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Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


PA20242: Drug metabolism, natural products and analysis

Click here for further information Credits: 12
Click here for further information Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Click here for further information Period: Academic Year
Click here for further information Assessment: CW 30%, EX 60%, PR 10%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites:
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
To develop the student's understanding of drug metabolism at a molecular level, to develop the student's understanding of biosynthetic sources of pharmaceutical materials and introduce a biosynthetic approach to natural products, with all aspects underpinned by analysis; to undertake an analytical mini-project.

Learning Outcomes:
After completion of this unit the student should be able to: demonstrate an outline understanding of drug metabolism and the enzymes causing these biotransformations, their structure-activity relationships (SAR) and their significance; demonstrate an awareness of natural sources of pharmaceutical materials with an understanding (at the level of chemical structures and mechanisms) of the major biosynthetic pathways; demonstrate an understanding of the value of spectroscopic and spectrometric data in analysis; follow biosynthetic pathways mechanistically, understanding the limits of their knowledge; carry out and write-up an analytical mini-project.

Skills:
Practical skills (T/F)
Data handling and analysis (T/F/A)
Problem solving (T/F/A).

Content:
General introduction to drug metabolism. Definitions of the two phases of drug metabolism. The importance of enzymes as catalysts and structure-activity relationships (SAR) across drug metabolising enzymes. Examples of hydrolysis and oxidation, para-hydroxylation, epoxide Hydrolase. Introduction to analysis in the BP monographs and analysis of relevance to clinical trials across Phases I to IV. Radioactivity, and associated calculations in metabolism and radioactivity. Plant and animal sources of pharmaceutical materials. Herbal medicines. Molecular aspects of biosynthetic pathways. Problem-solving workshops in analysis. Calculations of natural product concentrations and serial dilutions. Sample preparation. Mini-project.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

PA20242 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology
NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.