Recent advances on natural product formulations

A multidisciplinary collaborative BIP Program within 6 CIVIS member Universities, 4 CIVIS African partner Universities and 10 non-CIVIS partners is proposed.

Participants will engage with various aspects designed to enhance their knowledge, bridge theory with practical experiences (e.g., research labs and wet labs), and gain advanced expertise, with a focus on chemistry of natural products, formulation of natural products, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics.

Main topics addressed

The primary objective of this proposal is to deliver and exchange current knowledge and advanced research across four fundamental topics: Natural Products Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacokinetics, and Biotechnology.

Learning outcomes

Students will learn and improve their knowledge on:

• important natural products and their applications;
• the phytochemistry;
• the use and safety of herbal medicinal products carefully interpreting the monographs and the claims of the European Medicine Agency (EMA);
• natural products formulations and pharmacological activities;
• the preformulation studies and formulation of various dosage forms, how to select the best dosage form;
• a Quality-by-Design (QbD) approach to pharmaceutical product development describing the operations in pharmaceutical manufacturing, stability, quality control, materials handling, packaging, and basic unit operations;
• absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties;
• antibiotic target areas, classical and new molecular targets, methods for their elucidation;
• lipid - and polymer – based drug delivery systems;
• basic concepts and advances in drug delivery and targeting;
• the biopharmaceutics issues of the administration of natural products and the technological approaches;
• in vivo bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, of orally administered natural products, as well as possible alternative routes of administration.