Skip to main content

Renin Angiotensin Mechanism.

Adulteration in Crude Drugs.

Definition of Adulteration :

  • It can be defined as a debasement of an article with a substance of similar physical properties but with less therapeutic or commercial value.
  • It is very common with costly and rare drugs and is done with the main intention of earning more profit.
  • Sometimes adulteration can be accidental also due to carelessness, lack of knowledge of workers or simply ignorance towards the job.
  • Adulteration can be characterized by following conditions,
  1. Spoilage: It indicates the development of microbial growth resulting in loss of drugs activity.
  2. Deterioration: It indicates loss of drugs potency due to improper storage or transportation.
  3. Inferiority: It indicates the addition of inferior material to the genuine drug.
  4. Substitution: It indicates partial or full replacement of the original drug with a substandard or local variety of drug.

Methods of Adulteration:

  1. Replacement by Exhausted Drug:  
  • It is very common with costly drugs which contain volatile oils as active chemical constituents, like clove, Ginger, fennel, Tea, etc.

  • The active chemical constituents are exhausted from these drugs & exhausted drug is adjusted properly (with artificial color, perfume) & mixed with the genuine drug.
  1. Substitution by Similar looking but inferior drugs: -
  • Any drug or variety which does not comply minimum standards laid down by the official books were known as inferior drugs or inferior varieties.
  • The inferior varieties hence contain lesser active chemical constituents and are cheaper in cost also.
  • e.g. Digitalis purpurea leaves are adulterated with inferior D. thapsi leaves.
  1. Substitution by artificially manufactured substances: -
  • This method is used for costly drugs.
  • e.g. Nutmeg is substituted with crafted softwood.
  • The addition of invert sugar to honey.
             4. Substitution by substandard commercial Varieties:-
  • In this method, the genuine drug is mixed with a local substandard commercial variety.
  • e.g. Capsicum annum is used to mix with Capsicum minimum.
  • Seeds of Strychnous nuxblanda are used as an adulterant in the seeds of Strychnous nuxvomica.
           5. Presence of Vegetative matter from the same plant: -
  • Sometimes ignorantly or intentionally other parts associated with the drug are added with the genuine drug.
  • e.g. Clove stalks are used as an adulterant in cloves.
  • Presence of stem parts with Aconite roots.
  • Parts Of inflorescence of fennel, caraway, and coriander are used to mix in fennel, caraway & coriander respectively.
  1. Addition of synthetic chemicals to enhance the natural characters: -
  • Addition of Citric acid to Lemongrass Oil.
  • Benzyl benzoate is added to Peru balsam.
7) Harmful adulteration: -
  • This is a dangerous type of adulteration where harmful substances are added to genuine drugs.
  • e.g. Rodent fecal material is added to Cardamom seeds.
  • Addition of amber colored glass pieces to Colophony.
8) Addition of Powders: -
  • This is very normal with powdered drugs.
  • e.g. Addition of Dextrin to Powdered Ipecac.
  • Addition of red sanders wood to capsicum powder.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Heat Exchangers and Heat Interchangers.

  In pharmaceutical industries many types of equipments are used for transfer of heat, they can be classified as follows, Heat Exchangers. Heat Interchangers. Heat Exchangers: These devices are used for transferring heat from a fluid (Hot Gas or Steam) to another fluid (Liquid) through a metal wall. Heat Interchangers: These devices are used for transferring heat from a One liquid to another liquid or one gas to another gas through a metal wall. HEAT EXCHANGERS; The equipment used for heat transferring are known as heat exchangers. Some of the processes that involves heat transfer in pharmaceutical industries are: Preparation of starch paste (in steam jacketed kettle). Crystallization. Evaporation. Distillation.  Classification of heat exchangers On the basis of transfer of heat, heat exchangers are classified as: Direct transfer type:  The hot and cold fluids are separated by a metal wall through which the heat is transferred from hot fluid to cold fluid. E.g. shell and ...
Read more

Glycogenesis.

  Definition: Biosynthesis of Glycogen from Glucose is called Glycogenesis. Glycogen is synthesized  Depending on the demand for glucose and ATP (energy), insulin promotes the glucose conversion into glycogen. Glycogen is the major storage form of carbohydrate in animals similar to starch in plants. It is a homopolymer made up of repeated units of α- D glucose and each molecule is linked to another by 1→4 glycosidic bonds . Once there is a chain consisting of 8 to 10 glycosidic residues in the glycogen fragment, branching begins by 1→6 linkages . Glycogen is stored in liver and skeletal muscles. Location: Cytoplasm of cells in the muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. Steps Involved in Glycogenesis: Glucose is converted into glucose-6-phosphate by the action of glucokinase or hexokinase  with conversion of ATP to ADP. Glucose-6-phosphate is converted into glucose-1-phosphate by the action of phosphoglucomutase. Glucose-1-phosphate is converted into UDP-glucose by the actio...
Read more

Rate of Drying Curve.

  Definition Drying is defined as the removal of liquid from a product usually with application of heat. Rate of Drying Curve. Drying process can be divided into three periods Initial Adjustment Period. Constant drying rate period. First falling drying rate period. Second falling rate period. Initial Adjustment Period (A-B): Also called the “ Heating up” period . In this period the substance gets heat and increases in temperature. Drying has not yet started. Constant drying rate period (B-C): During this period the temperature of the solid and the rate of drying remain constant. The moisture evaporating from the surface is replaced by water diffusing from the interior of the solid at a rate equal t o the rate of evaporation.  The moisture content at the end of constant rate (point C) is referred to as the critical moisture content (CMC).  At CMC, dry spots start appearing and drying rate starts falling . First falling drying rate period (C-D): This period is also called ...
Read more