anti-gut-evilness, I hope

[baratron]

I have drugs. Specifically mebeverine (Colofac) and loperamide (Imodium). Apparently mebeverine is 3,4-Dimethoxybenzoic acid 4-(ethyl-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-methylethyl]amino]butyl ester hydrochloride, which is enough of a systematic name that I could probably draw it out myself (given time and a large piece of paper), except I don't need to as someone else already has. Meanwhile RxList claims that loperamide is 4-(p-chlorophenyl)-4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-alpha,alpha-diphenyl-1-piperidinebutyramide monohydrochloride, which I wouldn't be able to draw (buggered if I know what alpha means in the context of an organic molecule name), but it apparently has a molecular formula of C29H33ClN2O2.HCl and a molecular weight of 513.51. Ye-es.

While organic chemistry is Fun and Exciting, and should be a major part of everyone's day... anyone know anything about them from the user's point of view? ;)

Comments

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

I believe (but would not wish to be regarded as speaking authoritatively) that "alpha" means that in a combined aromatic/aliphatic molecule, the thing that is alpha-attached is on the 1-position of an aliphatic bit, rather than on an aromatic bit. Hence, amphetamine (α-methylphenethylamine) is a benzene ring with a propyl group hanging off, with an amino group at the 2-position of the propane chain. (C6H5)CH2CH(NH2)CH3