The study of scopolamine involves aspects that are manifold and complex. In this investigation, the pathways for biological and laboratory syntheses were elucidated, in additional to the physical and chemical properties and characteristics of scopolamine. 13C-NMR and H-NMR were generated from collected data, and the isolation and uses of scopolamine were discussed.
Introduction
Scopolamine's uses have roots in ancient times and have pervaded into the present. This heterocyclic tropane alkaloid is naturally found in Solanaceas plants and can be prepared in the laboratory from various precursors. First isolated in the late nineteenth century, it has found various uses in the modern world. In humans, scopolamine is therapeutically employed in opthamallogical procedures to cause mydriosis, prolonged dialation of the iris, and is used to prevent and treat motion sickness. Because it depresses the central nervous system, it has been used as an amnesiac for birthing mothers, producing "Twlight Sleep." It does not have great chemical utility and decomposes on standing or heating; therefore it is stored in hydrated forms or as salts with HCl or HBr.
Historical Usage of Scopolamine
During the Middle Ages, drug addicts used potions derived from compounds such as the tropane alkaloids, which are found in solanaceous plants. The sensation of flying, in addition to hallucinations were attributed to the application of such ointments. These early drug addicts were often victims of witch-hunts. In addition, scopolamine was used as an anaesthetic during surgery, until physicians were accused of sorcery upon the disclosure of their patients' odd dreams.
Plant-derived tropane alkaloids were used for cosmetic reasons: until the Renaissa...
... middle of paper ...
...nonymous. NASTECH FILES NDA FOR INTRANASAL SCOPOLAMINE. 1999. Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. press release.
10. Ladenburg, Albert. Justus Liebig's Annalen Der Chemie. 1881. 206: 274.
11. Fodor, G. Tetrahedron, 1957, 14: 86.
12. Budavari, Susan. ed. The Merck Index. 12 ed. 1996. Merck & Co. Inc. New Jersey. Entry 8550.
13. Ansell, M. F. Rodd's Chemistry of Carbon Compounds. 1985. New York: Elsevier. 209.
14. Glasby, J. S. Encyclopaedia of the Alkaloids. 1975. New York: Plenum Press. l:731.
15. Brossi, Arnold. The Alkaloids. 1988. Academic Press: San Diego CA. 33:54, 63
16. Marion, L. and A.F. Thomas. A further Observation on the Biogenesis of Hyoscyamine. 1955. Can. J. Chem. 33: 1853.
17. Leete, E., Marion, L., and Spencer, I.D. Nature, 1954, 174: 650.
18. Herbert, R. B. Rodd's Chemistry of Carbon Compounds. 1985. New York: Elsevier. 219
Erika Dyck provides the reader and interesting view of early historical psychological research on LSD, lysergic acid diethyl-amide. This book is composed of Dyck’s scientific interpretation and dissection of earlier psychedelic psychiatry research by Humphry Osmond, and Abraham Hoffer. A Swiss biochemist named Albert Hofmann dissolved a minimal amount of d-lysergic acid diethyl-amide in a glass of water and digested this new synthetic drug in April 1943. Three hours later he begins to feel dizzy and his vision was distorted. Hofmann recollects this as a surreal journey as if what he saw was created by the famous paintings of Salvador Dali unexplained carnivalesque or at some moments even nightmarish hallucinations. The drug began gaining support from pharmaceutical companies as something that can possibly be beneficial for future scientific study. Saskatchewan soon became one of the epicenters harvesting break through biochemical innovation and experimentation with LSD from the 1950s to 1960s.
Al-Nafis, besides drawing on pharmacy and drugs used from around the world, introduced the idea of mathematical calculation of proper drug dosages, and Al-Razi building off that idea in al Hawi fit-Tibb included a section on pharmacy which pioneered chemotherapy with a variety of mineral drugs (Rahman). Prior to this, tumors were treated primarily with cauterization. Al-Zahrawi introduced many modern pharmacological treatments such as nasal sprays, mouth washes and hand creams. As already noted, sulfur was found an effective topical treatment for scabies, and opium (in modernity purified to morphine) an effective anaesthetic. Many other drugs discovered to have therapeutic use during the Golden Age of the Islamic Empire endure today—including the use of copper sulphate to heal open skin lesions (Stewart 127) and various unguents, plasters, counter-irritants, and pomades
Boyer, B., Boyer, R., & Basehart, H. 1973. Hallucinogens and Shamanism M. Hamer, Ed.. England: Oxford University Press.
Merck had developed an antibiotic, Ivermectin that was used to treat parasites in animals. Dr. William C. Campbell, a Merck senior researcher, found evidence that the same drug might be effective against the parasitic worm that causes river blindness. After much consideration, Merck decided to research Ivermectin’s effectiveness in preventing river blindness. That research, including human clinical trials, showed that the drug indeed was effective with no side effects. After searching for an organization that would pay for the distribution of the human version of the drug, called Mectizan, without success, Merck decided to give the drug itself, at no cost, to everyone who needed it and set up its own committee to oversee distribution. In the little more than a decade since that announcement, river blindness has been virtually eliminated as
Philip G. Fothergill, Historical Aspects of Organic Evolution, pub. 1953 by the Philosophical Library Inc., 15 East 40th Street, New York, NY
The most familiar potions were love and sleep potions. Often times the sleep potions would kill the potion taker due to a certain herb or ingredient in the potion being too intense. As Jonathan Sonto, the author of Ancient Potions, had stated in his article “sleep potions were used as gifts and punishments. They could be used to kill a person for their wrongdoing. If a person wanted to escape the world of stress they could take the sleep potion and sleep through the trauma going on in the world.” Many people today probably wish that this potion was still alive and well. The sleep potions were sometimes given as ointments. The ointments were much easier to keep track of and manage the effectiveness of the potion. If a person had insomnia they could use more of the ointment and more often whereas if a person just wants to sleep they can use the ointment more sparingly. If another person uses the liquefied potion, the person has to drink the entire bottle and they are done with the entire potion. The same concept that was used for sleep potions was used for surgical purposes. After surgery aesthesis, which translates to anesthesia today, was made into an ointment form and was rubbed on the affected area. This would reduce pain and help the healing go by faster. Almost all greek surgeons would use the ointment method to help their
In the Vice News documentary reporter Ryan Duffy travels to Bogota,the capital of Colombia. To report on a powerful drug called Scopolamine, which is also known as "The Devil's Breath." The drug is so intense that it turns a person to your own human puppet not able to use free will, but can you still speak and do other activities as normal. In the culture of Colombia this drug was used in ancient burial rituals all the way to support during child birth. Now it is use in the modern times it is treated like the novelty superpower Rohypnol or “Roofies.”
Administration, U.S. Food and Drug. Animal and Veterinary. 02 Febuary 2014. Web. 17 Febuary 2014.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments.
Since its humble beginning as a small drugstore, Merck has placed a large amount of importance on improving the health and well-being of its customers. As drug patents expire and genetic forms of their top products become available, Merck’s strategy is to do the unexpected; instead of raising the price of their older products in favor of patent protected new drugs, Merck focuses on reducing their cost in order to better compete with their generic counterparts. Additionally, Merck’s plan for growth now encompasses a much more aggressive pursuit of new drugs in their pipeline through extensive research. Merck became the second largest health care company in the world after the merger with Schering-Plough in 2009 and has contributed great discoveries like the first cervical cancer vaccine and great resources like the Merck Manuals which are utilized as a source of information to doctors, scientists and consumers worldwide .
Although in the modern world such drugs have developed an almost taboo status, it is impossible to ignore the tales of enlightenment reported by ancient cultures and even those rebels that use such drugs illegally today. While the American government has been one of the main influences on today’s society’s negative attitudes towards psychedelic drugs, they have granted some scientist and psychologists permission to experiment with such agents, and despite the controversy and varying results there seem to be many positive uses of psychedelic agents. These positive uses and the research that has been directed toward these uses will be reviewed in the following, as well as a brief history of psychedelic drugs.
In the history of mankind, the hallucinogens have probably been the most important of the narcotics. Their fantastic effects made the...
Pre-Columbian Mexicans used many substances, from tobacco to mind-expanding (hallucinogenic) plants, in their medicinal collections. The most fascinating of these substances are sacred mushrooms, used in religious ceremonies to induce altered states of mind, not just drunkenness.
Caffeine is the common name for the chemical compound trimethylxanthine and is produced by many different plants, including coffee beans and cacao beans. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, heart rate, respiration, has mood altering properties, and acts as a mild diuretic (About.com). Theobromine is a chemical compound belonging to a class of alkaloid molecules known as methylxanthines. Methylxanthines naturally occur in caffeine. Theobromine affects people similarly to caffeine, but on a much smaller scale. Theobromine is a mild stimulant and a mild diuretic. (About.com).
Kardos, N. & Demain. A. L. 2011. Penicillin: the medicine with the greatest impact on therapeutic outcomes. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 92: 677-687.