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What factors influence the rate of degradation in household pharmaceutical…
What factors influence the rate of degradation in household pharmaceutical
DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD PHARAMCEUTICALS
Antacids and Stomach Medications
Esomeprazole (Nexium)
Eases heartburn and reflux by neutralising or reducing stomach acid porudction. Some medications like Omeprazole block acid pumps in the stomach
Gaviscon
Omeprazole (Losec)
Analgesics (Pain Relievers)
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Aspirin
Reduces inflammation by blocking chemical signals that cause pain, swelling in the body and fevers. e.g. Aspiriin and Ibuprofen block chemicals called prostaglandins.
Naproxen
Antibiotics (Prescription Medicine)
Cephalexin
Hinder the growth or kill bacteria by targeting their cell walls, protein production and resultantly, DNA production
Amoxicillin
Azithromycin
Antihistamines (Allergy Medications)
Certirizine (Zyrtec)
Loratadine (Claratyne)
Block histamine receptors in the body to reduce irritation in itchy watery eyes, respiratory systems (sneezing) and swelling caused from an overraction from the immune system in the form of allergies
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Vitamins and Supplements
Iron Tablets
Provides nutrients that may sometimes be definicient in a person's diet, can also support normal bodily functions like immunity, bone health and energy production
Fish Oil capsules
Vitamin D, Vitamin C
Cough, Cold and Flu Medications (Over the Counter)
Pseudoephedrine tablets
Dextromethorphan syrups
Different pharmaceuticals work in different ways, e.g. pseudoephedrine skriinks swollen nasal passages, guaifenesin thins mucus and dextromethorphan suppresses cough reflex
Combination tablets (Codral)
Guaifenesin syrups
Topical Medications (Applied to Skin)
Clotrimazole (Canesten)
Many variations such as antiseptics that kill germs on skin, corticosteroids reduce inflammation, antifugal creams kill fungus and other pain gels block pain at the site
Betadine
Voltaren
INFLUENCES on Rate of Reaction (Degradation)
Environmental factors
Temperature
Light Exposure
UV light can break chemical bonds in molecules. E.g. tetracycline and doxycycline are highly light-sensitive and decrease potency rapidly if left in sunlight.
Air exposure
Oxygen in the air could oxidise mainy different components of household pharmaceuticals, e.g. vitamin C turn yellow/brown due to the oxidiation of ascorbic acid.
Air can contain water vapor, especially in humid environments. Moisture in the air can trigger hydrolysis, where drug molecules break apart. E.g. Aspirin degrades into salicylic acid and acetic acid when exposed to moisture in the air.
Evaporation of Volatile components
pH
Drugs can also undergo acid-catalysed or base-catalysed hydrolysis. E.g. Aspirin hydrolyses faster in alkaline conditions, Penicillin is unstable in acidic solutions so it is manufactured specifically to avoid degradation in stomach acid
Many Drug molecules are dependent on a specific pH o work and remain stable, if pH shifts dramatically, the drug can break down faster
Collision Theory
A smaller surface area to volume ratio increases the area of space available for collisions. With an increasing frequency of collisions, there would be a higher frequency of successful collisions per unit time, and therefore an increased rate of reaction
An increase in temperature would allow molecules to reach activation energy, this increase in thermal energy would correspond to an increase in kinetic energy which would allow for more collisions which according to collision theory would have an increased rate of reaction.
HUMAN/USAGE FACTORS
Contamination
Unsanitary Apparatus
Adds moisture or impurities to the drug that could trigger hydrolysis or affect actual rate of degradation or the results when measuring the degradation rate
Leaving packaging open for extended periods of time
Leaves the drug exposed to factors like air, light, and humidity increasing oxidation and hydrolysis
Increases the chance of contamination
Contact with hands
The skins oils dirts and other microbes could aid in the chemical and biological degradation of the drug
Duration of Storage
testing intervals
Imporper Storage
FACTORS AFFECTING PHARMACEUTICALS
Form
Different forms of pharmaceuticals degrade at different rates, for example, solid drugs like pills tend to be more stable that liquids due to less molecular mobility and exposure to moisture
Chemical Stability of Compounds
This deetermines how easily the drug's chemical structure can alter or break down under changes like heat, pH, light or oxygen exposure which in turn would result in its degradation
Expiration Date
The expiration date indicates how long the specific pharmaceutical has for it to still be viable, maintaining its potency and safety. After the specific date, the potency drops and its efficiency would also decrease
Packaging Type
The packaging is vital as it protects dugs from contaminants in the environment and othe rfactors such as light, air and moisture. Improperly sealed or broken pachaging would speed up the degradation process
How To MEASURE the Rate of Degradations
Colorimeter
This device would measure the absorbance or transmittance of light at a specific wavelength, as the reaction progresses in the vessel, a light at a specific wavelength that would be absorbed by a product of the reaction would shine at the solution and a certain absorbance would be indicated by the colorimeter. By taking this value at set intervals, the rate of degradation can be observed
Titrations
Measure a specific concentration of a component by reating it with am already known solution (titrant) until fully reacted, indicated by the end point colour change. The reminants of the active ingredient of a pharmaceutical could be reacted and teh concentration could be worked out but to figure out teh rate of reaction, the titration would need to be repeated over certain time intervals to outline a difference in concentration over time
Pressure changes
Changes in pressure can aid in identifying rate of degradation, if the certain degradation of the compunt involves releasing gases like carbon dioxide into the enviornment. To facilitate this, teh drug would have to be contained in a sealed containor and a manometer or pressure sensor would have to measure the pressure change over a set time intervals as teh reaction progresses/
Chromatography
High Pressure Liquid Chromatography
Separates and quantifies the drug and its breakdown products in a liquid phase, while also helping measure degradation by tracking the decrease in concentration of the intact drug over time and by identifying new peaks for degradation products.
Gas Chromatography
Separates and quantifies volatile drugs or their derivatives in a gas phase while helping measure degradation by showing the loss of the parent compound and appearance of volatile breakdown products, letting you calculate the rate of decay. (may be more difficult as products have to initially be in a gaseous state
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
What are molecules and ions?
What is an active ingredient?
What is concentration? How do you determine it?
What is a household item?
