Living organisms contain an undreamed of wealth of potentially beneficial, biologically active compounds. At the University of Crete traditional wisdom and modern laboratory techniques are being combined, so as to teach master's degree students how to detect and extract such useful ingredients from wild plants and marine fauna and flora.

Some thirty students are currently enrolled in the two-year programme, which is being offered in collaboration with the universities of Athens, Patras, Ioannina and Thessaloniki. According to Haris Katerinopoulos - a professor in the University of Crete chemistry department, which is coordinating the programme - graduates will help fill a growing industry demand for personnel with expertise in the isolation and synthesis of naturally occurring bio-active compounds. Such compounds, present in many traditional herbal remedies, are increasingly being used in pharmaceutical products, nutritional supplements and cosmetics.

In search of labdanum
One of the programme's projects is the chemical synthesis of compounds found in Cretan labdanum, an aromatic resin secreted from the leaves and stems of the Cretan rockrose (Cistus incanus creticus). For centuries labdanum has been one of Crete's basic exports and ancient Cretan farmers would send their goats into rockrose bushes in order to collect the labdanum resin that stuck to their fur. Nowadays, the substance is used by Greek natural cosmetics producers - such as Benostan, Apivita, Qualife and Sodis - who value its anti-microbial properties. It is also used in flavouring baked goods, gum and candy as well as scenting perfumes and soaps.

Recently, researchers from the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy of the Athens University have also found some of the substance's ingredients to be effective in killing certain types of cancer cells. ( Pharmacognosy, the study and application of new and traditional knowledge of the medicinal properties of plant and animal substances to modern pharmaceutical practice, has become a dynamic field of study in recent years). Another project of the University of Crete's programme is the synthesis in the lab of an essential oil found in hazelnuts and used as food flavouring.

The programme was established under the aegis of the E.U. Operational Programme for Education and Initial Vocational Training and is supported by national and European funds.