Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
The department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is involved in the teaching of both theoretical and practical courses of the following:
1- Physical Chemistry:
It deals with the basic information needed to understand the physicochemical properties of drugs.
2- Organic Chemistry:
It provides the students with the basic knowledge of important functional groups properties and their significance in bioorganic chemistry. Therefore, it lays a platform of understanding how drugs may interact with the body.
3- Analytical Chemistry:
It provides the basic knowledge of the classical and nonclassical methods of analysis.
4- Medicinal Chemistry:
It provides a general understanding of how drugs are discovered, developed, and designed. Students would expand their knowledge of molecular mechanisms of drugs as well as the relation between drug action and it its structure.
5- Pharmaceutical Analysis:
It provides an understanding of the principles involved in the analysis of drugs in bulk, pharmaceutical dosage forms, and biological fluids. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis are widely covered.
Postgraduate Degrees
The department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry has major contributions in Postgraduate studies that are beneficial to the reputation of the Faculty of Pharmacy and to the Sudanese community.
Postgraduate degrees by courses:
- Phil. in Pharmaceutical Quality Control and Quality Assurance (under preparation).
Postgraduate Degrees by research:
- Pharm. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
- D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
Physical Chemistry
It is a part of science deals with atomic, subatomic, macroscopic, microscopic and particulate phenomena in chemical systems from physical concepts point of view. Understanding of pharmaceutical chemistry is highly dependent on atomic structure, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces and condensed states of matter, nuclear chemistry, chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium.
Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the structure, properties, and reactions of carbon containing compounds. Chemists in general and organic chemists in particular can create new molecules never proposed before which, if carefully designed, may have important properties for the betterment of the human experience.
Beyond our bodies' DNA, peptides, proteins, and enzymes, organic compounds are all around us. They are central to the economic growth of the world, in industries such as the rubber, plastics, fuel, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, detergents, coatings, dyestuffs, and agrichemicals industries. The very foundations of biochemistry, biotechnology, and medicine are built on organic compounds and their role in life processes.
Organic chemists at all degree levels are found in all those industries that depend on Research & Development, working on projects from fundamental discovery to highly applied product development. The foundation of the pharmaceutical industry is the large pool of highly skilled organic chemists.
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the science of obtaining, processing, and communicating information about the composition and structure of matter. In other words, it is the art and science of determining what matter is and how much of it exists.
Analytical chemists perform qualitative and quantitative analysis; use the science of sampling, defining, isolating, concentrating, and preserving samples; set error limits; validate and verify results through calibration and standardization; perform separations based on differential chemical properties; create new ways to make measurements; interpret data in proper context; and communicate results. They use their knowledge of chemistry, instrumentation, computers, and statistics to solve problems in almost all areas of chemistry. For example, their measurements are used to assure compliance with environmental and other regulations; to assure the safety and quality of food, pharmaceuticals, and water; to support the legal process; to help physicians diagnose disease; and to provide chemical measurements essential to trade and commerce.
Medicinal Chemistry
Medicinal chemistry is the field of science that is concerned with drug discovery, design, and development and relation between chemical structure and biological activity. Medicinal chemistry also deals with the full synthesis, semi-synthesis, and biomimetic synthesis of drugs and biologically active molecules.
The development of new pharmaceuticals is critically dependent on molecular-level understanding of biological processes and mechanisms of drug action. Progress in the field now depends on the design and synthesis of new molecules using tools such as structure activity relationships, combinatorial chemistry, and computer-aided drug design.
Some biologically active molecules may have undesirable properties such as lower potency and/or toxic effects. The role of medicinal chemists is to eliminate these undesirable properties through analogue synthesis. For example, nature may provide a molecule such as a complex antibiotic, an antitumor agent, or a replacement for a hormone such as insulin; medicinal chemists determine the structure of this newly discovered molecule and then modify it to enhance the desired activity and specificity of action, while decreasing undesired side effects.