Economic Botany, Ethnomedicine and Phytochemistry (B.Sc Botany)

Economically important plants, medicinal plants and traditional knowledge, and plant secondary metabolites.

6 MonthsDuration 5Chapters23Topics

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Syllabus · पाठ्यक्रम

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01Unit 1: Origin of Cultivated Plants 4 topics

Domestication of plants
Vavilov's centres of origin
Green revolution and crop improvement (outline)
Plant genetic resources

02Unit 2: Economically Important Plants 5 topics

Cereals: wheat, rice, maize
Pulses and oil seeds
Fibres: cotton and jute
Sugar, beverages (tea, coffee) and spices
Timber, rubber and fuel plants

03Unit 3: Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plants 4 topics

Ethnobotany and ethnomedicine
AYUSH systems of medicine
Rauvolfia, Withania, Ocimum, Azadirachta, Aloe, Curcuma, Tinospora
Traditional knowledge, biopiracy and IPR

04Unit 4: Phytochemistry 5 topics

Primary and secondary metabolites
Alkaloids
Terpenoids and essential oils
Phenolics, flavonoids and tannins
Glycosides and saponins

05Unit 5: Extraction and Analysis of Phytochemicals 5 topics

Maceration, percolation and Soxhlet extraction
Hydro-distillation of essential oils
Qualitative tests for phytochemicals
Thin layer chromatography
Standardisation of herbal drugs (outline)

About

You will be able to

Explain Vavilov's centres of origin and the domestication of crop plants
Describe the botanical source, useful part and uses of important cereals, pulses, fibres, oils, beverages and spices
Explain ethnobotany and the uses of important medicinal plants in traditional systems
Discuss traditional knowledge, biopiracy and intellectual property rights
Classify plant secondary metabolites and describe methods of their extraction and detection

Who it is for

B.Sc Botany students of Semester 4 (UP State Universities NEP 2020 common minimum syllabus)
Students interested in herbal, pharmaceutical and agri-business careers

What you need

B.Sc Botany Semesters 1-3
Basic organic chemistry

Questions

Which syllabus does this course follow?

It follows the UP State Universities NEP 2020 common minimum syllabus for B.Sc Botany, Semester 4. Where your own university's syllabus differs, the centre follows your university's syllabus and question pattern.

Does this course teach herbal treatment?

No. It teaches the botany and chemistry of useful plants for the university exam; it does not give medical advice.

Is there a test after the course?

Yes. Unit-wise multiple-choice tests and a final exam paper are included for semester exam practice.