PHARMACEUTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

1.   GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND BASIC BIOCHEMICAL PRINCIPLES

i)     Role of pharmaceutical Biochemistry in the health Profession.

ii)   Nature of Biochemical reactions

2.  BASIC CHEMISTRY OF BIOMOLECULES (Nature, Classification etc.)

i)     Carbohydrates:

Chemistry,

Classification,

Reactions of Carbohydrates,

Optical activity,

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of carbohydrates.

ii)    Lipids:

Chemistry of Fatty acids and Lipids,

Classification (Saponifiable and non-saponifiable lipids, Simple, Complex and derived lipids),

Reactions of Fatty acids and other Lipids,

Essential fatty acids,

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of lipids.

iii)  Proteins and Amino acids:

Chemistry,

Classification of proteins and amino acids,

Reactions of proteins and amino acids,

Organizational levels,

Macromolecular nature of proteins,

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of proteins and amino acids.

iv)  Nucleic acids:

Chemistry,

Types (DNA, RNA, mRNA, tRNA, rRNA),

Purine and Pyrimidine bases,

Nucleosides,

Nucleotides,

Structures of nucleic acids,

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of nucleic acids.

v)   Vitamins:

Chemistry,

Classification (Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins),

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of vitamins.

vi)  Hormones:

Chemistry,

Classification (Proteinous and nonproteinous hormones, amino acid derivatives, steroids),

Biological and pharmaceutical importance of hormones.

vii)      Enzymes:

Chemistry,

Classification,

Mode of action,

Kinetics (Michaelis Menten Equation and some modifications),

Inhibition,

Activation,

Specificity,

Allosteric enzymes,

Factors affecting the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction,

Biological and pharmaceutical importance,

Mechanism of action of some important enzymes (Chymotrypsin, Ribonuclease).

3.   METABOLIC FATE OF BIOMOLECULES (Anabolism and Catabolism)

i)     Carbohydrates:

Introduction to metabolism,

Brief introduction to the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates,

Aerobic and anaerobic breakdown of Glucose,

Glycolysis,

Pentose Phosphate Pathway,

Glycogenolysis,

Glycogenesis,

Gluconeogenesis,

Citric acid cycle,

Energetics of various metabolic processes.

ii)    Lipids:

Brief introduction to the digestion and absorption of lipids,

Oxidation of fatty acids through b-oxidation,

Biosynthesis of fatty acids,

Neutral lipids and cholesterol.

iii)  Proteins and Amino acids:

Brief introduction to the digestion and absorption of proteins and amino acids,

Metabolism of essential and non-essential amino acids,

Biosynthesis and catabolism of Haemins and porphyrin compounds.

iv) Bioenergetics:

Principles of bioenergetics.

Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation.

4.   REGULATION OF METABOLIC PROCESSES

i)     Role of Vitamins:Physiological role of Fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) and Water soluble (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic acid, Niacin, Pyridoxal phosphate, Biotin, Folic acid, Cyanocobalamin members of B-complex family — and Ascorbic acid), Coenzymes and their role in the regulation of metabolic processes.

ii)    Receptor mediated regulation (Hormones): Mechanism of action of hormones, Physiological roles of various hormones, Site of synthesis and target sites of hormones.

iii)  Secondary Messengers: Role of cAMP, Calcium ions and phosphoinositol in the regulation of metabolic processes.

iv) Gene Expression: Replication, Transcription and Translation (Gene expression) Introduction to Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Basic principles of Recombinant DNA technology, Pharmaceutical applications, Balance of Catabolic, Anabolic and Amphibolic processes in human metabolism, Acid-Base and Electrolyte Balance in Human body.