11438 - Drug Analysis II (GR.A)

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide the theoretical and practical knowledge about the methods suitable for the identification of the drug substances. In particular, attention will be paid to the pharmacopoeial methods (chemical and instrumental methods). The course includes laboratory activity.

Course contents

Characters: Intermolecular binding forces and physical state, colour.

Solubility: Dissolution process, Solvents properties (polarity and dielectric constant). Solutes: relationship between chemical structure and solubility. Solubility test.

Identification of drugs: Elemental analysis, determination of some physical properties: melting point, boiling point, density, refractive index, optical rotation. Identification reactions of functional groups: unsaturated compounds, aromatics, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes and ketones, acids and esters, amines.

Absorption spectroscopy: Principles and apparatus of Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrophotometries and applications to the identification of drug substances.

Extraction techniques: liquid-solid extraction, liquid-liquid extraction (partition coefficient, effect of pH and salts).

The course includes laboratory activity that will allow every single student to carry out analyses concerning the abovementioned subjects.

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching material for lessons and laboratory is available for students at the website http://campus.unibo.it. For further reading, the following books are suggested:

1 - V. Cavrini, V. Andrisano, Principi di Analisi Farmaceutica. Società Editrice Esculapio, Bologna.

2 - European Pharmacopoeia

Teaching methods

The course consists of lessons and laboratory activity.

The lessons are intended to provide the basic knowledge of the chemical and instrumental pharmacopoeial methods applied in the drug identification.

The laboratory activity is carried out individually by the students under the supervision of the teacher and the tutors. The students are led to apply the methods described in the Pharmacopoeia to confirm the identity of drug substances and excipients. All the experiments are recorded by the student on a laboratory book and the obtained results are discussed with the teacher.

Assessment methods

At the end of the laboratory activity, the student should sit for practical test consisting in the application of the pharmacopoeial methods to identify two drugs and in writing a report for each of them. This test will not be given a mark, but the results will be taken into account for the final grade, together with the whole laboratory work. Passing the practical test is compulsory for the oral exam.

This practical test will be followed by the final test consisting in an oral examination in which the student will be asked three questions on subjects dealt with during the course, in order to assess the acquisition of the expected skills. The student should be confident with the knowledge acquired from previous courses, in particular organic chemistry. The final mark for the exam will also take into account the results of the practical test.

Students should make an online appointment for the exam using the Almaesami platform. Dates are fixed in dedicated periods for all students, and for students registered over the 5th year other appointments can be made with the teacher throughout the year.

Teaching tools

Lessons will be held by using slides. The practical activity will be carried out individually by each student in laboratories equipped with chemical reagents and analytical instrumentation.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Gobbi