ABSTRACT
Pseudoephedrine is an adrenergic agonist widely used as a nasal and bronchial decongestant, often in combination with other drugs. It is present in plants of the genus Ephedra, known in traditional medicine as Ma Huang. The drug directly stimulates a-adrenergic receptors of respiratory mucosa, causing vasoconstriction, and β-adrenergic receptors, causing bronchial relaxation, increased heart rate, and contractility. Pseudoephedrine is available as an over-the-counter generic drug and has a large number of trade names, of which Sudafed® and some Dimetapp® formulations are among the most commonly used. Several earlier studies and several more recent studies, in contrast, found no association between first trimester exposure to pseudoephedrine and malformations of any type among more than 2600 pregnancies. Pseudoephedrine is a lower-sized molecule in comparison to the other compounds. It is of low polarity and of average hydrophobicity. Pseudoephedrine can engage in hydrogen bonding both as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor.
