'PRACTICAL REPORT ON THE ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF CODEINE AND PARACETAMOL Essay\r'

'Codeine or methyl morphine, an alkaloid, was first stray in 1832 from raw opium. It diddlecentration ranges from 0.2% to 0.8%. Mostly utilise for its analgesic, anti-tussive and anti-diarrheal capabilities (Tremlett, Anderson and Wolf, 2010). Paracetamol also known as acetaminophen (n-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) on the other hand, is a useful non- steroidal anti- unhealthy dose (NSAID). It is commonly used in the trouble of pain and fever in a innovation of patients (Kamberi, et al., 2004).\r\nFig 1: Codeine[NCBI, 2009] Fig 2: Acetaminophen[NCBI, 2009] bingle of the technique involved in the filiation of codeine and paracetamol from its matrix, is the dissolving agent extraction otherwise known as bland †liquid extraction. This process entails the use of ii unmixable liquids usually anaesthetize and water; in dissolving the standard for two distinctive layers to form after(prenominal) the mixture had been thoroughly shaken in concert (Rubinson and Rubinson, 199 8). Separating the comp iodinents of the extract, is through with(p) through the use of Thin stratum Chromatography. It is one of the standard procedures used in many rhetorical laboratory when analysizing unknown drugs or mixtures (Howlett and Steiner, 2011). Separation of the mixtures overstep based on the pH, polarity of its components, declaration and the ignore layer stationary phase (Howlett and Steiner, 2011).\r\nMETHODS:\r\nThe finely carve up take was dissolved in 20ml of distilled water. This was then basified with NaOH ancestor to pH 12 exploitation litmus paper. The resulting effect was later(prenominal) filtered. 1.0ml of chloroform was pipetted into the filtrate. After shaken and combined, two distinctive layers was observed. The bottom layer was extracted thrice utilize a micro- pipette. On a thin chromatography plate, volt spots were placed ( as shown in skirt 2) and the plate was true using chloroform/methanol. This was later visualized with dragend orff’s reagent chthonian the UV light. each dislocated components were observed, identified and recorded. RESULTS:\r\nTable of observed pH\r\nSOLUTIONInitial pHFinal pH\r\nBasified sample1012\r\nTABLE 1\r\nTable of memory factor (RF value)\r\nRf = Distance travelled by the substance (cm) Distance travelled by the closure (cm) SUBSTANCEDistance travelled by substance (cm)Distance travelled by Solvent (cm)Retention factor value (Rf) Chloroform extract3.04.00.75\r\nCodeine supportive harbour3.04.00.75\r\nParacetamol corroboratory control4.04.01.00\r\nChloroform ( interdict control) 3.54.00.86\r\nDiluted sample4.04.01.00\r\nTABLE 2\r\nDIAGRAM:\r\nFig 3: The Developed chromatographical Plate.\r\nDISCUSSION:\r\nRunning the chloroform extracts and thin sample together with two compulsory controls and a negative control on a single chromatographic plate simultaneously, the retention factor(Rf) of five different samples were determined. The RF value of the chloroform extrac t(0.75) tallied with that of the codeine positive control and that of diluted sample(1.00) with the paracetamol positive control. This tentatively shows that, codeine and paracetamol were present in the sample. The termination front(i.e distance travelled by the mixed dissolving agents) is 4cm, this is quite a close to the distances covered by all separated components( among 3 †3.5cm), which makes the retention factors, not a avowedly representative of their actual values. It was later discovered that, this is ascribable to not allowing the chromatographic plate to develop for a longer period of time in the solvent tank. The solvent front also dried up quickly when the plate is taken out., making skeleton a line at that point quite difficult. Fortunately, this was overcome by the use of visualizing spray and UV lamp. Solvent extraction(liquid-liquid), involved selective movement of components of a substance in microgram to gram quantities between two immiscible liquid ph ase; its insularism and selectivity is based on solubility differences and pH control respectively (Fifield and Kealey, 1995).\r\nThis was observed when chloroform was added to the basified filtrate. After wide awake shaking and settling down, chloroform being much dense, composed the bottom layer, with the aqueous phase up. Liquid-liquid extraction often involved high volume of essential solvents and poor resolution of mixtures of organic materials (Fifield and Kealey, 1995). Thin degree Chromatography is usually employed in the qualitative digest of mixtures of non-volatile compounds like pharmaceuticals (Skoog, et al., 2000). tender loving care can also be used to confirm the identity of an unknown sample ( Lewis and Evans, 2011). Dissolution of the codeine and paracetamol tablet in distilled water without weighing, shows that, TLC was never designed for semi- quantitative analysis. This is due to difficulties in reproducibly applying aliquots of the mixture to the plate an d then regain all of the separated components from the plate (Skoog, et al., 2000). CONCLUSION: exploitation the Rf values obtained in the table 2 above and the visual indicator reaction with the substances under the UV light, codeine was extracted to a high degree during the solvent extraction, tentatively identified by TLC (due to its positive control having the same Rf values with the chloroform extract(0.75) and both were the only one that were seen under the UV light) while paracetamol was extracted to a low degree (due to its positive control having the same Rf with the diluted sample). nonuple compounds can share the same retention factor(Rf) or produce similar chromophores when sprayed with detection reagents (Howlett and Steiner, 2011). The study by Lewis and Evans( 2011) shows that if a spot from an unknown substance is developed on a TLC plate together with a spot from a substance that is pretend to be the unknown, and the two substance are piece to have the same Rf value, they are in all probability the same substance.\r\nFUTURE SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Due to the limitation that is associated with using TLC to exactly identify a apt(p) sample, minimum standards for drug testing and reporting in the forensic community are recommended by the scientific Working Group for the Analysis of seized drugs (SWGDRUG) (Howlett and Steiner, 2011). In society for a drug identification to be sustain to SWGDRUG specification, additional tests must includes, Infrared spectroscopy and GC-MS (Howlett and Steiner, 2011).\r\nREFERENCES:\r\nFifield, F. W. and Kealey, D. 1995. Principles and do of Analytical chemistry. (4th ed) Glasgow, Blackie Academic and professional. Howlett, S. E. and Steiner, R. R. 2011. Validation of Thin Layer Chromatography with AccuTOF-DARTâ„¢ Detection for rhetorical Drug Analysis*. Forensic Sciences [e-journal] 56 (5), pp. 1261â€1267. in stock(predicate) through: Anglia Ruskin University Library website http://libwe b.anglia.ac.uk [Accessed on 11 frame 2014]. Kamberi, M., Riley, C. M., Huang, C. C. and Xiaoyan, M, 2004. A validated, sensitive HPLC method acting for the determination of trace impurities in acetaminophen drug substance. Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis [e-journal] 34 (1), pp. 123â€128. Available through: Anglia Ruskin University Library website http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk [Accessed on 18 March 2014]. Lewis, R. and Evans, W. 2011. Chemistry. 4th ed. Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. NCBI, 2009. National Library of Medicine. [online] Available at : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pccompound [Accessed 7 April, 2014]. Rubinson, J. F. and Rubinson, K. A. 1998. Contemporary chemical analysis. Upper rouse River, NJ, Prentice Hall. Skoog, D., West, D., Holler, F. and Crouch, S. 2000. Analytical Chemistry- An introduction. (7th ed). Boca raton, Thomson Learning Inc. Tremlett, M., Anderson, B. J. and Wolf, A. 2010. Proâ€con debate: is codeine a drug that still has a useful role in pe diatric charge? Pediatric Anesthesia [e-journal] 20 (2), pp. 183â€194. Available through: Anglia Ruskin University website http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk [Accessed on 29 March 2014].\r\n'