Learning objectives
The course, composed of theory lessons and individual practice training, is aimed at
supplying the knowledge for the qualitative analysis, identification and purity control
of compounds of pharmaceutical interest.
Prerequisites
Students should have passed the Organic Chemistry examination to attend the
Drug Analysis II laboratory
Course unit content
Safety rules and correct behaviour in the chemical-pharmaceutical laboratory
Explanation and use of the Official Italian Pharmacopoeia and of the European
Pharmacopoeia
Recognition assays of inorganic, organometallic and organic substances of
pharmaceutical interest
Preliminary tests: organoleptic characters, ignition assay.
Solubility and its expressions; solvent classification; structure-solubility relationship.
Solubility assays
Measurement of physical constants: melting point, boiling point. Specific rotation
index.
Drug isolation and purification techniques: extraction using solvents, crystallisation,
sublimation, distillation.
Qualitative elemental analysis. Lassaigne’s test for heteroatoms. Functional groups
analysis and crystalline derivatives preparation (amines, carbonyl compounds,
carboxylic acids, alcohols, phenols, nitro compounds, carbohydrates, amino acids).
Chromatographic techniques applied to drug recognition.
Spectrophotometric methods applied to drug analysis.
Recognition of organic, organometallic and inorganic substances included in the
Official Pharmacopoeia: identification reactions and purity control. Limit assays.
Full programme
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Bibliography
V.Cavrini, V. Andrisano, Analisi farmaceutica, Società Editrice Esculapio
F.Savelli, O.Bruno, Analisi Chimico Farmaceutica, Edizioni Piccin
Farmacopea Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, Ultima Edizione
Farmacopea Europea, Ultima Edizione
Teaching methods
The course is composed of theory lessons and individual practice training.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam consists of a practical test (recognition of two substances included in
the Official Pharmacopoeia) and a written test covering all the topics of the course
syllabus. Practical assays during the course will be taken into due consideration.
Other information
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