Dr. Joseph Dallon, Jr.
Office: G-324
Phone: (201) 684-7730, Secretary's extension: 7748
SBIO 0236 MEDICINAL PLANTS
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Perspectives in the history, development, and applications of wild and cultivated plants possessing properties os sustaining health, healing ailments, and curing diseases. Emphasis is on the identification, distribution, propagation, uses, and cultivationof plants determined to have medicinal, nourishing, psychoactive, or injurious qualities. Attention is given to methods of extraction, purification, preparation and application of plants and their products in maintaining and restoring health, and to certain species used for culinary purposes.
GOALS OF THE COURSE:
1. To acquaint the student with knowledge and history of plants in medicine and with the application of extracts and other preparations of plant substances used in the maintenance and preservation of human health.
2. To develop a sense of importance of the
maintenance of virgin rain forests and other lands where native and
irreplaceable plants may be
found, exclussively.
3. To understand the basics of the applications
and actions of plant extracts, tinctures, poltices, and other products in
maintaining, restoring, and
preserving human health.
4. To emphasis the responsibility of the world's
scientific and political communities in preserving and maintaining areas
where native plants with
known and potential medicinal value may still be found.
5. To understand the importance of symbolic relationships between flora and fauna in the natural environment.
6. To identify and characterize certain plants and
their products, as they are employed in the maintenance of vital human
systems in health
preservation and restoraton.
COURSE OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
Herbal renaissance, History and development of plants in medicine
CLASSIFICATION OF HERBAL, MEDICINAL, AROMATIC, AND
CULINARY PLANTS
Botanical and horticultural classifications
Geographical distribution
APPROACHES TO HEALTH MAINTENANCE
Allopathy
Homeopathy
SURVEY OF PLANTS WITH MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Vascular plants: herbs, trees, shrubs, and vines
Non-vascular plants and fungi
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ACTION
Synthesis and modes action
Methods of extraction and purification of biologically active
substances
FEDERAL DRUGS ADMINISTRATION RESTRICTION AND CONTROLS
PROPAGATION PRACTICES
Conventional and micropropagation methods
Preservation and improvement of genotypes
AYURVEDIC APPROACHES TO HUMAN HEALTH
Parameters of mind, body, and spirit
Energy centers
PLANTS WITH REMEDIAL QUALITIES
PLANTS WITH PSYCHOACTIVE QUALITIES
Stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants
PLANTS WITH INJURIOUS QUALITIES
Poisonous and toxic substances
AROMATHERAPY
Essential oils and their uses
Message therapy and reflexology
Text:
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING POLICY
Quizzes (2)
25%
Mid-term exam
25%
Paper & presentation
25%
Final exam
25%
Each student is required to do a research paper on a chosen aspect of a medicinal,
herbal,
aromatic, culinary, halucinogenic, injurious (poisonous), or essential oil producing
plant(s).
The student will also make a presentation of the paper to the class with graphic support,
using slide, overhead, or Power Point projection. Criteria for evaluation are listed
below.
Grading criteria for paper
Grading criteria for
presentation
Interest
Interest
Content
Content
Organization
Organization
Illustrations
Illustrations
Apparent effort
Apparent effort
Literature citations
Command of subject matter
Note:
1. A
schedule for submission of papers and for presentations will be given by the instructor.
Papers are due at the
time
the presentation is made.
2.
Papers are not accepted beyond the scheduled due date
3.
Presentations are not accommodated beyond the scheduled date
4.
Make-up quizzes nor exams are given
5.
Letter grades are awarded on the following basis:
A 93 & above
C+ 74-76
A- 89-92
C 70-73
B+ 85-88
C- 67-69
B 80-84
D+ 65-67
B- 77-79
D 60-64
Below 63 results in an F
TENTATIVE LECTURE-DISCUSSION TOPICS
Week 1 Course requirements. History and development
of plants as sources for curative substances in disease control and
health
maintenance. Plants and their varied effects on human health. Antiseptic,
antibiotic, hallucinogenic, and pest
retarding
properties of wild and cultivated herbs and other plants. Herbal renaissance.
Week 2 Horticultural and botanical classifications of herbal and medicinal plants
Week 3 Allopathic and homeopathic approaches to health maintenance
Week 4 Plants with medicinal, aromatic, and culinary
properties; essential oil producing plants
Healing properties of non-vascular plants
Quiz 1
Week 5 Synthesis, transport, and storage of plant products
Week 6 FDA regulations
Food supplements vs drugs
Week 7 Propagation of herbal and medicinal plants
Mid term exam
Week 8 Ayerveda; mind, body, spirit effects
Energy centers
Week 9 Applications of selected medicinal plants
Ailments of the skin
Ailments of the digestive and cardiovascular systems
Week 10 Applications of selected medicinal plants
Ailments of the reproductive systems
Ailments affecting behavior and the endocrine systems
Week 11 Aromatherapy and reflexology
Week 12 Extraction and purification of plant products
Quiz 2
Week 13 Student presentations
Week 14 Student presentations
Week 15 Final Exam
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