Analytical chemistry

Analytical chemistry, as a fundamental discipline, is a branch of chemistry that develops and applies methods, protocols and strategies in order to obtain information regarding the compositional structure of a mixture. The separation processes aim at isolating the analytes from mixtures with various complexities, in order to perform the qualitative analysis (the respective analytes are identified), respectively the classical and instrumental quantitative analysis (the quantity of each analyte in the sample is determined). The theoretical and practical foundations of analytical chemistry find their applicability in many scientific and technical branches, but also in the medical and pharmaceutical field. Because compounds of pharmaceutical interest must meet a number of purity criteria, mastering the theoretical and practical principles of analytical chemistry is very important in the process of training pharmacists.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DISCIPLINE

Within the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babeş” Timişoara, the Discipline of Analytical Chemistry is included in the Department I Pharmacy, along with the other fundamental disciplines. In the bachelor’s cycle (Pharmacy), Analytical chemistry is studied during three semesters, in the second semester of the first year (course and laboratory of Qualitative analytical chemistry), the first semester of the second year (course and laboratory of Quantitative analytical chemistry), respectively the second semester of the second year (course and laboratory of Analytical chemistry and instrumental analysis). The discipline team also ensures the development of the course and laboratory of Instrumental Analysis Techniques, being addressed to the students of the first year, the first semester of the Pharmacy Assistance specialization (Lugoj extension).

Currently, the discipline of Analytical Chemistry consists of Professor PhD Adriana-Violeta Ledeţi (tenured since 2005, head of discipline), Associate Professor PhD Florin Borcan (incumbent since 2014), Lecturer PhD pharm. Denisa-Laura Cîrcioban (substitute teacher since September 2016, currently holder), respectively Lecturer PhD pharm. Carmen Tomoroga (incumbent since September 2018). Within the discipline, over time, also activated the regretted Professor PhD Veronica Chiriac, the late Professor PhD Dumitru Tiţa, but also Lecturer PhD Gabriel Balea, Lecturer PhD Adrian Grozav, Lecturer PhD Vicenţiu Vlaia, respectively Lecturer PhD Ion Bogdan Tiţa.

At the Faculty of Pharmacy, Analytical Chemistry, as an educational discipline, has been taught since the establishment of the faculty, in 1991 for the Romanian section, respectively in 1998 for the French section. From the first years of existence of the discipline, the main effort was directed towards the creation of optimal conditions for the development of the instructive-educational process: the arrangement of the practical work rooms, the endowment with equipment, reagents and didactic material.

The teaching activity has always been a fundamental concern of the members of this discipline, whom have strived to improve the educational process, so that students can apply the knowledge acquired here in the specialized disciplines from later study years, as well as in pharmaceutical practice and research. Considering that the discipline of Analytical Chemistry is part of the category of fundamental disciplines, the major objective of the courses and laboratories was and is represented by the introduction of basic theoretical notions, respectively the formation of practical skills necessary for a future pharmacist, as well as for other disciplines such as drug analysis, pharmaceutical technology, toxicology, etc. For this purpose, courses and laboratory guides necessary for the training of the students of the two sections were developed in both Romanian and French languages.

The major research directions developed within the discipline focus on the study of biologically active substances, as follows:

– The study of the compatibility of some substances of pharmaceutical interest with various excipients using instrumental analysis techniques (thermal analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, PXRD, SEM, etc.), as well as the evaluation of thermally-induced physico-chemical interactions between the constituents of commercial solid pharmaceutical forms;

– Obtaining and characterizing some supramolecular adducts (complex combinations, host-guest type complexes and binary adducts such as cocrystals or salts) of some biologically-active substances and their physico-chemical characterization by instrumental techniques;

– Evaluation of thermal stability using modern kinetic methods in elucidating the mechanism of decomposition and shelf-life of some biologically active compounds, of the corresponding galenic forms or of compounds with potential biological activity;

– Discovery of new biologically active substances, using computational modeling based on quantitative relationships between the chemical structure of the studied compounds and their biological activity;

– Obtaining and characterizing polymeric nanostructures usable as drug carriers.

Transcutaneous administration for more and more drugs, the use of mediators that facilitate the transmembrane, targeted transport of biologically active substances, and the optimization of bioavailability of natural compounds with pharmaceutical potential demonstrated by various structural changes are just some of the transdisciplinary challenges (medicine-pharmacy -biology-chemistry) of the last decade. Members of this discipline have collaborations with colleagues from the disciplines of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Immunology and Toxicology for the physico-chemical characterization and in vitro and in vivo testing of the new compounds obtained by synthesis.