Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry

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The history of the Department dates back to the Kaunas State University founded in 1922. The students of the Pharmacy Department of the University’s Faculty of Medicine attended the chemistry disciplines (inorganic, organic, analytical, physical chemistry) at the respective departments of the Faculties of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The course on physiological and colloidal chemistry was taught by professor V. Lašas at the Department of Physiology and Physiological Chemistry under his leadership.

In 1944, the Department of Chemistry was established at the University. All the basic chemistry courses taught to pharmacy students were transferred to this department. The department was headed by A. Gabrėnas (1944–1951) and DSc in biological sciences K. Edigarovas (1952–1953). In 1953, as a result of the increasing number of students, the department was reorganised into two separate departments: the Department of General Chemistry and the Department of Biological and Organic Chemistry. The Department of General Chemistry was headed by J. Janickis, DSc in chemical sciences. Its core staff members were J. Arnastauskas, V. Gubavičius, and D. Reingardas as senior lecturers, and B. Navickienė, E. Klimavičienė and M. Padolskis as assistants.

From 1957, the Department was headed by J. Arnastauskas. A. Janutytė, a graduate of pharmacy, and J. Šuliakienė, a graduate of chemical technology at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, also joined the Department. Later, after graduating from pharmacy studies, the following young lecturers joined the faculty: A. Matulionienė (1960), R. Kelerienė (1963), B. Aleknavičienė (1965), and M. Sapragonienė (1965). In 1964, a lecturer of physical chemistry who was a graduate of Vilnius University joined the faculty. G. Karnišauskaitė joined in 1966 after the successful defence of her doctoral thesis in Piatigorsk. From 1972 to 1987, the Department was headed by Assoc. Prof. L. Džekčiorius (1972–1983) and Assoc. Prof. M. Sapragonienė (1983–1987). In 1987, the Department of General Chemistry was reorganised into the Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry headed by Prof. P. Vainauskas. Since April 2008, the Department has been headed by Prof. L.Ivanauskas.

OUR ACTIVITIES

The Department delivers courses in Lithuanian and English at the Faculties of Pharmacy (Master’s studies) and Medicine (Bachelor’s studies in Medical and Veterinary Biochemistry and Bachelor’s studies in Medical and Veterinary Genetics), and at the Veterinary Academy (Bachelor’s degree in Food Science). The Department also delivers doctoral studies.

Disciplines taught by the Department:

Mandatory subjects

  • Study programme PHARMACY (in Lithuanian/English): General and Inorganic Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Toxicology, Final Master’s Thesis.
  • Study programme MEDICAL AND VETERINARY BIOCHEMISTRY: General and Inorganic Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry (Qualitative and Quantitative), Instrumental Methods of Analysis, Final Thesis.
  • Study programme MEDICAL AND VETERINARY GENETICS: Inorganic and General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physico-chemical Research Methods.
  • Study programme FOOD SCIENCE: Chemical and Physical Analysis of Food
  • Study programme FOOD SCIENCE (integrated studies): Chemical and Physical Analysis of Food

Elective subjects

  • Study programme PHARMACY (in Lithuanian): Gas and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Methods in Pharmaceutical Analysis, Research Practice, Forensic Toxicology

Research topic of the Department: “Development of methodologies for the analysis of biologically active substances and their application in toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies”.

  • Development of methodologies for the analysis of biologically active substances and their application in the studies of medicinal products.
  • Toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies of biologically active substances.
  • Methodology for the separation and identification of antidepressants using thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography and solid-phase extraction from plasma.

Main aims and objectives:

  • Development, optimisation and validation of analytical methodologies of gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and thin-layer chromatography:
  • in vitro pharmacokinetic study of medicinal products and toxic compounds, development and optimisation of study methodologies;
  • in vivo pharmacokinetic study of medicinal products and toxic compounds using the developed methodologies;
  • studies of biologically active compounds, heavy metals and pesticides in medicinal raw materials and products, using validated or official methods;
  • development of validated assay methodologies for the determination of the content of biologically active compounds in biological objects;
  • development of methodologies for the determination of metabolites of biologically active compounds;
  • studies of stability of medicinal products (development of analytical methodologies, identification and study of stability factors and degradation products);
  • physical characterisation of pharmaceutical forms and its application in pharmaceutical quality systems;
  • studies of plant extracts, food supplements, and medicinal products
  • protein cleavage and amino acid variation studies in milk proteins and plant extracts;
  • evaluation of saturated fatty acids in vegetable oils and food supplements;
  • identification and quantification of cannabinoids in Cannabis;
  • extraction and composition analysis of essential oils from different plant raw materials;
  • optimisation and development of derivatization processes.

Not only the faculty, but also the doctoral students and students of other cycles are involved in the research conducted at the Department. The research results are published in Lithuanian and foreign scientific journals.

“Diversity of biotypes, abundance regulation and use of Solidago species” 

Implementation period: 2013–2015. Agreement No. MIP-50 /2013. Funded by the Research Council of Lithuania. Project budget: LTL 350,000.00 (~ EUR 102,177.00). Partner: the Nature Research Centre. Project manager: Prof. L. Ivanauskas.

 

“Selection of buckwheat varieties and growing conditions, development of technology to increase the content of functional components”. 

Implementation period: 2014–2015. Agreement No. SVE-02/2014. Funded by the Research Council of Lithuania. Project budget: LTL 375,000.00 (~ EUR 108,620.00). Partner: the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Project manager: Prof. L. Ivanauskas

 

“MEDIKOMPLEKSAS”

Implementation period: April 2016 to December 2016. Agreement No. BN16-60/SV5-0060. Partners: KTU.

 

“Development of eubiotic multifunctional neutraceutics (EUNUTRITECH)”

Implementation period: 2018. Agreement No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-01-0062. Partners: UAB Meditaurus, UAB Inovatyvūs sprendimai, UAB Oda LT.

The Department collaborates with UAB Valentis, UAB Acorus calamus, UAB Aconitum, the Nature Research Centre (Vilnius), the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the Medical Academy at LSMU.

Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry
Sukilėlių pr. 13, Kaunas, Lithuania
Prof. Liudas Ivanauskas
Head of the Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry
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