Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Pharmaceutical (medicinal) chemistry is concerned with the design (drug design) and synthesis of biologically active molecules. The aim is to synthesize novel chemical moieties that could assist in the discovery of new pharmaceuticals or optimize already known drug structures, thereby synthesizing drug or optimizing and further synthesizing drugs with better pharmacokinetic profile. Although organic chemistry plays a crucial role, only knowledgeable pharmaceutical chemists are able to work effectively in a highly interdisciplinary environment and interact with scientists in other disciplines, such as molecular biology, structural biology, pharmacology, physical chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutical technology, toxicology or with experts from the field of translational medicine, and the list continues.

The Pharmaceutical Chemistry also includes following departments:

• Organic Chemistry - Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-containing compounds. Most organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen, but they may also include any number of other elements (e.g., nitrogen, oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur). Organic chemistry is a highly creative science that allows chemists to create and explore molecules and compounds. Organic chemists are engaged in research for synthesis of novel chemical entities and finding better synthetic pathways for synthesizing existing ones. Organic Chemistry includes all sciences from information about the structure electronic chemical properties of an atom to the synthesis of novel heterocyclic compounds


• Pharmaceutical Inorganic Chemistry - It deals with the method of preparation, physical or chemical properties of compounds, assay methods and uses of inorganic agents used as pharmaceutical aids and as therapeutics and diagnostics agents. The acids, bases, buffer, water, antioxidants etc. are the products used as pharmaceutical aids. The pharmaceutical products containing different types of ions- cations and fluid electrolytes, Protectives, cathartics, antacids, antidote, topical agents, dental products, inhalants, respiratory stimulants, astringents, expectorants and emetics are the important therapeutically agents. Radiopharmaceutical compounds are employed both as diagnostics and as therapeutics products. Inorganic compounds are also used as radio-opaque contrast media, tableting aids and suspending agents. All pharmaceutical inorganic compounds or medicinal compounds are given in monographs of the Pharmacopoeia of each country and are considered as official records. An official compound is need to comply with certain standards of purity specified in the Pharmacopoeia and may often contains some other compounds for specific reasons.


• Pharmaceutical analysis - It is traditionally defined as analytical chemistry dealing with drugs both as bulk drug substances and as pharmaceutical products (formulations). However, in academia, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry, other branches of analytical chemistry are also involved, viz. bioanalytical chemistry, drug metabolism studies, and analytical biotechnology. Pharmaceutical analysis is mainly focussed in drug analyses, in raw materials and pharmaceutical formulations, involving the determination of active components, impurities, excipients, content uniformity, solubility, dissolution rate and stability.

Direct analysis of target compounds are only possible if the wavelength used is not interfered with by other species. Analyses of mixtures of components are possible by means of derivative spectrophotometry, chemometrics or a chemical derivative obtained by reactions like redox, ion pairing, metal ion chelation, azo dye derivatization, Schiff base formation and charge transfer complex formation.

Department of Pharmaceutics

Pharmaceutics is the discipline of pharmacy that deals with all facets of the process of turning a new chemical entity (NCE) into a safe and effective medication. Pharmaceutics is the science of dosage form design. Pharmaceutics deals with the formulation of a pure drug substance into a dosage form. Pharmaceutics is a subject that is included in all four years of B.Pharm.

Apart from this, Pharmaceutics department handles the following subjects:

• Physical Pharmacy: This subject deals with application of physical chemical principles to problems in the pharmaceutical sciences.
• Pharmaceutical Engineering: It is the study of machinery involved in large scale manufacturing of dosage forms.
  • Microbiology: The branch of biology that deals with microorganisms and their effects on other living organisms.
  • Dispensing Pharmacy: Handles development of formulations customised for individual patients.
  • Hospital Pharmacy and Drug Store Management: It is a specialised field of pharmacy which forms an integrated part of patient health care in a health facility.
• Cosmeticology: It Deals with the formulation of varied cosmetic preparations and their use.
• Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics: It is defined as the science and study of the ways in which the pharmaceutical formulation of administered agents can influence their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic behaviour.
• Novel Drug Delivery Systems It is associated with the study of new techniques of drug delivery.

The commo lab facilities include equipment and machines to deal with dosage development including liquid orals, ointments, creams, gels, powders, capsules, tablets.

Department of Pharmacognosy

Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines or crude drugs produced from natural sources such as plants, microbes, and animals. It includes analysis of their biological, chemical, biochemical, and physical properties.

Traditional medicine is also a part of pharmacognosy and most of the third world countries still depend on the use of herbal medicines. Consequently, pharmacognosy always keeps its popularity in pharmaceutical sciences and plays a critical role in drug discovery.

It is believed that the human body finds plant-derived medicines easier to accept due to the fact that they exist in nature and are not synthetic. Many of the ayurvedic scientists in India still prescribe plant-based products. Ancient scriptures like Sushrut and Charak sanhita finds mention of plant-based products. Early mention of surgeries is also found in these scriptures.

Plants have been always used as medicine by mankind to treat health-threatening diseases and still popular to obtain new drug candidates as it is the oldest medical practice for humans. The use of botanical natural health products is on the increase all over the world. It is known that almost 80% of the populations in developing countries rely on the traditional medicine, mainly composing herbal prescriptions

A pharmacognosist studies all the plant-based insect based and animal based natural products.

Department of Pharmacology

The word ‘pharmacology’ comes from the ancient Greek words pharmakon (meaning ‘drug’) and logia (meaning ’knowledge of’). Pharmacology is a branch of science that deals with the study of drugs and their actions on living systems mainly understanding action of body on drug (Pharmacokinetics) and action of drug on body (Pharmacodynamics)

Pharmacologists around the world are currently:

• developing medicines to tackle new diseases
• identifying new treatments when old ones stop being effective
• discovering new medicines
• exploring how we can best use the medicines we already have
• tackling antibiotic resistance
• studying ageing to help us all live healthier lives for longer
• researching to make sure medicines are effective for everyone
• helping to make sure that everyone is prescribed the right medicines for them

Pharmacology also includes
Human Anatomy and Physiology Human Anatomy (ana- = “up”, tome = “to cut”) is often defined as the study of structures in the human body. Anatomy focuses on the description of form, or how body structures at different levels look. Gross anatomy studies macroscopic structures (for example, the body, organs, and organ systems), and histology studies microscopic structures (for example, tissues, cells, and organelles).

Human Physiology (physio = “nature”; -logy = “study”) studies the “nature” of the human body, nature in the sense of how structures at different levels work. Physiology focuses on function, or how structures at different levels work.

Anatomy and physiology are intimately related. A hand is able to grab things (function) because the length, shape, and mobility of the fingers (form) determine what things a hand can grab (function). A muscle contracts and brings bones together (function) due to the arrangement of muscles and bones, and the arrangement of organelles inside of muscle cells (form) determines how much and for how long a muscle can contract (function).

Body structure functions depend on their form. The way structures work depends on the way they are organized. So, understanding Physiology requires an understanding of Anatomy, and vice versa.