FLORA MEDICINALE REGIONALE

Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: ROSARIA ACQUAVIVA

Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Ability to Understand: The course provides the tools for the recognition of the main families of plants of herbal and health interest in the regional medicinal flora 

Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding: the student acquires the skills necessary to understand the use and utilization of medicinal plants of the regional medicinal flora in the health sector 

Ability to Learn: the student becomes capable of recognizing and identifying the morphological traits peculiar to plants of the regional medicinal flora 

Autonomy of judgment: the student develops critical thinking skills in being able to observe and recognize medicinal plants both in situ and ex situ

Problem-solving skills: the student is challenged to recognize the botanical and health characteristics of medicinal plants as well as techniques for collecting and preserving plant specimens.

Course Structure

The course will be structured in frontal teaching with power point projection and/or short films and group exercises in the laboratory. During the course there will be exercises and problem based learning. Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programe planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD:
To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the teaching objectives and specifications needs. It is also possible to contact the CInAP contact person (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of the Department, prof.ssa Santina Chiechio.

 

Required Prerequisites

No minimum prerequisites

Attendance of Lessons

Attendance is compulsory according to the regulations of the teaching regulations of the CdS in SFA as reported in the link: http://www.dsf.unict.it/corsi/l-29_sfa/regolamento-didattico

Detailed Course Content

- Methods for collecting, preserving and cataloging plants (herbarium).
- Morphological characters mainly used in plant classification.
- Use of analytical keys for identification of families.
- Description of taxa of medicinal interest mainly distributed in the region.

Gymnospermae: Cupressaceae, Pinaceae

 Angiospermae:

LILIOPSIDA (MONOCOTILEDONES)

Alliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, Asphodelaceae, Colchicaceae, Smilacaceae,

 

MAGNOLIOPSIDA (DICOTILEDONES)

Apiaceae, Asteraceae Betulaceae, Brassicaceae, Boraginaceae, Cactaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Clusiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Equisetaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Linaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae,

Oleaceae, Papaveraceae, Plantaginaceae, Portucalaceae, Rosaceae, Rutaceae, Salicaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Urticaceae, Valerianaceae.

Textbook Information

Gastaldo P. Compendio della Flora Officinale Italiana, Piccin Ed

Giardina G. Piante rare della Sicilia. Università degli studi Palermo. Cultura Botanica Ed. 

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

The exam dates are published on the website of the Department of Drug Science: https://www.dsf.unict.it/corsi/l-29_sfa/calendario-esami.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it. Information for students with disabilities and / or SLD: To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the teaching objectives and specifications needs. It is also possible to contact the CInAP contact person (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and / or SLD) of the Department, Prof.ssa Santina Chiechio. 

EVALUATIVE CRITERIA
The final exam will be evaluated based on the following indicators weighted equally and consistent with what is described in the expected learning outcomes (Dublin Descriptors):
- personal processing skills and operational initiative;
- ability to consult and use bibliographic materials;
- expository skills;
- scientific understanding of the topic.
Therefore, the final grade takes into account various factors listed below.
Quality of knowledge, skills, competencies possessed and/or manifested:
(a) appropriateness, correctness and congruence of knowledge
(b) appropriateness, correctness and congruence of skills
(c) appropriateness, correctness and congruence of skills
Expository mode:
(a) Expressive ability;
(b) Appropriate use of discipline-specific language;
(c) Logical skills and consequentiality in linking content;
(d) Ability to connect different topics by finding common points and establishing a coherent overall pattern, i.e., taking care of structure, organization and logical connections of expository discourse;
(e) Ability to synthesize including through the use of the subject's own symbolism and the graphic expression of notions and concepts, in the form of, for example, formulas, diagrams, equations.
Relational qualities:
Willingness to exchange and interact with the lecturer during the interview.
Personal qualities:
(a) critical spirit;
(b) ability to self-evaluate;
(c) problem-solving skills;
(d) ability to make decisions.
 
Based on the above, the rating can be:
(a) Sufficient (18 to 20/30)
Candidate demonstrates little acquired knowledge, superficial level, many gaps. Modest expressive skills, but still sufficient to sustain a coherent dialogue; logical skills and consequentiality in connecting topics of elementary level; poor synthesis skills and rather stunted graphic expression skills; poor interaction with the lecturer during the interview.
(b) Fair (21 to 23)
Candidate demonstrates fair acquisition of notions, but little in-depth study, few gaps; more than sufficient expressive skills to sustain a coherent dialogue; acceptable command of scientific language; logical skills and consequentiality in connecting topics of moderate complexity; more than sufficient ability to synthesize and acceptable graphic expression skills.
Example Questions: 1.Describe the morphology and classification of the plant body 2. Describe the morphology of meristematic tissues 4. Characteristics and function of primary and secondary metabolites 5. Biotechnology of medicinal plants. 6. Medicinal plants for the production of hormones, vaccines, and natural and bioactive products.
(c) Good (24 to 26)
The candidate demonstrates a fairly broad background, moderate depth of knowledge, with small gaps; satisfactory expressive skills and significant mastery of scientific language; well-detectable dialogical skills and critical spirit; good synthesis skills and more than acceptable graphical expression skills.
(d) Excellent (27 to 29)
The candidate demonstrates a very extensive, well-developed body of knowledge, with marginal gaps; remarkable expressive skills and high mastery of scientific language; remarkable dialogical ability, good competence and relevant aptitude for logical synthesis; high synthesis and graphic expression skills.
(e) Excellent (30)
The candidate demonstrates a very extensive and in-depth knowledge base, any gaps irrelevant; high expressive ability and high mastery of scientific language; remarkable dialogical ability, marked aptitude for making connections between different topics; excellent synthesis ability and great familiarity with graphic expression.
Honors are awarded to candidates who are clearly above average, and whose possible limitations in notional, expressive, conceptual, and logical skills are on the whole completely irrelevant.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

1. Criteria and techniques for the preparation of a herbarium

2. Classification of leaves 

3. Description and uses of the Malvaceae

4. Description and uses of the Apiaceae