PGD in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry

Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry

Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry

PGD in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry

1. List of Academic Staff

Name	Status & Qualifications	Research Interest
N. S. Njinga	Senior Lecturer & Ag. Head of Dept. B.Sc. (Buea); M.Sc., Ph.D. (ABU, Zaria)	Natural Product Chemistry, Organic Synthesis
Moji T. Bakare-Odunola	Professor B.Sc. (Maiduguri); M.Sc., Ph.D. (ABU, Zaria)	Pharmaceutical Analysis/Medicinal Chemistry
S. T. Abdullahi	Reader B.Pharm., M.Sc. (ABU, Zaria); Ph.D. (OAU, Ile-Ife)	Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmacokinetics
I. O. Eniayewu	Lecturer I B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (OAU, Ile- Ife)	Pharmaceutical Analysis/Medicinal Chemistry
*O. O. Dosumu	Professor B.Sc., M.Sc. (Ilorin); Ph.D. (Ibadan)	Natural Product Chemistry
*L. A. Usman	Professor B.Sc. (Ed), M.Sc. (Ilorin); Ph.D. (LAUTECH, Ogbomosho)	Natural Product Chemistry
*Modinah O. Abdulraheem	Reader B.Sc., M.Sc., PGDE (Ibadan); Ph.D. (Ilorin)	Analytical Chemistry
*O. Atolani	Senior Lecturer B. Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Ilorin)	Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Synthesis

*Lecturers from other Departments

B.      Introduction

Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry is one of the cardinal areas of specializations in pharmaceutical practice, which involves drug discovery and development. PGD in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry is to provide opportunity for University graduates in Biochemistry, Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry to acquire the required knowledge in the four areas of higher degree in pharmaceutical chemistry which are: natural product chemistry, organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutical analysis and quality control.

C.      Philosophy

The philosophy of the programme is designed to equip non-pharmacy graduate students with the fundamental knowledge and skills to enhance career opportunities within the pharmaceutical industries, academic pharmaceutical research, or pharmaceutical regulatory organisations.

D.      Aim and Objectives

The aim of the programme is to prepare non pharmacists for the challenges of pure and applied research in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry and for services in the pharmaceutical industries.

The objectives are to:

1. provide opportunity for university graduates of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Industrial chemistry to aspire to higher degrees in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry;
2. produce pharmaceutical chemists that will acquire new technological advancements in the field of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry; and
3. develop in the graduate, a sense of inquiry, ability for independent research and motivation to excel in the field of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry.

E.      Admission Requirements

The candidates are required to possess the following:

1. Five ‗O‘ level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology; and
2. A Bachelor Degree in Science with a minimum of Second-Class Honours (Lower Division) in Biochemistry, Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry or a closely related subject.

F.      Duration of the Programme

1. Full-Time: Minimum of 12 calendar months and a maximum of 18 calendar months.
2. Part-Time: Minimum of 24 calendar months and a maximum of 48 calendar months.

G.     Detailed Course Description

PCH 701 Fundamentals of Pharmaceutical Chemistry 3 Credits

Natural products chemistry: secondary metabolites of plants. Isolation, purification, and characterisation of  simple organic molecules. Chromatographic separation technique. Organic synthesis: synthesis of simple organic compounds, Medicinal chemistry: physicochemical principles of drug design. Pharmaceutical analysis: chemical and physicochemical methods of drug analysis. 45h (T); C

PCH 702 Pharmaceutical Inorganic Chemistry 3 Credits

Essential trace elements. The transition elements, their compounds and pharmaceutical applications. Biochemistry and medicinal applications of iron and haematinics. Mineral supplements. Role of trace  minerals. Gastrointestinal agents and their official preparations. Complexes, chelating agents and their importance in medicine 30h (T); 45h (P); C

PCH 703 Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry 3 Credits

Structure, stability, generation and reactions of carbonium ions, carbanions, free radicals and carbenes. Aliphatic and aromatic nucleophilic substitution. Aliphatic and aromatic electrophilic substitution. Elimination reactions. Addition reactions: Addition to carbon – carbon multiple bonds, Addition to conjugated dienes, Addition to other conjugated systems, Addition to carbon- hetero multiple bonds (with special emphasis on C=O). Rearrangement reactions. Reduction. Oxidation. Halogenations. Organometallic compounds. 30h (T); 45h (P); C

PCH 704 Pharmaceutical Analysis 3 Credits

Absorption spectroscopy: ultraviolet spectrophotometry and colorimetry. Infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence spectroscopy. Atomic absorption spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Potentiometry. Polarimetry. Polarography. Amperometry. 30h (T); 45h (P); C

PCH 705 Physicochemical Principles of Medicinal Chemistry 2 Credits

Physio-chemical properties and biological activity. Ferguson principles. Drugs and receptors. Theories of drug action. Mechanisms of drug action. Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability. Protein binding of drugs. Pharmacodynamics. Procedures of drug design. Quantitative Structural- activity relationship. 30h (T); C

PCH 706 Chemical Aspects of Drug Metabolism 2 Credits

Phase I reactions and general pathway of metabolism. Metabolism of pesticides and other chemicals. Metabolism of steroids and sterols. Enzyme induction and stimulation. Phase II reactions. Factors affecting metabolism. Relationship between phase I and phase II reactions. Metabolic schemes of some selected drugs. Stereochemical aspects of drug metabolism: substrate and product stereochemistry and substrate-product selectivity. Biochemical aspects of drug metabolism. Drug metabolizing enzyme of phase I reactions. Pharmacogenetics. 30h (T); E

PCH 707 Medicinal Chemistry I 2 Credits

Nomenclature, physical and chemical properties, uses and mechanisms of action, synthesis, structure-activity relationship, assay and metabolism of: analgesics and antipyretics; local and general anaesthetics; sedative and hypnotic; tranquilizers; anticonvulsants. adrenergic and cholinergic; antihistamines; hypoglycaemics, antihypertensive; and anticoagulants. 30h (T); C

PCH 708 Medicinal Chemistry II 2 Credits

Nomenclatures, physical and chemical properties, uses and mechanism of action, synthesis, structure-activity relationship, assay and metabolism of: diuretics; vitamin; steroids and steroid hormones; sulphonamides and sulfones; antibiotics; antimalarials; amoebicides, trypanocides  and antihelminitics; antineoplastic; antivirals; drugs in veterinary practice.30h (T); C

PCH 709 Metabolism of Biomolecules 2 Credits

Degradation of carbohydrates: sugar, reactions of sugar, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle. Classification of lipids, oxidation of fats, ketones, cholesterol. Oxidative degradation of amino-acids, urea cycle creatinine and creatinine metabolism.30h (T); E

PCH 710 Structure and Chemistry of Biomolecules and Biosynthesis of Macromolecules 2 Credits

Chemistry of amino acids and nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, enzymes, vitamins and co-enzymes. Bioenergetics. Structures and functions of macromolecules: polysaccharides, glycoproteins, lipids, dextran’s and ascorbic acids. Insulin in diabetes. 30h (T); E

PCH 799 Thesis 6 Credits

Completed original research on a topic, approved by the head of department in relevant area of specialization, which must be defended and graded before a panel of Internal and External Examiners. 270h (P); C

H. Graduation Requirements

To be awarded the PGD in Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, a candidate must have registered and passed all core courses in addition to at least two electives. A minimum of 28 credits are required for graduation made up of the followings:

Core courses                                                                                                           18 Credits

Thesis                                                                                                                       6 Credits

Elective courses                                                                                                        4 Credits

Total                                                                                                                      28 Credits

I. Summary

Core courses: PCH 701 (3), PCH 702 (3), PCH 703 (3), PCH 704 (3), PCH 705 (2), PCH

707 (2), PCH 708 (2), PCH 799 (6).

Elective courses: PCH 706 (2), PCH 709 (2), PCH 710 (2)