Bradley S. Winegardner, Chem 213W
Synthetic #1 FFR
Experiment 25: Isolation of Piperine from Black Pepper
Introduction The use of natural products as medicine has been practiced for thousands of years. Natural products can be very diverse and yield the best medicinal results because they may produce fewer side effects. Natural products are used as the starting products by pharmaceutical companies when trying to create new, modernized medicines. Making medicine out of natural products has had a lasting effect on organic chemistry because it paved the path for modern, medicinal research on pharmaceuticals and for the development of new, synthetic medicines synthesized in a laboratory setting. The purpose of this experiment was to isolate
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Reflux is an isolation technique that heats a reaction mixture to produce a distillate that travels up a reaction vessel and is cooled using a reflux condenser (Figure 2, Report) and cold water, which will condense the distillate back into the reaction vessel. The piperine was in this liquid portion of the reaction mixture. The condensate was filtered away from the black pepper and reduced to a yellow, powder residue under a stream of nitrogen and a hot water bath. The residue was dissolved in potassium hydroxide and ethanol and then precipitated with the addition of DI water. The precipitant was filtered away and this concluded the isolation of the crude piperine product. The purification of piperine was done by recrystallizing the crude product in a hexanes/acetone solvent mixture and the crystals filtered away from …show more content…
Piperine has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of cancer by neutralizing free radicals within the body as well as eliminate reactive oxygen species. Both free radicals and ROS can cause cellular oxidative stress and may lead to some cancers as well as early onset of aging, and certain genetic mutations. Piperine also has the ability to stimulate the pain-sensing nerves and this gives pepper its’ pungency. Piperine also aids in digestion by triggering pancreatic and gastro digestive enzymes that will chemically break down the food that we have consumed. Piperine is such an important part of the human diet (in the form of black pepper) and because it is a natural product, there are fewer side effects associated with piperine as a medicine. Natural products as medicine are so important because they allow pharmaceutical companies to research their effects without so many associated risks and can lead to the development of synthetic, modern pharmaceuticals based on the characterization of the natural products. The research of natural, medicinal products leads to many medical
Peppermint can be defined as the aromatic leaves of a plant of the mint family, or an essential oil obtained from them, used as a flavoring in food. For instance, WebMD explains the common uses for peppermint in food, peppermints can be used as flavoring agents, and are a common holiday flavor used in many thing such as coffee drinks and cookies.(WebMD, 2009) Peppermints are still technically a chemically enhanced food. For example, Chi Phung explains what chemicals are used to make the hybrid mint, or a mint containing two or more chemicals, methanol creates the mints cooling effect and menthone makes the icy scent. (Chi Phung, 2013) Peppermint essential oils are often used for medical uses as well. According to WebMD, the oil can used for the side effects of the common cold, more specifically coughing, inflammation in the mouth or throat, sinus infections, and bacterial growth.(WebMD, 2009) Also, WebMD states that the oil can be used for digestive problems such as, heart burn, vomiting, cramps, a simple upset stomach, morning sickness, and more serious issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (WebMD,
Nagaland of India contains one of the world’s hottest chilies – the Naga King Chili (Bhut Jolokia). The author of the article, Mary Roach, arrived to Nagaland to experience the Hornbill Festival, in particular, to watch the Naga King Chili-Eating Competition. She aimed to find out and understand the pleasure and pain the Capsicum genus brings to the people who consume it. The Naga King Chili Pepper varies in heat, but can score extremely high on the Scoville heat unit. The contestants of the chili-eating contest began to suffer from the effect of the capsaicin in their digestive tracts. Some experienced hot flashes and unbearable heat from within, others, like the winner of the contest, vomited at the end of the competition. Some competitors were only able to eat a few of the Naga King Chili, however, others ate up to fourteen chilies. Tolerance for capsaicin, according to the article, is largely built on practice. Only a small part is due to genetics. Capsaicin damages pain receptors over time, so if someone continuously eats hot chili peppers, the pain receptors in their nerves will slowly degenerate and become less sensitive. Mary Roach was able to sample the Naga King Chili in small doses, which brings out the wonderful flavors that would otherwise be overwhelmed by the heat of the capsaicin.
The multiple use of plants used for nourishment, medicinal purposes and practical use were ignored by Lewis and Clark during their monumental trek across the United States. Rather than consider the Native Indian’s use of native plants they persisted on using Dr. Rush’s Thunderbolt pills that probably caused more problems than the condition that inflicted them. Many modern day cultures continue to ignore native remedies and have come to depend on synthetic pharmaceutical drug production. In recent years the wealth of indigenous knowledge has been acknowledged revealing the use of native plants and the importance it had in the survival of indigenous people.. Pharmaceutical companies have utilized the immense knowledge of the indigenous people and their use of natural plants. The application of natural plant species have revealed the main reasons mankind has survived into present day. Following is a few of the plants, their application and their specific purposes.
Natural products include dietary supplements and probiotics. Dietary supplements can be anything from multivitamins to supplemental herbs. Probiotics are live bacteria that are found in the digestive tract (National Center, 2011, para.6). H...
The major use for herbal medicines is for the promotion of health and for therapy for chronic conditions, instead of being used for life-threatening conditions; except in the event of say advanced cancer or new infectious diseases when conventional medicine practices no longer are working an individual may use traditional remedies. While traditional medicines are often mistaken that because they are natural that they are safe, non-toxic, which is not always the case. In cases when an individual is taking herbs with prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or other herbs that may cause some adverse side affects. As a flourishing commercial enterprise, it doesn’t matter why an individual uses traditional medicines, it provides important health care services for individuals that have access physically or finantually to allopathic
Ensure gloves are worn at all times when handling strong acids and bases within the experiment of the preparation of benzocaine. 4-aminobenzoic acid (3.0g, 0.022 moles) was suspended into a dry round-bottomed flask (100cm3) followed by methylated sprits (20 cm3). Taking extra care the concentrated sulphuric acid of (3.0 cm3, 0.031 moles) was added. Immediately after the condenser was fitted on, and the components in the flask were swirled gently to mix components. It should be ensured that the reactants of the concentrated sulphuric acid and the 4-aminobenzoic acid were not clustered in the ground glass joint between the condenser itself and the flask. In order to heat the mixture to a boiling point, a heating mantle was used and then further left for gently refluxing for a constituent time of forty minutes. After the duration of the consistent forty minutes the rou...
Some of the health benefits of a jalapeño are it can lower the rate of having a cancer and heart diseases. Burciaga points out that “According to Dr. T. F. Burks of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, hot peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical that is responsible for piquancy and can effectively relieve certain types of pain”(18). This is one of the reasons why I admired the jalapeno even more. Because not only it makes me eat even more and enjoy my food, but also it can give comfort to some of my pain that I feel inside. Additionally, he also mentioned that “U.S. Government studies show that people living in the Southwest have the lowest rate from heart disease and cancer in the United States”(18).
Medicinal plants have been used extensively as sources for numerous active constituents for treating human diseases and for its therapeutic value (Nostro et al., 2000). The use of plants in treating ailments has been known for thousands of years through the empirical knowledge gathered about the usefulness and harmful properties of different plants and by intuition. Many of these indigenous plants are used as food plants, added to food meant for pregnant women and nursing mothers for medicinal purposes (Edeoga, 2005). Hence it is very important to scientifically understand the chemical composition and bioactive constituent and the biological activity of the different plant part with regards to their usage in both orthodox and primary health care.
A condenser and heat reflux was used to prevent reagents from escaping. Then the solid product was vacuum filtered. The product was recrystallized to purify it and the unknown
The 20th Century gave birth to many new advancements in medicine. During this time, the average lifespan was lengthened, due to progress in medical discoveries. However, with old age came an increase in diseases associated with aging, including cancer and heart disease, which led to increased study’s on how to prevent or cure such illnesses. By the beginning of the 20th century, a new term had emerged, “pharmacology”, which is a laboratory science concerning the study of natural substances and remedies. Researchers put plant drugs under systematic chemical analysis and later learned how to synthesize the drugs. By the turn of the 20th century, new medicines were being marketed and sold in pharmacy’s. Bayer, a company in Germany, made a synthesized version of acetylsalicylic which is what we know today as Aspirin.[1]
It is easy to find in grocery stores, in the baking aisle, near other flavorings. The scent is strong, compared to other deterrents, peppermint is far more economical. The toxicity studies of the plant have received controversial results. Some authors reported that the plant may induce liver disease, while others found that it protects against liver damage caused by heavy metals. Toxicities of the plant may vary among cultivars and are dose dependent, an effect possibly related to pulegone.
Perhaps the reason for this trend is that medicine has failed to provide cures for so many afflictions without having unbearable side effects, or perhaps the reason is that medicine has advanced so much that attempts to create medicines that are less harmful than synthesized medicines have resulted in this natural trend. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that stores are being bombarded with vitamin supplements, herbal foods, and "natural" drugs claiming to do what modern medicine has found difficult to accomplish.
Nutraceutical is a combination from two words i.e. ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical. Nutraceuticals can be defined as a food or a part of food which helps in altering and maintaining normal physiological functions in healthy human beings. The principal reasons for the growth of the nutraceutical market worldwide are the current population and the health trends. The food products used as nutraceuticals can be characterized as dietary fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and other different types of herbal/ natural foods. These nutraceuticals help in fighting some of the major health problems of the century such as metabolic disorders (obesity, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol & diabetes), cancer, bone disorders (osteoporosis, arthritis etc.). Altogether, ‘nutraceutical’ has led to the new era of medicine and health.
Modern medicine mixes chemicals and does extensive testing, while herbal remedies come from naturally grown herbs. For every argument there is two sides, herbal remedies lack dosage instructions, regulations, and may interact with current medication, as well as modern medicines also have improved treatments. With improvements made on information and studies of herbal remedies, they would prevail over modern
Herbal products are medicinal agents obtained from the plants. It’s all started 100 years ago by ancient people. Since synthetic medicine are not yet invented by that time, ancient people had invented medicine out of the plants. Through generations the original herbal medicine had been modified due to the new knowledge discovered and technologies invented.