8.Asima Chatterjee (1917 – 2006)

 


 

Asima Chatterjee, who was an expert in organic chemistry, helped develop effective drugs for diseases like epilepsy and malaria as a result of her  research. Her  great contribution was the extensive study of medicinal plants. She was also the first woman to receive a doctorate from an Indian university.

Asima Chatterjee was born on 23 September 1917 in Bengal. Her father, Indranarayan Mukherjee, was a medical doctor, and her mother was Kamaladevi. Brought up in a middle-class family in Kolkata, Asima was encouraged in education. His father was very much interested in botany and that interest instilled in Asima too at an early age. She graduated from Scottish Church College, Calcutta University in B.Sc. in Chemistry with Honours in 1936.

She then obtained her master's degree in organic chemistry from Rajabazar Science College, Kolkata University in 1938 and her doctorate in 1944. Asima was the first woman to receive a doctorate degree from an Indian university. Her subjects of study were organic chemistry of plant materials and synthetic organic chemistry. Among her  teachers were Prafulla Chandra Roy and Satyendranath Bose. She also got a chance to get research experience at Madison University and California Technical University in the United States for some time.

Chatterjee's research was in the chemistry of natural substances obtained from nature. From these substances, drugs used for epilepsy, malaria and chemotherapy were developed. Marsilia minuta to treat epilepsy and Alstoniya scholaariis, Swertia chirata, Picrorhiza kurroa and Caesalpinia crista were developed as medicine for malaria. But these have not been shown to be clinically more beneficial than drugs currently used for epilepsy and the like. As a result of their efforts, the drug AYUSH-56 for the treatment of epilepsy and some drugs for the treatment of malaria were developed. Research results have been published as   papers in over 400 journals.

Main Contributions

·       Initiated chemical investigation of alkaloids in Rauwolfia canescens.

·       Investigated the chemistry of almost all principal types of indole alkaloids.

·       Contributions to the elucidation of the structure and stereo chemistry of ajmalicine and sarpagine.

·       First suggested stereo-configuration of sarpagine.

·       Isolated and characterised geissoschizine, a key precursor in biogenesis of indole alkaloids from Rhazya stricta.

·       Carried out synthetic studies on a number of complex indole, quinoline and isoquinoline alkaloids.

·       Developed procedures for the preparation of beta-phenylethanolamines in connection with alkaloid synthesis.

·       Elucidated the structure of luvangetin isolated from Luvanga scandens.

·       Studied the action of various Lewis acids on prenylated coumarins and devised simple synthetic routes to a number of complex coumarin systems.

·       Investigated the mechanism of acid-catalysed hydramine fission of beta phenyl ethanol amines.

·       Introduced the use of periodic  acid as a reagent for the detection and location of both terminal and exocyclic double bonds in organic compounds.

 

Professional life

He joined Calcutta University's Bethuna College where he created a chemistry department. In 1954, he joined Calcutta University's University College as a Reader in Chemistry.

Awards and recognitions

She was selected as Premchand Roy Chand Scholar at Calcutta University.

Khaira  Professor of Chemistry at Calcutta University from 1962 to 1982, a rare distinction.

In 1972, the University Grants Commission appointed him with a special grant to lead teaching and learning research in the chemistry of natural materials.

In 1960, he was recognized as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

In 1961, Asima received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Chemistry. She was the first woman to receive that award.

Asima Chatterjee was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1975.

She became the first woman president of the Indian Science Congress Association

Many universities awarded him D.Sc.

He was nominated by the President as a member of Rajya Sabha from 1982 to 1990.

On September 23, 2017, Google unveiled a 24-hour Google Doodle to mark their 100th birthday.

Received CV Raman Award, PC Rai Award and Bhatnagar Award.

She passed away on November 22, 2006 in Kolkata

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