NICOTINE

Nicotine is an alkaloid with the chemical name 3 - (1-methyl-2-pirolidil) pyridine. When extracted from the leaves of tobacco, nicotine is colorless, but may be brown. Nicotine can evaporate and be purified by steam distillation from the basified solution. Nicotine is a substance that is toxic alkaloid tertiary amine compound, is a weak base with a pH of 8.0. At pH, as many as 31% of the nicotine in the form of ions and can not pass through the cell membrane. At this pH the nicotine is in the form of ions and can not pass through the membrane rapidly resulting in only a slight cheek mucosa absorption of nicotine from cigarette smoke. Nicotine is an alkaloid that is naturally in tobacco plants. Nicotine is also found in other plants of the family Solanaceae biological such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and green pepper at very small compared to tobacco. Alkaloid substances are known to have pharmacological properties, such as the stimulant effects of caffeine increases blood pressure and heart rate. Alkaloid nicotine undergo metabolic processes, which is a process by which nicotine undergo structural changes due to the chemical compounds in the vicinity. Isolation of nicotine from tobacco leaves 1) 25 grams of chopped dried tobacco leaves that have been wrapped in filter paper inserted into the Soxhlet apparatus, extraction using 300 mL of methanol for 7 hours. The sample used is 100 grams so the extraction is done 4 times. 2) Extract / resulting filtrate evaporated until the resulting solution or filtrate concentrated with 10% of the original volume. 3) concentrated solution is poured into the erlenmeyer flask and acidified with 2 M H2SO4 at 25 mL. The solution was stirred with a magnetic stirer to be homogeneous. The solution was tested with litmus paper to red. Then the solution was extracted with chloroform 25 mL 3 times a separating funnel. 4) Extract the resulting bottom layer is tested with reagents Dragendorf, if there is a positive alkaloid orange precipitate. 5) The extract was neutralized again by adding NH4OH and then extracted again with 25 mL of chloroform 3 times. 6) The extract obtained was evaporated to aerate, then purified by column chromatography on silica gel 11.5 grams as the stationary phase, column length 10 cm, diameter 3 cm column and with eluent n hexane and chloroform, methanol with a ratio 1:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7 and 0:1 respectively - each as much as 10 mL. 7) The results of column chromatography followed by thin layer chromatography with a solution of methanol developers. 8) The extract was then tested by using GC-MS, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and IR spectrophotometer. The effect of nicotine in the body Nicotine found in tobacco, is one of the known additives. Nicotine is an inhibitor of the central nervous system (CNS) that upsets the balance nerve. Physical and psychological dependence on nicotine is growing very fast. Inhaling tobacco produces nicotine's effects on the CNS in less than ten seconds. If you chew tobacco, the effect on the CNS experienced within 3-5 minutes. Effects of nicotine in tobacco use by sucking, chew tobacco or breathe through a straw, causing constriction of blood vessels, increased heart rate and blood pressure, decreased appetite, partly eliminating the feeling of taste and smell as well as the lungs become painful. Tobacco use in the long term can cause damage to the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Nicotine is addictive. That's why smokers continue to smoke tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine. Addiction is marked by a passionate desire to always find and use, although aware of the negative health consequences. From natural dependency properties is discovered that nicotine activate the brain tissue that causes feelings of pleasure, calm, and relax. A chemical in the brain, including the desire to continue consuming intermediaries, ie neurotransmitters dopamine, the research shows that nicotine increases the levels of dopamine. Acute effects of nicotine in a few minutes causes the smoker to continue dosing frekuentif per day in an effort to maintain the effect of pleasures that arise and defend itself from the effects of addiction. Nicotine can act as a stimulant and a sedative or painkillers. Directly after the contact with nicotine stimulation of the adrenal glands arise which cause the release of the hormone adrenaline. The hormone adrenaline stimulates the body and causes a sudden release of glucose which eventually decreased blood sugar levels and blood pressure also increases. Similarly, the breathing and heart rate. The reaction is almost the same as that seen in the case of abuse of drugs such as cocaine and heroin are suspected to cause a sensation happy. But on the other hand nicotine may cause effects as sedatives or pain relievers, depending on levels consumed in the system and the dose used. Nicotine in metabolism may disappear from the body within a few hours, but if smokers continue to smoke and the longer growing strong that smoking just to get the desired stimulation. Unfortunately, if the stop input nicotine dependence typically diikuiti reactions (withdrawal syndrome), which may take about a month or so. This includes symptoms, which appear irritability angry, overly sensitive, addiction, reduced cognitive function body and focusing of attention, and sleep disturbances. The most harmful effects of consuming tobacco and nicotine are kertergantungan cause cancer and one-third of all cancer is the cancer of the lung. The disease was first killer in men and women and controls around 90% of all cases of lung cancer in smokers.