Scope and Subject Areas

The Journal of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (JPC) welcomes high-quality original research articles, research communications, and review articles that advance the understanding and application of pharmaceutical chemistry and related disciplines. The journal emphasizes the chemical principles underlying drug discovery, molecular design, synthesis, characterization, pharmaceutical analysis, and the evaluation of biologically active compounds. Submissions may address experimental, theoretical, computational, or interdisciplinary approaches, provided they demonstrate scientific rigor, methodological transparency, originality, and clear relevance to pharmaceutical chemistry.

The journal's scope includes, but is not limited to, medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, drug design and discovery, structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, pharmaceutical analytical chemistry, drug formulation and delivery, phytochemistry, natural product chemistry, computational chemistry, molecular modelling, biochemistry, molecular pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and the characterization of bioactive compounds.

To facilitate efficient editorial assessment and appropriate peer review, manuscripts are classified into four principal sections, each with its own specific aims, scope, and submission requirements.

1. Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry

This section focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization, and optimization of novel chemical entities with potential pharmaceutical or biological applications. It welcomes research in organic and medicinal chemistry, synthetic methodology, heterocyclic chemistry, stereoselective synthesis, bioorganic chemistry, molecular design, lead identification and optimization, and the investigation of structure–activity relationships.

Relevant topics include:

·         Design and synthesis of novel drug candidates, bioactive molecules, and pharmaceutical intermediates.

·         Development of innovative synthetic methods and chemical transformations relevant to medicinal chemistry.

·         Structural elucidation and characterization of newly synthesized compounds using appropriate spectroscopic and analytical techniques.

·         Structure–activity relationship (SAR) and quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) investigations.

·         Computer-aided drug design, molecular docking, pharmacophore modelling, molecular dynamics simulations, and quantum chemical calculations.

·         Investigation of molecular properties, chemical reactivity, drug–target interactions, and mechanisms relevant to therapeutic activity.

2. Pharmaceutical Formulation and Analysis

This section covers the development, characterization, optimization, and analytical evaluation of pharmaceutical products and drug delivery systems. It emphasizes the relationship between formulation composition, physicochemical properties, drug stability, release behaviour, and pharmaceutical performance.

Relevant topics include:

·         Design and development of conventional and advanced drug delivery systems.

·         Nanocarriers, liposomes, polymeric delivery systems, hydrogels, and controlled- or sustained-release formulations.

·         Preformulation studies, drug–excipient compatibility, solubility enhancement, dissolution behaviour, and formulation optimization.

·         Physicochemical characterization, solid-state analysis, polymorphism, crystallinity, and pharmaceutical stability.

·         Development and validation of analytical methods for drug identification, quantification, impurity profiling, and degradation-product analysis.

·         Chromatographic, spectroscopic, electroanalytical, and other validated analytical techniques.

·         In-vitro drug release, dissolution testing, stability studies, and appropriately designed in-vivo evaluation of pharmaceutical formulations.

·         Pharmaceutical quality control, analytical method transfer, and assessment of pharmaceutical product performance.

3. Phytochemistry and Ethnomedicine

This section addresses the isolation, purification, identification, structural characterization, and scientific evaluation of chemically defined bioactive constituents derived from plants and other natural sources. It encourages rigorous chemical investigations of natural products and traditional medicinal resources, with particular emphasis on establishing the identity of active compounds and clarifying their potential pharmaceutical relevance.

Relevant topics include:

·         Isolation and purification of natural products and bioactive phytochemicals.

·         Structural elucidation of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, peptides, and other natural compounds.

·         Phytochemical profiling, dereplication, metabolite identification, and chemotaxonomic investigations.

·         Bioassay-guided fractionation and identification of biologically active constituents.

·         Chemical modification, semisynthesis, and structure–activity relationship studies of natural products.

·         Investigation of traditional medicinal substances through rigorous chemical and pharmacological approaches.

·         Evaluation of the chemical stability, physicochemical properties, and pharmaceutical potential of isolated natural compounds.

4. Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

This section focuses on the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the activity of pharmaceutical compounds, bioactive molecules, and potential therapeutic agents. It welcomes studies that connect chemical structure and molecular interactions with experimentally demonstrated biochemical effects, pharmacological responses, or drug-related biological processes.

Relevant topics include:

·         Development, optimization, and validation of biochemical assays for drug discovery and pharmaceutical research.

·         Enzyme inhibition, receptor binding, protein–ligand interactions, and molecular target characterization.

·         In-vitro pharmacological evaluation of novel compounds and established pharmaceutical agents.

·         Mechanistic investigations of therapeutic activity, cellular signalling, and drug–target interactions.

·         Pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, metabolite characterization, and ADME-related investigations.

·         Molecular pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and the evaluation of dose–response relationships.

·         Integration of computational modelling, molecular simulations, and experimental biochemical or pharmacological evidence.

·         Appropriate in-vivo studies investigating pharmacological efficacy, safety, or biological mechanisms.