300640 PP Plant Chemodiversity in the Palaeotropics (2007W)

In the course of the excursion students of botany and ecology are introduced into the huge diversity of bioactive plant products in the palaeotropical rainforests and are informed about their practical and ecological importance. Visits at local markets, orchads, and plantages will point up the broad use of ethnobotanically relevant plants in relation to characteristic colours, fragrances, flavours, toxins and drugs. Special emphasis will be given to chemosystematic and ecological connections regarding the distribution and accumulation of typical compounds. Basic chromatographic methods and selected bioassays will be introduced directly in the phytochemical lab in Bangkok.