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October 25, 2024Chemicals in Medicines: One of Chemistry’s most significant contributions is in the field of medicine. Chemicals are used to create medicines. Chemical analysis and the synthesis of novel chemicals are used to create new medications. This topic is so wide that it has spawned a new branch of chemistry known as ‘Medicinal Chemistry’ of ‘ Chemicals in Medicines’.
Medicinal chemistry is a branch of chemistry concerned with the design, analysis, development, and synthesis of drugs as medicine. Medicines are chemical compounds that help living creatures in the treatment of diseases or the relief of suffering. This discipline necessitates knowledge in synthetic organic chemistry, pharmacology, and biological sciences. Medicines include numerous compounds. Let’s study everything there is to know about Chemicals in Medicines in this post. Scroll down to find more.
Drugs are chemical compounds of low molecular masses \(({\rm{around}}\,{\rm{150}}\,{\rm{to}}\,{\rm{500 u}})\) that interact with macromolecular targets and produce suitable biological responses. When drugs are taken in the prescribed manner to cure, prevent or diagnose a particular disease or ailment, it is known as medicine. However, it can become poisonous if consumed in higher doses than recommended. Chemicals are modified to create antiseptic and disinfectant drugs also.
The term ‘chemotherapy’ is used for the chemicals that are used for therapeutic effects. Research is constantly intensifying our understanding of medicinal Chemistry and leading to discoveries in this field. Based on the effects of medicines on biological systems, they are divided into different classes: antacids, antihistamines, analgesics, antiseptics, etc.
Drugs are chemical substances of low molecular masses. They produce a biological response by interacting with macromolecular targets. When the biological response of these drugs is therapeutic and desirable, these chemicals are known as medicines and are used in the field of medicines that helped doctors cure many diseases and save lives to a great extent. That has successfully controlled the mortality rate and helped us to live a healthy and quality life as a boon!
The physicochemical properties of drugs differ according to their composition and need. Based on the chemical constituency, biological responses, and pharmacological effects, medicines are classified into various classes. Let us discuss them in detail:
In our stomach, hydrochloric acid is present that helps in digestion and also fights against stomach infection. But when this acid level increases we start feeling uneasiness, stomach ache, and in severe conditions gastric ulcers also. To cure this, we need ‘antacids’. The chemical substances which neutralize the presence of excess acids in the stomach as gastric juices and give us relief from acidity problems are known as antacids.
Examples: Milk of Magnesia \({\rm{(Mg}}\,{{\rm{(OH)}}_2})\)
Sodium bicarbonate \(({\rm{NaHC}}{{\rm{O}}_3})\)
Ranitidine
Most of the allergic symptoms and diseases are cured by ‘antihistamines’. They are most commonly used by people who are allergic to pollen and other allergens. Some of the common antihistamine medicines like cetirizine, brompheniramine (Dimetapp), and Seldane, pheniramine maleate (avil), etc.
Transmission of messages from nerve to receptor is facilitated by neurologically active medicines. They are of two types: Tranquilizers and Analgesics.
4. Narcotic Analgesics – Narcotic analgesics produce desired pharmacological effects like they reduce fever and induce sleep by interacting with specific opiate receptors. Morphine narcotics (obtained from the opium poppy) are mostly used to get relief from postoperative pain, cardiac pain, and labour pain during childbirth, severe stage of cancer, and many more.
Antimicrobials are a group of medicines that retards the growth of disease-causing microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, antivirals against viruses, and antifungals against fungi.
Antibiotics being less toxic for humans and animals are used as medicines to treat bacterial infections. Now, antibiotics refer to a substance produced wholly or partially by chemical synthesis which inhibits the growth or destroys the pathogens.
The development of antibiotics was started by Paul Ehrlich, a German bacteriologist, who investigated medicine arsphenamine (arsenic-based structure), well-known as salvarsan for the treatment of syphilis but they are toxic to human beings. The real revolution in the field of antibiotics was brought by the discovery of Penicillin from fungus by Alexander Fleming in \(1929.\)
Antiseptics are the chemicals that prevent the growth or kill the microorganisms without harming the living tissues. They can be applied to wounds, cuts, and infected skin surfaces, etc. They are also used in deodorants, mouthwashes, and mouth fresheners to reduce unpleasant odours caused by bacterial decomposition in the body.
The basic difference between antiseptics and disinfectants is that an antiseptic is applied to the living cells, while disinfectants are applied to non-living surfaces to kill germs. A commonly used antiseptic is Dettol; it is a mixture of chloroxylenol and terpineol. Chlorine and phenol solutions are known as disinfectants.
Medicinal chemistry is an interface of organic chemistry, inorganic, chemistry, physical chemistry, computational chemistry along with biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, toxicology, and many more fields of science and technology. The entire project of drug/medicine discovery involves the following stages:
Medicine is a chemical compound used to cure diseases or relieve pain. Medicines are classified as traditional medicines and modern medicines. Traditional medicines are derived from natural resources like plants and animals, while modern medicines are artificially synthesized in the laboratory. Medicines have undesirable side effects. Medicines should also be taken in a therapeutically prescribed manner to avoid any side effects.
Q.1: What chemicals are used in medicines?
Ans: Chemicals used in medicines are mostly organic compounds. Other chemicals such as mercury, arsenic, biphenyl-A, phthalates, etc. may have side effects.
Q.2: List of chemicals used in medicines.
Ans: The list of chemicals used in medicines is acetic anhydride, acetone, diethyl ether, benzyl chloride, toluene, hydrochloric acid, and many more organic compounds.
Q.3: Is chemistry important for medicine?
Ans: Medicines are entirely made up of chemicals. Hence, it is entirely a result of chemistry and its application. It is very important to have a sound understanding of chemistry for the study of medicines.
Q.4: Are the uses of drugs in medicine safe?
Ans: Yes, the uses of drugs in medicine are safe on the condition that they are prescribed by a medical doctor on diagnosis of a health issue or ailment.
Q.5: Can I take drugs as medicine?
Ans. Never consume any drugs as medicine unless they have been prescribed by a medical doctor to you for any medical of health condition.