Pharmacy is inherently a clinical oriented profession. Due to financial compulsions, this profession came under the folds of technical education. There is a realisation now, that like in western countries, the pharmacist is best qualified to serve as a member of nation’s healthcare team. Indian pharmacist should be allowed to do clinical practice and be authorised to prescribe medicine. In clinical practice, the most important role is performed by diagnostics. Various biochemical parameters play an important role in pin-pointing the disease, the patient is suffering from. Pharmacy council of India has rightly introduced a course in this direction. However, no single text is available which can impart authentic information and updated techniques of biochemical analysis. This book is an attempt to fill this gap.

The role of important biomolecules in the normal physiological conditions in human body, and in diseased state are discussed, before their qualitative and quantitative expression. The book has been designed according to PCI syllabus and would be applicable in the undergraduate domain of pharmacy. Furthermore, the book may be of valuable assistance to medical students as well as students of paramedical courses like nursing, physiotherapy and medical laboratory technology.

  1. CARBOHYDRATES
     Introduction
     Analytical Profile of Carbohydrates
     Qualitative Analysis
         Monosaccharides         
         Disaccharides
         Polysaccharides
     Quantitative Analysis
         Estimation of Reducing Sugar in Food Products
         Estimation of Glucose in Blood
         Estimation of Glucose in Urine
     Carbohydrate Tolerance Tests
         Postprandial Glucose Tolerance Test
         Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
         Starch Tolerance Test
     Analysis of Polysaccharides
         Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Starch with Salivary Amylase
         Determination of Salivary Amylase (Ptyalin) Activity
            Starch-iodine Complex method
            DNSA Method
         Effect of Temperature
         Effect of pH
         Effect of Substrate Concentration
      Determination of Serum Amylase Activity
         Folin – Wu method

  2. PROTEINS
     Introduction
     Qualitative Analysis
         General Tests
         Specific tests for Albumin
         Specific tests for Casein
     Quantitative Analysis
         Colorimetric Determination of Proteins
         Determination of Hemoglobin
           Acid Hematin method
     Determination of Gamma Globulin
          Chemical Method for the Determination of Gamma Globulin

  3. LIPIDS
     Introduction
     Qualitative Analysis of Lipids
     Estimation of Triglycerides in Serum
     Estimation of Total Lipids in Blood
         Sulfo-phospho-vanillin (SPV) method
         Bragdon’s colorimetric method
     Determination of Phospholipids

  4. CHOLESTEROL AND OTHER STEROIDS
     Introduction
     Cholesterol
         Qualitative Tests
         Estimation of Cholesterol in Blood Serum
     Estimation of Hydrocortisone in Plasma
     Estimation of Corticosteroids in Plasma

  5. ENZYMES
     Introduction
     Estimation of Serum Lipase Activity
     Estimation of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Activity
     Estimation of Acid Phosphatase Activity
     Estimation of Serum Transaminases
     Estimation of Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate Transaminase (SGOT) Activity
     Estimation of Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) Activity
     Estimation of Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Activity
         Ultraviolet (UV) Method
         Colorimetric Method

  6. UREA AND URIC ACID
     Introduction
     Estimation of Urea in Blood Serum
     Estimation of Uric Acid in Blood Serum

  7. KETONE BODIES
     Introduction
     Estimation of Ketone Bodies in Blood

  8. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF URINE
      (Normal and Abnormal Constituents)
     Introduction
     Physical Tests
         (Volume, Odor, Color, Appearance, pH (checked with pH indicator paper strips or dipstics), Specific gravity and Total solids)
     Chemical Tests for Normal Constituents
         (Chlorides, Sulfates, Phosphates, Calcium, Ammonia, Urea, Uric Acid, Creatinine)
     Chemical Tests for Abnormal Constituents
         Benedict’s test  Rothera’s test  Heat coagulation test  Sulphosalicylic acid test  Heller’s test  Benzidine test
         Orthotoluidine test  Hay’s sulfur test  Fouchet’s test  Gmelin’s test  Rosenbach’s test

  9. BILE PIGMENT (Bilirubin)
     Introduction
     Estimation of Bilirubin in Serum

  10. CREATININE
     Introduction
     Determination of Creatinine in Blood
     Determination of Creatinine in Urine

  11. CREATININE
     Introduction
     Determination of Creatine in Blood
     Determination of Creatine in Urine
  12. CREATININE
     Introduction
     Determination of Chlorides in Urine
         Volhard-Arnold Method

  13. IRON
     Introduction
     Determination of Serum Iron

  14. CALCIUM
     Introduction
     Estimation of Calcium in Serum

  15. SODIUM AND POTASSIUM
     Introduction
     Determination by Flame Photometry
     Chemical Determination of Sodium
     Chemical Determination of Potassium

  16. LACTIC ACID
     Introduction
     Determination of Lactic Acid in Blood
         Colorimetric method
         Titrimetric method
     Determination of Lactic acid in tissues, tissue extracts

     Introduction
     Determination of Urobilinogen in Urine

  18. DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA)
     Introduction
     Extraction
     Isolation
     Identification

  19. DETERMINATION OF BLOOD VOLUME
     Introduction
     Determination
         Evans Blue Dye Method

  20. GENERAL PROCEDURES IN BLOOD ANALYSIS
     Drawing Blood for Analysis
     Preparation of Whole Blood and Plasma
     Anticoagulants
     Preparation of Blood Serum for Analysis
     Measurement of Blood

    APPENDIX
       Appendix I : Common Acids and Alkalies as Purchased
       Appendix II : Commonly used Anticoagulants
       Appendix III : Common Reference Ranges