Course code UPM30
Course title Industrial Uses of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants
Institution Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
Course address ETSI Montes.Ciudad Universitaria s/n.28040 Madrid
City Madrid
Minimum year of study 3rd year
Minimum level of English Good
Minimum level of French None
Key words Aromatic plants, medicinal plants, essential oil, extracts
Language English
Professor responsible Mª Paz Arraiza Bermúdez-Cañete
Telephone +34 91 336 63 80
Fax +34 91 336 63 86
Email paz.arraiza@upm.es
Participating professors
  • M. Paz Arraiza
  • J. L. de Pedro
  • C. Arrabal
  • G. Martín Muñoz
  • I. García Amorena
  • R. Torrejón
  • J. M. Rubiales
Number of places Minimum: 10, Maximum: 30, Reserved for local students:
Objectives

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) represent a relatively new area of education with considerable interest.

 Emphasis has been focused on establishing a fundamental understanding of the tradition and science that envelops medicinal and aromatic plant materials and building foundations in horticulture, ethnobotany, chemistry, plant identification, and applications related to medicinal and aromatic plants.

The course provides the BASSIC knowledge of medicinal plants, drugs, their active principles and relative extraction, identification and stability, together with the skills for the management, transformation and use of officinal plants and their derivatives.
Programme to be followed

  • UNIT 1. Introduction. Classification of MAPs.

  • UNIT 2. Raw material. Cultivation and Processing.Cultivation, harvesting, drying and transformation of raw material 

  • UNIT 3.Active Principles in MAPs. Essential oils. Extracts Alkaloids, Glycosides, Bitter compounds, Tannins, Terpenes, Resins, Mucilage, Pectin, Carotenes.

  • UNIT 4. Chemical Analysis of MAPs. Quality control. Distillation. Extraction. Gas and Liquid Chromatography. 

  • UNIT 5. Industrial utilization of MAPs. Pharmacology. Phytotherapy.Homeopathy. Aromatherapy. Wine and spirits. Perfumery and cosmetics.

  • UNIT 6. MAPs from tropical forests of Africa and South america

Prerequisites None
Course exam
  • Course Assitance
  • Written exam at the end of the course.
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