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From Ethnopharmacy to Molecular Pharmacognosy
Von Ethnopharmazie zu molekularer Pharmakognosie
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:07:56
Abstract
Basic understanding and awareness of ethnopharmaceutical and ethnopharmacological issues and research. Knowledge of methods used in drug discovery from natural sources. Discussion of the issues around law and international treaties. Importance of ethnopharmaceutical knowledge for world health.
Objective
Basic understanding and awareness of ethnopharmaceutical and ethnopharmacological issues and research. Knowledge of methods used in drug discovery from natural sources. Discussion of the issues around law and international treaties. Importance of ethnopharmaceutical knowledge for world health.
Content
Introduction to ethnopharmacy and related disciplines: definitions of terms, working methods, research projects. Traditional medicinal plants from various cultural contexts and their significance in modern Western medicine (rational basis of traditional use). Natural product-based drug discovery and integrative strategies for identifying active agents (the ethnopharmacological approach compared to other approaches). The role of ethnopharmacology in drug development. Historical medical texts as resources for modern drug discovery. Traditional knowledge regarding the control of infectious diseases and its application in research and development, as well as its implementation in development cooperation. Ethnopharmacological and cultural-historical perspectives on selected examples of psychoactive drugs and poisons, and their significance in contemporary research. Considerations on research and development involving natural products and the protection of biodiversity (CBD, Rio 1992; Nagoya 2010). A critical examination of bioprospecting, superfoods and ‘trendy plants’, empirical knowledge versus evidence-based medicine.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Handouts will be provided.
Literature
Ethnopharmacology (2015) Michael Heinrich, Anna K. Jäger, Wiley Blackwell, Chichester, West Sussex
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- BSC , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Von Ethnopharmazie zu molekularer Pharmakognosie | No time listed | 1 h weekly |