BASICS OF EVERYDAY

CHEMISTRY

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• Drugs: Drugs are low molecular mass substances which interact with
targets in the body and produce a biological response.

• Medicines: Medicines are chemicals that are useful in the diagnosis,

prevention, and treatment of diseases.

• Therapeutic effect: Desirable or beneficial effect of a drug like the treatment

of symptoms and cure of a disease on a living body is known as therapeutic
effect.

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(a) On the basis of pharmacological effect: This classification is based on
pharmacological effect of the drugs. It is useful for doctors because it
provides them the whole range of drugs available for the treatment of a
particular type of problem. For example, analgesics have pain killing
effect, antiseptics kill or arrest the growth of microorganisms.

(b) On the basis of drug action: It is based on the action of a drug on a

particular biochemical process. For example, all antihistamines inhibit the
action of the compound, histamine which causes inflammation in the
body. There are various ways in which action of histamines can be
blocked.

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(c) On the basis of chemical structure It is based on the chemical structure
of the drug. Drugs classified in this way share common structural features
and often have similar pharmacological activity. For example,
sulphonamides have common structural feature.

(d) On the basis of molecular targets Drugs usually interact with

biomolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
These are called target molecules or drug targets. Drugs possessing
some common structural features may have the same mechanism of
action on targets. The classification based on molecular targets is the
most useful classification for medicinal chemists

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Enzymes: Proteins which perform the role of biological catalysts in the body
are called enzymes.

Functions of enzymes:
(i) The first function of an enzyme is to hold the substrate for a chemical
reaction. Active sites of enzymes hold the substrate molecule in a suitable
position so that it can be attacked by the reagent effectively.

(ii) The second function of an enzyme is to provide functional groups that will
attack the substrate and carry out chemical reaction.

Role of drugs: Main role of drugs is to either increase or decrease role of enzyme catalysed
reactions. Inhibition of enzymes is a common role of drug action.

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Drug-enzyme interaction
Drugs inhibit activities of enzymes. These can block the binding site of the enzyme
and prevent the binding of substrate, or can inhibit the catalytic activity of the
enzyme. Such drugs are called enzyme inhibitors.
Drugs inhibit the attachment of substrate on active site of enzymes in two different
ways;
(i) Drugs compete with the natural substrate for their attachment on the active
sites of enzymes. Such drugs are called competitive inhibitors

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Some drugs do not bind to the enzyme’s active site. These bind to a different
site of enzyme which is called allosteric site. This binding of inhibitor at
allosteric site changes the shape of the active site in such a way that
substrate cannot recognise it.

If the bond formed between an enzyme and an inhibitor is a strong covalent

bond and cannot be broken easily, then the enzyme is blocked permanently.
The body then degrades the enzyme-inhibitor complex and synthesises the
new enzyme.

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• Receptors: Proteins which are vital for communication system in the body
are called receptors. Receptors show selectivity for one chemical
messenger over the other because their binding sites have different shape,
structure, and amino acid composition.

• Receptors as Drug Targets: In the body, message between two neurons and
that between neurons to muscles is communicated through chemical
messengers. They are received at the binding sites of receptor proteins. To
accommodate a messenger, shape of the receptor site changes which
brings about the transfer of message into the cell. Chemical messenger
gives message to the cell without entering the cell.

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Antagonists and
Agonists: Drugs that bind to
the receptor site and inhibit its
natural function are called
antagonists. These are useful
when blocking of message is
required. Drugs that mimic the
natural messenger by a) Receptor receiving chemical messenger
switching on the receptor are b) Shape of the receptor changed after
called agonists. These are
attachment of messenger
useful when there is lack of
natural chemical messenger. c) Receptor regains structure after removal of
chemical messenger

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1.Competitive Inhibition: Competitive Inhibitors are the drugs that compete
with the natural substrate for their attachment on the active sites of
enzymes.

2.Non-Competitive Inhibition: Some drugs do not bind to the enzyme’s active

site, instead bind to a different site of enzyme called allosteric site. This
binding of inhibitor at allosteric site changes the shape of the active site in
such a way that substrate cannot recognise it. If the bond formed between
an enzyme and an inhibitor is a strong covalent bond and cannot be broken
easily, then the enzyme is blocked permanently. The body then degrades the
enzyme-inhibitor complex and synthesizes the new enzyme.

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(i) Antacid: Chemical substances which neutralize excess acid in the gastric
juices and give relief from acid indigestion, acidity, heart burns and gastric
ulcers. Examples: Eno, gelusil, digene etc.

(ii) Antihistamines: Chemical substances which diminish or abolish the

effects of histamine released in body and hence prevent allergic reactions.
Examples: Brompheniramine (Dimetapp) and terfenadine (Seldane).

(iii) Neurologically Active Drugs: Drugs which have a neurological effect i.e.
affects the message transfer mechanism from nerve to receptor.

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Tranquilizers: Chemical substances used for the treatment of stress and mild
or severe mental diseases. Examples: Derivatives of barbituric acids like
veronal, amytal, Nembutal, luminal, seconal.

Analgesics: Chemical substances used to relieve pain without causing any

disturbances in the nervous system like impairment of consciousness, mental
confusion, in coordination or paralysis etc.

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Classification of Analgesics:
(a) Non-narcotic analgesics: They are non-addictive drugs. Examples: Aspirin,
Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Dichlofenac Sodium.

(b) Narcotic analgesics: When administered in medicinal doses, these drugs

relieve pain and produce sleep. Examples: Morphine and its derivatives) Anti-
microbials: Drugs that tends to destroy/prevent development or inhibit the
pathogenic action of microbes such as bacteria (antibacterial drugs), fungi
(anti-fungal agents), virus (antiviral agents), or other parasites (anti-parasitic
drugs) selectively.

Anti-fertility Drugs: Chemical substances used to prevent conception or

fertilization are called anti-fertility drugs. Examples – Norethindrone,
ethynylestradiol (novestrol).

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Chemicals of Food in Everyday Life
In food materials following chemicals are widely used,
1.Coloring agents
2.Artificial preservatives
3.Flow stabilizers
4.Binding substance
5.Artificial sweetness
6.Antioxidants
7.Minerals
8.Vitamins

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• Artificial Preservatives: These prevent spoilage of food by stopping the growth of
microorganism. For example, Sodium benzoate, sodium meta bisulphate.

• Artificial Sweetness: These do not impart any calories to the body. Since these
substances are excreted through urine. For example,
1.Aspartame: It is used in cool drinks and ice-creams.
2.Alitame: It is 2000 times sweeter than sucrose.
• Antioxidants: These prevent the spoilage of food by preventing the oxidation of
food. For example,
1.Butylated hydroxyl tolerance (BHT)
2.Butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA)
Dyes are coloured organic compounds that are used to impart colour to the various
substrate, including paper, leather fur, hair drugs cosmetics. Dyes are classified
into Natural dyes and Synthetic Dyes.

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SOAPS & DETERGENTS
• Soaps are sodium or potassium salt of higher carboxylic acid such as stearic acid,
Palmitic acid and oleic acid whereas detergents contain a long chain of alkyl
groups. Detergents in comparison to soaps can also function in hard water.
• Saponification: Alkaline hydrolysis of triesters of glycerol to form soap is known as
saponification. Soaps do not function in hard water since they precipitate in it.

Soaps are generally sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. Soap
molecules have a hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic part. While the hydrophilic
part clings to the water when washing, the hydrophobic end clings to the dirt
particles. Thus, when we pour away the water, the dirt particles wash away with the
soap molecules.

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TYPES OF SOAPS
1.Toilet Soaps: Potassium soaps are
softer than sodium soaps.
2.Floating Soaps: These can be
prepared by beating soap bubbles.
3.Transparent Soaps: This
contains soap dissolved in excess of
alcohol and it is evaporated.
4.Medicated Soaps: These contain
soaps by adding little amounts of
Dettol, Savlon etc.
5.Laundry Soaps mainly
contains Sodium rosinate, borax.
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TYPES OF DETERGENTS
Anionic Detergent: In this, anion acts
as detergents. For example, Sodium
Lauryl Sulphate
Cationic Detergents: In this type,
cation acts as a detergent. For
example, Cetyl trimethyl ammonium
bromide.
Non-Ionic Detergents: These are
neutral. The whole molecule acts as a
detergent. For example, Polyethylene
glycol stearate.