Herbal Sciences and Technologies (Classe L-29)-Enrolled from 2014/15 Academic Year

The course, in line with the provisions of the class of reference, is designed to prepare graduates with good basic and applied knowledge and professional skills in herbal sciences and technology and with the necessary training for access to graduate courses and Masters of cultural relevance.
Graduates will obtain mastery of investigative methods and testing, including aspects of data collection and communication of results, and competence in using advanced texts. They will have operational powers and will be able to perform technical, managerial and professional activities in the processing of medicinal plants in quality management sector, marketing of herbal drugs and their derivates to be used in the preparation of herbal products, food and cosmetics, ensuring compliance with the provisions from existing national and European laws.
The course includes basic and professional disciplines in the areas of chemistry, phytochemistry, biology, botany, pharmacognosy, pharmacology and concerning technological aspects.
At the end of the course, graduate will have knowledge and skills in:
· recognition, collection and conservation of medicinal plants;
· storage, control, distribution and supply of medicinal plants and their derivatives;
· analyses and determination of active ingredients;
· the biological effects of medicinal plants;
· toxicological aspects of the use of active ingredients and finished products;
· the study, design, management, supervision and conduction of productive processes of plants and their derivatives;
· recognition of herbal drugs, detection of adulterations and contaminations;
· quality control of products based on medicinal plants and derivatives;
· the possible applications of plants and their derived products for health products including food and cosmetics;
· legislation and ethic rules in the field;
· the scientific and technical advice concerning the supervision hygienic issues of plants and their derivatives in Department of the Government, particularly in the Ministries of Health, of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Trade and Handicraft and Finance;
· the technical scientific and advisory to specialist publishing companies, dissemination of information in the field of medicinal plants and their derivatives.

A graduate in Herbal Science and Technologies possesses good basic knowledge, and knows how to use it along the production chain. He knows the methods of investigation of the sector and is able to use them professionally and to finalize their knowledge of problem solving of the whole supply chain. Is able to obtain the necessary information and to assess the implications in a productive and market context, to implement measures to improve the quality of herbal products. He/She is also able to communicate orally and in writing arguments on issues of competence. Finally, he/she has the tools of cognitive basis for the continuous updating of knowledge, also through the use of new communication technologies.