The Graduate Program in Medicinal, Aromatic and Spice Plants (PPGPMAC) aims to train and qualify specialized professionals, capable of working in various axes of the medicinal plants production chain (PM). Such axes include teaching and research development activities, PM technologies and innovations covering domestication, conservation, crop production, chemical-biological assessments, and product development compatible with the technical requirements for PM effectiveness, safety and quality.The Program has two lines of research:

1 - CROPPING AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL PLANTS focused on the acquisition of knowledge on areas of occurrence, anatomical-morphological botanical characterization, seed physiology, in vivo and in vitro propagation, in vitro control of morphogenesis, chemical and genetic variability, metabolite production in vitro secondary products, cultivation and agricultural management techniques, harvesting point determination, drying and processing methods;

2 - BIOACTIVITY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS aiming at the chemical-biological validation of PM of pharmacological and phytosanitary interest in in vitro and in vivo models. The research involves studies of chemical-biological activities of essential oils, plant extracts, fractions and isolated substances in phytosanitary control of phytopathogens; biomonitored phytochemical studies of native and exotic species in various models of biological activities and development and validation of analytical methods.

The graduate of the PPGPMAC has training and knowledge to face in practice the problems involved in: PM production and agricultural management; monitoring of natural resources and biodiversity; and in managing activities in the PM production chain. The current situation of the graduates of the PPGPMAC, for the most part, continue in the academic area as teachers or students and the others working in Private Companies or as independent professionals. PPGPMAC offers an annual selection process and is funded by PROAP funds and scholarships and research projects funded by CAPES, FAPEMIG and CNPq.