Describe various degradation pathways of drugs citing proper examples.
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1. PHM 213Drug Degradation<br />Group Members:<br />Ameenah Khan 09/0509/1391<br />Amrita Hardeo 09/0509/1486<br />PoonamPhagu 09/0509/1114<br />Carissa Bhanedatt 09/0509/1083<br />Smita Tikaram 09/0509/1529<br />Aimara Pierre 08/0509/0632<br />
2. Introduction<br />Food has to be well preserved if we want it to retain its quality. <br />If raw materials such as rice and wheat grains are not stored at the proper temperature and humidity they are spoiled by microbial contamination. <br />Food is spoiled by three varieties of decomposition; physical, chemical and microbiological. <br />Rice grains left alone stay fine for years together; rice made into flour is less stable (with time it develops a musty odor and off color) and rice processed into food is stable only for a few hours. <br />“more processing- less stable”; “more contact with water – less stable”.<br />
3. Introduction cont’d…<br />All this is true for drugs also. <br />Pure drugs, solids, liquids, or gases are usually more stable than their formulations. <br />When they are formulated into medicines decomposition happens faster because of the presence of excipients, and moisture and because of processing.<br />So when we say stability, we actually are talking about two varieties of stability; that of the drug and that of the formulation. <br />For example a capsule may become soft, an emulsion may break, a suspension may cake and an ointment may bleed.<br />Even if solid pure powders of drugs are stored under ideal temperature and humidity conditions –even then there is some degradation. <br />