Crystallization Process of Paracetamol Behavior
The paper “Crystallization Process of Paracetamol Behaviour” is a great example of a term paper on medical science. A widely used medicine and known as an analgesic and antipyretic, paracetamol is a mild painkiller and decreases the temperature of patients with fever. There are at present more than ninety familiar products containing paracetamol, which are available over the counter from drug stores (Ellis et. al. 2002, p. 3). Paracetamol is acetaminophen and is a practical substitute to aspirin, as analgesics and antipyretics. Different from aspirin, their anti-inflammatory activity is inadequate but they lack many of the side effects of aspirin and so were frequently used.
Paracetamol is comparatively harmless and safe when taken moderately. However, a large amount of paracetamol can cause serious liver damage, which can result in hepatic failure (Koay and Walmsley 1996, p. 350). Paracetamol taken in large amounts is extremely hepatotoxic because of the production of a minor metabolite or ‘ Acetimidoquinone’ (Varcoe 2001 p. 59). For adults, the recommended therapeutic dosage of paracetamol is 0.5-1g every 4-6 hours and must not exceed 4 grams daily. Paracetamol is absorbed somewhat quickly from the gastrointestinal tract and forwarded to the liver where it is metabolized. Crystallization Process of Paracetamol Behavior
It is then delivered to the body’ s tissue through blood circulation. While paracetamol is being metabolized in the liver, several metabolites are created. One of them is ‘ Acetyl-benzo-quinone imine’ , which is an exceedingly reactive and toxic metabolite. However, a protein from the liver called ‘ glutathione’ , which protects the liver from cell damage (Courtenay and Butler 1999, p. 58), usually detoxifies acetyl-benzo-quinone imine. Polymorphic Structures of Some Compound “ A substance capable of existing in more than one crystalline form is said to exhibit polymorphism” (Amiji and Sandman 2002, p. 36).
The character of the crystallizing solvents, as well as the process parameters of crystallization, may affect the form isolated at any given time. A conventional illustration of polymorphism originated from nature, which emphasizes the physical and chemical dissimilarities that can be present among polymorphs, is the one existing between hexagonal carbon graphite and cubic diamond. Typical polymorphic substances include sulfur, aspirin, and water, which are enantiotropic, consisting of six to seven dissimilar crystalline forms as ice. In addition, fatty acids, glycerides, fats, almost all crystalline long-chain organics are polymorphic and monotropic.
A good example of triglyceride used in pharmacy is the suppository based cocoa butter. Cocoa butter, which must be sufficiently firm at room temperature at 25 degrees centigrade to allow insertion, dissolves at roughly 35 degrees centigrade. This is known as the ‘ beta form’ , the melting point of the most stable polymorph (Amiji and Sandman 2002, p. 36). Polymorphism is essential to pharmaceuticals because each polymorph of a compound contains a distinct crystalline structure and properties such as melting point, solubility, stability, density, hardness, and optical and electrical properties as well as vapor pressure. Crystallization Process of Paracetamol Behavior
For instance, if a suspension has two polymorphs, the higher-energy will have a tendency to go into solution and the lower-energy form may experience crystal growth and agglomeration like ‘ cortisone’ acetate. Drug substance strength may also be different for amorphous and crystalline forms. For instance, the amorphous form of sodium and potassium penicillin is unsteady to dry heat while their crystalline form was constant to high temperature for a number of hours. The presence of polymorphs can be detected by numerous methods such as infrared spectra, differential thermal analysis, microscopy, and more clearly by x-ray powder diffraction.
Amorphous substances demonstrate unremarkable x-ray patterns and these forms are usually more rapidly soluble since there are no crystal lattice forces necessary to be overcome by the solvent (Avis et. al. 1996, p. 153).Crystallization Process of Paracetamol Behavior