Pharmaceutical Analysis

Separation techniques for pharmaceuticals are still in the development stages and have been critical in the development and advancement of medications. 

Pharmaceutical testing labs can detect both the chemical and structural content of each particular drug by:

• Ensuring that all pharmaceuticals meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and performance.
• Testing for extractables and leachables to reveal probable contamination from any source.
• Determining whether the formula has any potential stability issues. 

Extraction and Separation techniques in Pharmaceutical Analysis

The extraction and separation techniques used in pharmaceutical analysis are provided below:

• Maceration: Solid materials are placed in a stoppered container with the entire solvent and left to stand for at least 3 days (3 – 7 days) with frequent agitation until soluble stuff is dissolved. After standing, the mixture is strained (through sieves/nets), the marc is crushed, and the mixed liquids are clarified (by filtration or decantation).

• Supercritical Fluid Extraction: There is a critical temperature (Tc) and pressure (Pc) for any substance above which no external pressure can drive the substance into its liquid phase. A substance is defined as a supercritical fluid if its temperature and pressure are both higher than the Tc and Pc for that substance.

• Counter-Current Extraction Process: Wet input material is pulverised using toothed disc disintegrators to generate fine slurry in counter-current extraction. Within a cylindrical extractor, the material to be extracted is pushed in one direction (usually in the form of fine slurry) until it comes into contact with the extraction solvent. The extract becomes more concentrated as the starting material advances further.

Why is extraction important in the pharmaceutical industry?

Extraction is a term used to describe the process of isolating active compounds from medicinal materials. This can be accomplished either physically or by dissolving in an appropriate menstruum (liquid solvent, e.g., water or alcohol).

The act of pressing down on plants to extract oils or juices is known as expression, which is usually done using a tincture press. Infusions are made by soaking a medicine in water for a set amount of time. Depending on whether decomposition of substances is possible at higher temperatures, this could be hot or cold. Since there is no preservative in infusions, they should be prepared for immediate use. Concentrated infusions can sometimes be made by boiling the water and then adding a preservative like alcohol.

What Separation Technique do Pharmacists Use Most of the Time?

Most pharmacists, these days, use separation techniques to eliminate toxic substances from the medicine to make it free from unwanted radicals. Here are the types of separation techniques that have gained significant popularity. 

• Chromatography

Chromatography is an analytical chemistry technique that allows you to separate, identify and quantify substances. It is useful in scientific study, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and forensics. It was first invented by Mikhail Tsvet, a Russian-Italian botanist who investigated chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green colour. The word “chromatography” comes from “chromo”, which refers to “colour” and “graph”, which refers to “writing.” He found individual coloured bands characteristic of each of the components when separating a combination of plant pigments he extracted. This approach is being used to separate items that are unrelated in colour.

Separating compounds in a combination dissolved in a liquid or a gas, or which is itself a liquid or a gas, according to their chemical interactions with the surface or column used for chromatography, is the same idea behind all types of chromatography. The stationary phase is the surface, whereas the mobile phase is the liquid or gas in which the mixture is dissolved. Since the strength of the interactions between the different components in the stationary phase differs from that of the mobile phase, the components will travel at different rates along with it, reaching different positions along with the stationary phase and so can be separated.

Thin-layer chromatography works on the same principle as thin layer chromatography, only the stationary phase is made of glass, aluminium paper, or plastic coated with an absorbing substance like silica or aluminium oxide. This approach, which is faster and more precise than paper chromatography, is often used in organic chemistry to determine a material’s purity and test the initial quantities of components in a mixture.

Conclusion

It is incredibly important to isolate the component(s) of interest from all other materials in a chemical reaction so that they may be further defined. Biochemical system research, environmental analysis, pharmaceutical research, and a variety of other fields of study require dependable separation procedures.