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Ephedrine works by inducing the release of norepinephrine and hence indirectly activating the α-and β-adrenergic receptors. [11] Chemically, ephedrine is a substituted amphetamine and is the (1R,2S)-enantiomer of β-hydroxy-N-methylamphetamine. [14] Ephedrine was first isolated in 1885 and came into commercial use in 1926.
Ball-and-stick model of the ephedrine molecule, a sympathomimetic drug. This image shows the (1R,2S)-isomer. Based on the crystal structure of ephedrine, as determined by X-ray diffraction. Used colors: Carbon, C: black Hydrogen, H: white Oxygen, O: red Nitrogen, N: blue: Date: 22 January 2015: Source: Own work
Ephedrine is the precursor of synthetic amphetamines. The diastereomer of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine is found in Ephedra sinica together along with ephedrine. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are both generally used for weight reduction and performance enhancement. They can also be reduced to methamphetamine. [2]
There are alkaloids that do not have strong psychoactive effect themselves, but are precursors for semi-synthetic psychoactive drugs. For example, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are used to produce methcathinone and methamphetamine. [216] Thebaine is used in the synthesis of many painkillers such as oxycodone.
The reaction is used in spot tests and is also known as Chen-Kao test (or simply as Chen, Test T in UN Precursor Test Kit). The test is often used to distinguish ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine , cathinone and methcathinone from amphetamine and methamphetamine , which do not react with Chen’s test reagent.
This synthesis was a by-product of a search for ephedrine, a bronchodilator used to treat asthma extracted exclusively from natural sources. Over-the-counter use of substituted amphetamines was initiated in the early 1930s by the pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline & French (now part of GlaxoSmithKline ), as a medicine ( Benzedrine ) for colds ...
Drug precursors, also referred to as precursor chemicals or simply precursors, are substances used to manufacture illicit drugs. Most precursors also have legitimate commercial uses and are legally used in a wide variety of industrial processes and consumer products, such as medicines, flavourings, and fragrances.
The majority of L-PAC is generated in pharmaceutical plants in India, as an intermediate precursor in the production of pseudoephedrine. There are also biochemical reactions where enzymes such as acetohydroxyacid synthase I from E. coli condense pyruvate and benzaldehyde into R-PAC. Such methods have much higher conversion rates in comparison ...