REVIEWER FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACY
PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS AND BOARD EXAMS
PHARMACEUTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY LECTURE
UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION
• The study of chemical substances found in living
organisms and the chemical interactions of
these substances with each other.
- Molecules in living cell.
- Chemical reactions.
- Catalyst in reaction.
- Metabolic process.
BIOCHEMICAL SUBSTANCES
• Biochemical substance is a chemical substance
found within a living organism.
• Bioinorganic substances – do not contain
carbon.
- Water: 70%
- Inorganic salts: 5%
• Bioorganic substances – contains carbon.
- Protein: 15%
- Lipids: 8%
- Carbohydrates: 2%
- Nucleic acid: 2%
BRANCHES OF BIOCHEMISTRY
• Medical Biochemistry
- Related to human health and disease.
- Functioning of traditional and pathologic
disease.
- Operation and management of
laboratories.
- Directs clinical laboratories, consults,
diagnoses, and treats patient.
• Clinical Chemistry
- A field that focuses on the methodology
and interpretation of chemical tests
performed to support diagnosis and
treatment.
• Pharmaceutical Biochemistry
- Involves how drugs affect the biochemistry
and metabolism of human health and
sickness.
- Production of medicines.
- Understanding of chemical process.
- Clinical uses and adverse effects.
- Molecular targets and characterization.
- Drug delivery: drug dosage
- Enzymology: study of enzymes
- Pharmacokinetics: how drug works
- Pharmacodynamics: affect of drug.
- Clinical pharmacology: research
Prepared by: M. SALAZAR & J. AGBUYA
Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy
School of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University
S
APPLICATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
• Drug delivery – 10 to 80 mg
daily, check lipid levels after 2-4
weeks and adjust dose.
• Pharmacokinetics - absorption
rate varies from 30-85% following per oral
administration.
• Clinical Pharmacology – first line of treatment
for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
(ASCVD) and hyperlipidemia.
• Enzymology – inhibitor of HMG CoA reductase,
the rate limiting step in cholesterol synthesis.
• Pharmacodynamics – depletion of intercellular
cholesterol but elevated liver enzymes may
occur.
ESSENCE OF BIOCHEMISTRY IN LIFE
• Genetics
- Biochemistry of nucleic acid.
- Approaches to understand disease.
- Familial hypercholesterolemia:
understanding cell receptors cellular uptake
mechanism of cholesterol.
- Pharmacogenetics: genes involved in
changing drug metabolic rate.
o Genes can affect the drugs so other
person are not suitable with some drug.
• Physiology
- Chemical changes relate to physiological
alteration in the body.
- Oncogenes: how cell/genes work in the
body.
• Immunology
- Provides qualitative and quantitative analysis
of biological fluids useful for evaluation of
immune factors.
- Use of antibodies in convalescent plasma
therapy against COVID-19.
- Study of immune system by fluids.
• Pharmacology
- Most drugs are metabolized by enzyme-
catalyzed reactions.
- Suggest rational treatments.
- Assist in monitoring to their illness.
• Toxicology
- Routine examination of blood chemistry.
- Metabolic fate of poisons.
- Stage and effects to organs.
- Mechanism of toxicity.
1|Page
 REVIEWER FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACY
PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS AND BOARD EXAMS
• Pathology
- Reveal the fundamental causes
mechanisms.
- Diagnoses of diseases thru procedures acting
as screening tests.
- Affect the alteration.
• Medicine
- Understanding and maintenance of health.
- Understanding and effective treatment of
diseases.
- Treatment, medication, cure, prevention
- Protein structure and function
o Inherited RBC disorder in which the
hemoglobin changes its shape that easily
lyses.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
• Biochemistry is the science concerned with
studying the various molecules with their
chemical reactions. Because life depends on
biochemical reactions, biochemistry has
become the basic language of all biologic
sciences.
BIOCHEMISTRY AS BASIS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE
• Depends on a harmonious balance or
biochemical reactions occurring in the body.
• Intra and extracellular reactions that occur are
proceeding organism’s maximal survival in
physiologic state.
• Optimal intake of vitamins, certain amino acids,
certain fatty acids, various minerals, and water.
• Systematic attempts to maintain health and
forestall disease such as preventive medicine.
• Biochemistry equals to health.
• Disease affects abnormalities in biomolecules,
biochemical reactions, or biochemical
processes. Disease is not equal to health.
Physical agents Trauma, temperature,
atmospheric pressure,
radiation, and electric shook.
Chemical agents Illicit drugs, therapeutic
drugs, toxic compounds.
Biologic agents Viruses, bacteria, fungi,
helminths, protozoa
Lack of oxygen Loss of blood supply,
poisoning of the oxidative
enzymes.
Genetic Disorders Congenital, molecular,
metabolic
Nutritional Deficiencies, excesses
Imbalance
Endocrine Hormonal deficiencies,
imbalance excesses
Immunologic Anaphylaxis, autoimmune
Reaction disease
• Biochemistry and Medicine
o Nucleic Acid (smallest) – Genetic
diseases.
o Proteins – sickle cell anemia.
o Biochemistry – medicine
o Lipids – atherosclerosis
o Carbohydrates (largest) – diabetes
mellitus.
USES OF BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES
• To reveal the fundamental causes and
mechanisms of diseases
- Nature and analysis of genetic diseases
such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia.
• To suggest rational treatments and diseases
based on the fundamental causes and
mechanism of diseases
- A diet low in phenylalanine for treatment of
phenylketonuria Atorvastatin for
hypercholesterolemia.
• To assist in diagnosis of specific diseases
- Blood glucose level for diabetes mellitus.
- Abnormally high serum creatinine for kidney
problem.
• To act as screening tests for the early diagnosis
of certain diseases
- Antenatal screening for prenatal diagnosis.
- Neonatal screening for congenital
hypothyroidism.
• To assist in monitoring the progress of certain
diseases
- Plasma enzyme ALT for infectious hepatitis.
- High glycated hemoglobin for longer term
gauge of blood glucose control.
• To asses in assessing the response of disease to
therapy
- High glycated hemoglobin for poor
response to hypoglycemic agent.
- Renal and liver function tests for drug’s
efficacy and detection of possible toxicity.

Prepared by: M. SALAZAR & J. AGBUYA

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy 2|Page
School of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University
S
 REVIEWER FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACY
PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS AND BOARD EXAMS

Prepared by: M. SALAZAR & J. AGBUYA

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy 3|Page
School of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University
S
 REVIEWER FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACY
PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS AND BOARD EXAMS
AMINO ACIDS - Zwitterion: amino (+) carboxylate (-)
• Structure • Optical Activity
- a-Carbon, amino - Enantiomers
group, carboxyl - Polarimeter
group, hydrogen, - Conformation
side chain or R- - D-amino acid: (+) dextrorotatory (clockwise)
group. - L-amino (-) levorotatory (counterclockwise)
- Unionized form has no charge.

AMINO ACID ZWITTERION

• Formation of Peptides D-Alanine L-Alanine

- Condensation = Addition Reaction
L-Isomer D-Isomer
- Interaction between amino group of one
a-amino with the carboxylic group of
another a-amino.
- Liberation of H2O
- Dipeptide: two a-amino
- Tripeptide: three a-amino
- Proteins or polypeptides: longer peptide
chains. - L (+) alanine is the L-enantiomer and it is
• General Properties dextrorotatory.
- Acid-base property also known as - L (-) Serine is the L-enantiomer and it is
amphoteric levorotatory.
- aa acid: H+ NH3 • Polarity
- aa base: H+ COO- - Interaction with water.
- Non-polar aa
ADDITION OF ACID
o Amino group, One carboxyl group, Non-
polar side chain, Glycine, Alanine,
Proline, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine,
ADDITION OF BASE
Methionine, Tryptophan, phenyl alanine
- Polar Neutral AA
• Isoelectric point o One amino group, one carboxyl group,
A side chain that is polar but neutral,
Serine, Threonine, Cysteine, Asparagine,
Glutamine, Tyrosine
- Polar Acidic AA
o One amino group
o Two carboxyl group
o Aspartic acid
o Glutamic acid
• Stereochemistry - Polar Basic AA
- Different functional groups o Two amino groups
- Enantiometers: non-superimposable o One carboxyl group
- a-carbon: chiral carbon o Histidine, Arginine, Lysine
- a-carbon: asymmetrical

Prepared by: M. SALAZAR & J. AGBUYA

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy 4|Page
School of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University
S
 REVIEWER FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACY
PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS AND BOARD EXAMS
NAME SYMBOL ABV. STRUCTURE FUNCTIONAL GROUP ISOELECTRIC
IN SIDE CHAIN POINT
tyrosine Y Tyr phenolic-OH group 5.7

SIDE CHAIN COTAINS SULFUR

cysteine C Cys thiol 5.0

methionine M Met sulfide

SIDE CHAIN CONTAINS NONBASIC NITROGEN

asparagine N Asn amide 5.4

glutamine Q Gln amide 5.7

tryptophan W Trp indole 5.9

SIDE CHAIN IS ACIDIC

aspartic acid D Asp carboxylic acid 2.8

glutamic acid H Glu carboxylic acid 3.2

SIDE CHAIN IS BASIC

lysine K Lys amino group 9.7

arginine R Arg guanidino group 10.8

histidine H His imidazole ring 7.6

glycine G Gly none 6.0

alanine A Ala alkyl group 6.0

valine V Val alkyl group 6.0

leucine L Leu alkyl group 6.0

isoleucine I Ile alkyl group 6.0

phenylalanine F Phe aromatic group 5.5

proline P Pro rigid cyclic structure 6.3

serine S Ser hydroxyl group 5.7

threonine T Thr hydroxyl group 5.6

Prepared by: M. SALAZAR & J. AGBUYA

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy 5|Page
School of Natural Sciences Saint Louis University
S