Preface

This highly informative textbook is based on the author’s decades of teaching experience at university, primarily modules/courses on basic chemistry for life sciences and pharmacology topics. University students and professionals in life science areas may include biology-related fields as well as health-allied subjects, including medical, nursing, dental, biomedical, pharmacological, and nutrition sciences. We also have students/professionals studying at the chemistry–biology interface, including subjects such as pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy-associated disciplines, and forensic sciences. Often with a ‘not so strong’ chemistry background, such students and professionals usually rely on secondary-school chemistry textbooks for general knowledge on basic organic chemistry topics. These resources are, however, limited in scope, particularly as learning materials for university-level education. On the other hand, specialist subject textbooks in this field (organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, etc.) are designed for higher-level chemistry studies, which are either too complex or are above the level required for life science students and professionals. This book is therefore designed to address this scenario – to provide readers in life science fields with sufficient basic chemistry knowledge on organic compounds with added focus on drug molecules.

The book is divided into four sections. The first part (Section I) addresses basic chemistry on the ‘WHAT’ of organic compounds and drug molecules. Starting from covalent bonding, the various classes of organic compounds and functional groups are presented along with some basic reactions. The interaction between atoms to form molecules and intermolecular interactions that give organic compounds their unique physical and chemical properties are discussed. Further structural diversity based on isomerism and significance in biology are discussed primarily by addressing the issue of efficacy and safety/toxicity of drugs. In Section II, organic biological molecules from low molecular weight monomers to macromolecules (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids) and their relevance to fundamental biological processes, and those compounds serving as drugs, are discussed. Section III addresses common units of measurements and physicochemical properties (including common reaction types) of organic compounds and drug molecules. Touching on the processes of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, the chemical basis of drug–target interactions is addressed in Section IV. The bulk of this section is dedicated to presenting the structural diversity and sources of drug molecules based on inspiration from natural products. The various classes of drugs from natural sources, how they are obtained through semi-synthesis and total synthesis, and also approaches of recombinant DNA technology in drug discovery are highlighted. All chapters are structured with specific learning outcomes, box summaries of key facts, a chapter summary, and exemplary problems and solutions.

Solomon Habtemariam