Pharmaceutical Biochemistry

Lecture No 1
General introduction to pharmacy and pharmaceutical biochemistry

Pharmacy
Pharmacy – Greek word “pharmacon” meaning drug
It is defined as the arts and science of preparing and evaluating drugs from natural and
synthetic sources.
Major disciplines:
– Pharmaceutics (physical pharmacy, pharmaceutical preparation, pharmaceutical
technology, forensic pharmacy, pharmaceutical management and marketing, clinical &
hospital pharmacy).
– Basic medical sciences (physiology, histology, anatomy, pharmacology, pathology,
microbiology).
– Pharmacognosy.
– Pharmaceutical chemistry (organic chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry,
medicinal chemistry)

Biochemistry
Biochemistry – Greek word “bios” meaning life
It is defined as the science which deals with the chemical basis of life.
Cell – the structural unit of living systems
Biochemistry – the science concerned with the chemical constituents of living cells as well
as their reactions and processes.
Biochemistry provides important understandings and practical applications in medicine,
agriculture, nutrition and industry, its ultimate concern is with the wonder of life itself.

Aim of Biochemistry
– Biochemistry aims to explain biological form and function in chemical terms.
– Complete understanding of all of the chemical processes associated with living cells at
the molecular level.
– Isolation of several molecules found in cells by using salt fractionation,
chromatography, electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation
 - Salt fractionation is precipitation of proteins with ammonium sulfate.
- Chromatography are of many types e.g. paper; ion exchange; affinity; thin-layer;
gas–liquid; high-pressure liquid; gel filtration.
- Electrophoresis are of many types e.g. paper; high-voltage; agarose; cellulose
acetate; starch gel; polyacrylamide gel; SDS-polyacrylamide gel
- Ultracentrifugation is the separation of liquid phase from solid phase.
– Determination of their structures by using elemental analysis, spectroscopy, X-ray
crystallography.
- Elemental analysis is done for quantification of carbon, hydrogen nitrogen and
sulphur.
- Spectroscopy is done by using UV, visible, infrared and NMR spectroscopy
- X-ray crystallography is done for the study of three arrangements of the atoms.

Importance of Biochemistry in life Sciences

– Knowledge of biochemistry is essential to all life sciences because life depends on
biochemical reactions & processes.
– Pharmaceutical Sciences
– Physiology is the study of body function, overlaps with biochemistry almost

completely.
– Immunology use various biochemical techniques
– Pharmacology is based upon on a sound knowledge of biochemistry and physiology.
– Toxicology is poisons act on biochemical reactions or processes.
– Pathology is the study of disease such as inflammation, cell injury, and cancer.