FAFY1_12 Phytochemistry

Faculty of Pharmacy
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. PharmDr. Karel Šmejkal, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Ondřej Jurček, Ph.D. et Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Patrik Sivulič (seminar tutor)
Jana Vráblová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PharmDr. Karel Šmejkal, Ph.D.
Department of Natural Drugs – Departments – Faculty of Pharmacy
Contact Person: Mgr. Tereza Jůnová
Timetable
each odd Monday 15:40–17:20 45-221
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
FAFY1_12/01: each even Friday 13:15–14:55 45-229
Prerequisites
STUDIJNI_SKUPINA(start_before_2025) || PROGRAM(KOS)
The students should have passed basic subjects touching organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biology, botany, and physiology.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The subject investigates the relationships of the primary and secondary metabolism of the plants and is directed on the study of the secondary metabolites, their biosynthesis, their properties, chemical structure, and the ways of their isolation from the plant material. In the scope of this subject, students get acquainted with important methods of phytochemical analysis.
Learning outcomes
Basic knowledge of secondary metabolites and methods for their analysis.
Key topics
1 Phytochemistry as the field of science, primary and secondary metabolism.
2 Principles of separation and isolation of natural substances.
3 Systems for classification of natural compounds, secondary metabolites.
4 Chromatography I.
5 Chromatography II.
6 Identification of Natural Products
7 High-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography
8 Spectral methods for identifying natural compounds (UV, IR).
9 Spectral methods for identifying natural compounds (MS).
Laboratory of phytochemistry
1 Introduction, safety, theoretical basics of methods for obtaining content substances from plants
2 Isolation of Natural Products - Floral pigment of Urticae herba extraction (Soxhlet), caffeine microsublimation, Species urologicae compounds extraction (maceration), hydrodistillation of essential oils
3 Separation of natural substances - Thin layer chromatography of floral pigments of Urticae herba extract and phenolic glycosides from the extract of Species urologicae
4 Separation of Natural Products II - Column chromatography of floral pigments
5 Separation and identification of natural substances
Determination of carotenoid pigments by spectrophotometry, measuring of the melting point of crystalline natural substances, SFE demonstration, IR spectrometry demonstration.
6 Identification of Natural Products
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS), HPLC / MS,
7 Final test
Study resources and literature
    recommended literature
  • Evans W Ch. Trease and Evans' Pharmacognosy. 2009. ISBN 9780702029332. info
  • Dewick P. Medicinal natural products, a biosynthetic approach. Hoboken, 2008. ISBN 9780470741689. info
  • Walton NJ, Brown DE. Chemicals form plants. 1999. ISBN 978-981-4498-52-4. info
  • Bruneton Jean. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants . 1999. ISBN 1898298637. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
lectures, practical exercises
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Written test
Language of instruction
English
Teacher's information
100% attendance of all the practices
Passing the semester tests and the final exam (60% of the total is required)
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/pharm/spring2026/FAFY1_12