MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE DENDROLOGY COLLECTION OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF ONU IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM "PHARMACY"

Abstract

Introduction. The quality of educational results in pharmaceutical botany in Ukraine is insufficient. This is evidenced by the results of the first stage of the Unified state qualification exam “KROK‑1” (“STEP 1”) in recent years. The improvement of the quality of education will be facilitated by the compilation of a clear list of types of medicinal plants, which applicants must study, and the acquaintance of future pharmacists with live plants stored in collections, in particular, the botanical garden of Odesa University. Aim. The purpose of the work was to identify and characterize a part of the dendrological collection of the open ground in the arboretum of the National University Botanical Garden, important for studying in the course of pharmaceutical botany by students of the second (master’s) level of education within the OPP «Pharmacy». Methods. For the first time, the dendrological collection of the open soil of the botanical garden was investigated for species used in scientific medicine. In order to identify the latter, the program recommended by the Ministry of Health, basic textbooks on pharmaceutical botany, pharmacognosy, the state register of medicinal products of Ukraine, the 2nd edition of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine were analyzed. The analysis of the species list was carried out according to traditional floristic methods. Main results. In the dendrological collection of the botanical garden, 123 species from 42 families and 87 genera were found, which are considered in the textbook on pharmaceutical botany. Among them, the leading families are Rosaceae, Pinaceae, and Cupressaceae. Among life forms, trees dominate, with bushes being 2.3 times less frequent. Plants from the Circumboreal, Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian floristic regions predominate. Four species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (Juniperus excelsa, J. foetidissima, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata) and 8 require protection on the global scale (Abies numidica, A. pinsapo, Aesculus hippocastanum, Cedrus atlantica, C. libani, Eucommia ulmoides, Ginkgo biloba, Sequoiadendron giganteum), two are close to them (Platycladus orientalis, Pistacia vera). More than half of these species are used in scientific medicine. There are 72 species (11 gymnosperms and 61 angiosperms) from 58 genera and 34 families which are studied under the OPP «Pharmacy». Trees also predominate among them, but the numberof trees is only 1.6 times higher than of bushes. Among them there is 1 species from the Red Book and 6 species that are under threat of extinction on the global scale. The woody plants diversity is higher on the old territory of the botanical garden than on the new one. Zhakkar’s coefficient is 0.64. Official woody plants were identified, which are not in the collection of the botanical garden, but can grow here in accordance with the requirements for the surrounding environment. 17 species are proposed to expand the collection in order to more fully meet the educational needs of students of higher education in the specialty «Pharmacy».