OVERVIEW

The course is designed to introduce students to the metabolomic approach in the study of aromatic and medicinal plants.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to equip students with a foundational understanding of metabolomics and its role in characterizing the metabolic profiles of plants of pharmaceutical interest. It will highlight the various classes of specialized plant metabolites. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the essential knowledge to describe the main analytical techniques used in metabolomics studies and data interpretation, with applications in health and well-being. Additionally, students will develop basic skills for understanding and analyzing scientific literature.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in lectures, combined with individual study, will enable students to acquire a basic understanding of the metabolomic profiling of plant species of pharmaceutical interest. Fundamental concepts will be provided concerning the application of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for identifying the metabolic profile of plant species. Additionally, essential concepts for the application of bioinformatics and statistical tools in data processing will be introduced. Finally, case studies will be presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the metabolomic approach in assessing the quality and authenticity of aromatic and medicinal plants, as well as in identifying bioactive compounds.

PREREQUISITES

There are no specific requirements.

TEACHING METHODS

The course comprises lectures and a theoretical and practical laboratory component. Illustrated teaching materials (slides) will be provided to students at the beginning of the lessons via Aulaweb. Students are encouraged to download the teaching materials from the start of the course, so they have a reference during lessons where they can add notes, comments, etc. Learning assessments are planned.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), disabilities, or other educational needs that have been duly submitted to the university are invited to contact the professor and the disability coordinator of the School/Department at the beginning of the course to agree on any teaching methods that, while respecting the course objectives, take into account individual learning styles.

IMPORTANT: Requests for accommodations during in-progress tests MUST be made at least 10 working days before the scheduled date of the test, following the instructions carefully on the page https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/comunicazioni.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1_1a_Introduction to metabolomics: definition, context, and objectives of metabolomics: Overview of “omics” sciences (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics). 1b_ Role of metabolomics in the study of aromatic and medicinal plants. 1c_ Metabolomics as a tool for understanding plant-environment interactions.

2-2a_Analytical techniques for metabolomics: preparation of plant samples for metabolomic analysis: Collection, preservation, extraction methods. Fractionation techniques for specialized metabolites extracted from plant matrices. 2b_ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy: Physical principles and instrumentation. Gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LC-MS): Physical principles and instrumentation. 2c_ Overview of other techniques: medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC), high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD), and UV-Vis spectroscopy.

3_Data Processing and Interpretation: statistical multivariate approaches, main bioinformatics tools. metabolic pathway analysis and functional enrichment.

4_ Applications in health and well-being: 4a_ Characterization of active principles: Examples of metabolomic screenings for identifying new molecules with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory activity, etc. 4b_ Correlation between metabolic profile and biological activity in in vitro, in vivo, and in silico assays.

5_Practical Aspects and Case Studies: Case study analysis of aromatic and medicinal plants. Exercises on interpreting real data (spectra, chromatograms, statistical results).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

To facilitate studying, students will have access to all presentations shown during lectures and additional supporting materials via the aul@web platform. Generally, a combination of personal notes taken during class and the online materials available is sufficient to prepare for the exam. The specified text is suggested as a reference book for further study.

Berger S., Sicker D. 2009. Classics in Spectroscopy. Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Natural Products

Other possible texts will be suggested during the lessons.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The earliest possible date after the start of the course lectures.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam takes place in person in a dedicated classroom. Each student has access to a personal computer, where they log into the exam session (“Aulaweb Exams”). The test consists of a 15-question quiz covering all the topics addressed during the course. The student has only one attempt to complete the quiz. The maximum time allowed for completion is 15 minutes from the moment they click the START ATTEMPT button. The exam will be considered passed only if the student achieves a score of 18 points or higher.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), disabilities, or other educational needs that have been duly submitted to the University are invited to contact the professor and the disability coordinator of the School/Department to benefit from the additional time provided by current regulations.

IMPORTANT: requests for exam accommodations MUST be made at least 10 working days before the scheduled exam date, following the instructions carefully on the page https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/comunicazioni.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on the exam preparation methods and the depth of each topic will be provided during the lessons. The written exam will assess the actual acquisition of basic knowledge related to the role of metabolomics in characterizing the metabolic profile of plants of pharmaceutical and health interest.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Contact the professor for any additional information not included in the course syllabus.