CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
Today’s History Feature:
Joseph Caventou
(Jun 30, 1795 – May 5, 1877)
💠French Chemist
💠Founder of Alkaloid Chemistry
His contributions…
🔸Caventou was the son of an apothecary. He studied Pharmacy and started his career as a Professor of Toxicology (1835 – 1860) at School of Pharmacy in Paris.
🔸He further associated with his mentor Joseph Pelletier, who did a notable research on plant alkaloids.
🔸After some time, together they discovered Chlorophyll (choose the Greek word of Green leaf) in 1817. It’s a green chemical used by plants for photosynthesis.
🔸The Duo also extracted useful plant alkaloids such as:
🔅Emetine (1817) from Ipecacuanha.
🔅Strychnine (1818) from Nux vomica.
🔅Colchicine (1819) from Colchicum autumnale plant.
🔅Quinine (1820) from the bark of cinchona tree.
🔅Caffeine (1821) from coffee beans.
🔸However, both refused to patent their discovery of their compounds.
🔸Subsequently, they published the method of Extracting Quinine and Cinchonine from Cinchona bark. Therefore, anybody could use the method and manufacture Quinine to combat malaria.
🔸To honour his devoted work, the crater “Caventou” on moon has been given his name.
🔸Both were honoured Philatelically by the French Government in 1970 on the celebration of 150th Anniversary of the Discovery of Quinine.
🔸The year 2020 was the 200th Anniversary of the Discovery of Quinine.
A Day to Commemorate…
The Duo Who Contributed Alkaloid Chemistry to the Field of Medicine
The Discoverer of Quinine from the Bark of Fever Tree
Joseph Pelletier 🙏
Joseph Caventou 🙏
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