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ABSTRACT
Paracetamol (N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide) also known as acetaminophen is the active drug form of phenacetin. It is used as an antipyretic and analgesic agent with no significant anti-inflammatory activity.1 The aim of this work is to determine the role of paracetamol on meat softening (focusing on beef flesh).
The experiment procedures involving Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and Chemical test focused on identifying the presence of Para-aminophenol (PAP) accounting for the meat softening occurring. For PAP detection using TLC, the mobile phase comprise ethylacetate:dichloromethane 1:1. 1 gram of paracetamol (by Emzor) was used to heat for 9.88 gram of beef in boiling water, 5 sample extract was withdrawn at different time intervals and used for the TLC and Chemical test.
The TLC plate was spotted one part for the Sample Extract and another for the Chemical test product and this showed a pink spot with similar retention factor in both cases, thus increasing our suspicion of para-aminophenol being responsible for the meat softening occurring. The chemical test confirmed our suspicion, where by a gold whitish colour change occurred on reaction of sample extract with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde, a reaction characteristic of only para-aminophenol.
