LEARNING ACTIVITY for UNIT No.

1. What is biopharmaceutics?

- The area of study embracing the relationship between the physical and chemical properties
of a drug to its biovailability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicologic effects.

2. What is the concept of bioavailability?

- Bioavailability is the key to creating a supplement that delivers proven

benefits. Bioavailability is a measure of how easily a substance can be absorbed by the body.

3. What are the physiological factors influencing oral drug absorption?

- Gastrointestinal pH, gastric emptying, small intestinal transit time, bile

salt, absorption mechanism 

4. What are the physicochemical factors influencing bioavailability?

- Effective surface area of drug, Solubility in diffusion layer, Amount of drug already dissolved,
Diffusivity of drug, Boundary layer thickness and Volume of solvent available.

5. What is Bioequivalence?

- The property wherein two drugs with identical active ingredients or two different dosage
forms of the same drug possess similar bioavailability and produce the same effect at the
site of physiological activity.

6. Create a listing of five prodrugs used therapeutically and describe the rationale for the use of
each prodrug.

1. Sulfasalazine- is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory

bowel disease, and some other autoimmune conditions. It works to lower
inflammation in the body.
2. Acetaminophen- is used to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, muscle
aches, menstrual periods, colds and sore throats, toothaches, backaches, and
reactions to vaccinations (shots), and to reduce fever.
3. Loperamide oxide- is the generic-name for Imodium, an antidiarrheal agent that is
available both over-the-counter and by prescription. Loperamide is used for the
control and symptomatic relief of acute nonspecific diarrhea and of chronic diarrhea
that is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
4. Aspirin- is used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain from conditions
such as muscle aches, toothaches, common cold, and headaches. It may also be used
to reduce pain and swelling in conditions such as arthritis. Aspirin is known as a
salicylate and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
5. Ibuprofen- It's widely used for its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.