeutic agents from African flora.
PCG 833 Microscopical Drug Analysis (3credits) Advancedtechniques in microscopical analysis of drug – Lycopodium spore, camera lucida and their applications in the evaluation of crude drugs; polarizing microscopy; electron microscopy, phase- contrast microscopy. Quantitative microscopy. Microscopical evaluation of crude drugs and standardization of crude drugs.
PCG 834: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices and Quality Control
3 units
The practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Africa, Asia, Europe, America, Australia etc. The practice of Ayurverda, Chiropraxis, homeopathy, African Traditional Medicine etc; Intergration of CAM into health care schemes-examples of countries like China, India and Australia etc. Study of selected CAMs marketed globally such as St. John’s Wort, Ginkobiloba, Panax and Siberian Ginseng, Aloe vera, Ginger, Garlic, Senna leaf, Mistletoe etc. Methods of standardizing herbal medicines including macroscopic and microscopic techniques, UV-spectroscopy, HPLC fingerprinting and other modern standardization techniques. Pharmacopoeal standards for various named herbal drugs; Aspects of quality control of herbal medicine formulations including estimation of shelf-life, physicochemical characterization, microbiological characterization etc.
PCG 835: Advanced Separation Techniques in Pharmacognosy 3 units Theoretical concepts including partition chromatography, absorption chromatography, advances in ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography and zone electrophoresis, column chromatography, paper chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, droplet counter current chromatography, (DCCC), flash affinity and zone analysis chromatography; the choice of a suitable chromatographic procedure. Application of these techniques in the qualitative separation of medicinal plant constituent.
PCG 837: Quality Control and Standardization of Herbal Medicines 3 units Methods of standardizing herbal medicines including macroscopic and microscopic techniques, UV-spectroscopy, HPLC fingerprinting and other modern standardization techniques. Pharmacopoeal standards for various named herbal drugs; Aspects of quality control of herbal medicine formulations including estimation of shelf-life, physicochemical characterization, microbiological characterization etc. Chemical and Physicochemical properties of the crude drug that affect formulation processes and dosage forms that could guide in analytical method development for herbal preparations. Biological test systems for evaluation of medicinal plant materials.
PCG 809: Research thesis 12 units
The candidate is expected to carry out a research in any field of Pharmaceutical Biology viz: Phytochemistry; Biomedicinal chemistry; Ethnobotany; Phytopharmacology; Drug evaluation and quality control.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (PhD)
PCG 901: Applications of Bioinformatics in the Biomedical Sciences 2 units
A detailed over-view of bioinformatics; a treatise on the concepts of genomics, proteomics and their various applications in drug design, discovery and evaluation, plant DNA barcoding etc.
PCG 906: Seminar I & II: Research Grant and Proposal Writing 3 units Presentation of a seminar on any selected topic of current relevance after the approval of the supervisor and/or the Departmental PG Coordinator. This seminar must hold in the first semester of the first year of the programme. Defense of a proposal for a research grant written on any selected topic of current relevance after the approval of the supervisor and/or the Departmental PG Coordinator. This seminar must hold in the second semester of the second year of the programme.
PCG 931: Chemotaxonomy and Advanced Phytochemistry 2 units Introduction, Definations/Terminologies; techniques in chemotaxonomy. Importance of phytochemical constituents in plant taxonomy. Role of genetics, DNA/RNA hybridization in taxonomy. Phytochemistry of secondary metabolites from lower plants like algae, lichens, ferns and marine plants.
PCG 932: Advanced Biomedicinal Chemistry 2 units Metabolic pathways and aberrant reactions-physiochemical consideration in drug action – animal endochemicals as sources of biologically active molecules- modulation of natural products to improve their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Bioprecursors and carrier pro-drugs from natural products.
PCG 933: Phytogenetics and Plant Cell/ Tissue Culture 2 units
The Gene as a hereditary material; structure and mode of expressions; nuclear and cytoplasmic genes and their mode of inheritance; Gene mutation, chromosomal aberrations and polyploidy. Genetic base of plant cell/tissue culture. Techniques and applications of Plant Cell and Tissue Culture for the production of plant metabolites with specific examples of alkaloids, glycosides terpenes/steroids, and antibiotics obtained though plant cell and tissue cultures. Genetically-modified medicinal plants.
PCG 934: Herbal Medicine Formulation and Standardization 2 units
Basic principles of formulating herbal medicines into liquid, solid and semi- solid/topical dosage forms including suspensions, infusions, tinctures, syrups, capsules, tablets, creams, ointments etc. Chemical and Physicochemical properties of the crude drug that affect formulation processes and dosage forms. Biological test systems for evaluation of medicinal plant materials. Standardization of herbal medicinal formulations using simple spectroscopic, titrimetric and pharmacodynamic techniques.
PCG 935: Novel drugs from medicinal plants 2 units Medicinal plants as alternatives suitable for conventional standard drugs. Phytopharmacology, biogenesis and therapeutic potentials of the following classes of drugs: Anti-tumour agents, Cardiovascular drugs, Anti-malarial, Anti-microbial, antidiabetic, anti- ulcer, anti-hypertensive, immunomodulatory, Steroids and hormones of plant origin.
PCG 936: Advanced Structural elucidation of plant constituents 2 units Methods for isolating and elucidating high molecular weight phytoconstituents such as carbohydrates and other polymeric compounds; structural elucidation of plant and invertebrate proteins of biological importance; elucidation of novel compounds from marine organisms.
PCG 909: Doctoral dissertation 18 units
Thoroughly researched and adequately analyzed results of the data which must contribute significantly to the overall knowledge and insight of Pharmaceutical Biology and Traditional Medicine