Chloral hydrate, historically used as knockout drops, owes its hypnotic effect primarily to which pharmacologically active compound formed after hepatic metabolism?
- A Trichloroacetic acid
- B Trichloroethanol ✓
- C Formic acid
- D Chloralose
Correct answer: B. Trichloroethanol
Explanation
Chloral hydrate is rapidly reduced by hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase to trichloroethanol, which is the principal active hypnotic metabolite responsible for sedation. Trichloroacetic acid is also formed by oxidation and contributes to protein binding and long duration but is not the primary active agent, killing the best distractor A. Formic acid is the toxic metabolite of methanol, and chloralose is a separate rodenticidal compound unrelated to chloral hydrate metabolism.
Reference: Katzung's Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 16th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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