Natural Bioactive Compounds

The curricular unit is taught in theoretical classes and theoretical-practical classes.
The teaching methodology comprises theoretical exposition, participation of invited specialists, analysis of studies,individual research and development and presentation of a work on a theme to be defined within the Curricular Unitsyllabus.
The evaluation includes the development and presentation of a group work with oral presentation (50%) and writtenevaluation (50%).

The main goals of this curricular unit is to promote the updating of scientific knowledge and reflection and criticalskills of the student fostering the acquisition of the skills necessary for the evolution and management of innovationactivities, in a business or academic environment, within the scope of the development, production and use of newpharmacotherapeutic and nutraceutical strategies.

Module I – Innovative potential and chemical determinants of natural products. The research process for bioactivenatural chemical entities discovery (bioNCEs). Biochemical strategies for the discovery and optimization of new drugsbased on natural chemotypes. High-throughput screening associated with natural bioactive compounds and thesubsequent process of developing innovative pharmacotherapeutic practices.
Module II – Marine molecules and their applications as drugs. Methods of bioprospecting marine organisms andbiosynthetic origin of bioproducts of marine origin. Molecular (“omics”) approaches applied to bioproducts of marineorigin and their applications as drugs.
Module III – Nutraceutical products not subject to medical prescription and functional foods (isolated nutrients, dietarysupplements, foods produced by genetic engineering, herbal products). Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics.Determinants of pre-clinical and clinical research. Current regulations.

NAO