Asima Chatterjee - An Indian Organic Chemist (Women Scientists of India)


Asima Chatterjee was once an Indian chemist mentioned for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine. Her most super work consists of lookup on vinca alkaloids, and the development of anti-epileptic and anti-malarial drugs. She additionally authored a considerable extent of work on medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent.

Asima Chatterjee used to be born on 23 September 1917 in Bengal. A great student, Asima Chatterjee grew up in Calcutta, attending college and due to this fact enrolling at the Scottish Church College, of the University of Calcutta, graduating with honours in chemistry in 1936.


Asima Chatterjee - An Indian Organic Chemist (Women Scientists of India)


Asima Chatterjee graduated in 1938 with a master’s diploma in organic chemistry from the University of Calcutta, finishing a doctoral diploma there in 1944. Her doctoral lookup targeted on the chemistry of plant products and synthetic organic chemistry. Among her superb instructors at the time have been Prafulla Chandra Roy and Prof S.N. Bose. Additionally, she also had lookup experience from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the Caltech. Asima Chatterjee’s research cantered around organic products chemistry and resulted in anti-convulsive, anti-malarial and chemotherapy drugs.

She joined the Lady Brabourne College, of the University of Calcutta in 1940 as the founding head of the branch of chemistry. In 1944, Chatterjee grew to become the 2nd woman to be conferred a Doctorate of Science by an Indian University. In 1954, Asima Chatterjee joined the University College of Science of the University of Calcutta, as reader in pure chemistry. In 1962, Asima Chatterjee used to be appointed the prestigious Kharia professorship of Chemistry at the University of Calcutta, a function she held until 1982.



Awards and Recognition :-

She was once a Premchand Roychand Scholar of the University of Calcutta.

From 1962 to 1982, she used to be the Kharia Professor of Chemistry, one of the most prestigious and coveted chairs of the University of Calcutta.

In 1972, she was once appointed as the Honorary Coordinator of the Special Assistance Programme to intensify educating and research in organic product chemistry, sanctioned through the Indian University Grants Commission.

In 1960, she was once elected a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi.


Asima Chatterjee - An Indian Organic Chemist (Women Scientists of India)


In 1961, she obtained the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in chemical science, turning into the first girl recipient of this award.

In 1975, she was once conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan and grew to be the first woman scientist to be elected as the General President of the Indian Science Congress Association.

She used to be conferred the D. Sc. (honoris causa) degree by using quite a few universities.

She was once nominated by the President of India as a Member of the Rajya Sabha from February 1982 to May 1990.

On 23 September 2017, the search engine Google deployed a 24-hour Google Doodle in honour of the 100th anniversary of Asima Chatterjee’s birth.



Academic Work :-

Asima Chatterjee obtained a master’s degree (1938) and a doctoral degree (1944) in organic chemistry from the University of Calcutta. She was once the first Indian woman to earn a doctorate in science. Her doctoral research targeted on the chemistry of plant products and synthetic organic chemistry. Among her great instructors at the time were Prafulla Chandra Roy and Satyendra Nath Bose. Additionally, she had lookup trip from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Caltech with László Zechmeister.

Asima Chatterjee’s research centred on organic products chemistry and resulted in anti-convulsive, anti-malarial, and chemotherapy drugs. She spent around forty years gaining knowledge of various alkaloid compounds. She also located anti-epileptic activity in Marsilea minuta and anti-malarial activity in the plants Alstonia scholaris, Swertia chirata, Picrorhiza kurroa and Caesalpinia crista. These agents, however, have no longer been proven to be clinically competitive with the medications currently used for these conditions. Her work led to the development of an epilepsy drug called Ayush-56 and numerous anti-malarial drugs.


Asima Chatterjee - An Indian Organic Chemist (Women Scientists of India)


Asima Chatterjee additionally wrote around four hundred papers which had been posted in each countrywide and international journal.



Achievements :-

Asima Chatterjee’s contributions to science include the following:


  • Initiated chemical investigation of alkaloids in Rauwolfia canescens.
  • Investigated the chemistry of almost all fundamental types of indole alkaloids.
  • Contributions to the elucidation of the shape and stereochemistry of ajmalicine and sarpagine.
  • First recommended stereo-configuration of sarpagine.
  • Isolated and characterised geissoschizine, a key precursor in biogenesis of indole alkaloids from Rhazya stricta.
  • Carried out synthetic research on a quantity of complicated indoles, quinoline and isoquinoline alkaloids.
  • Developed strategies for the instruction of beta-phenylethanolamines in connection with alkaloid synthesis.
  • Elucidated the structure of luvangetin isolated from Luvanga scandens.
  • Studied the motion of a range of Lewis acids on prenylated coumarins and devised easy artificial routes to a quantity of complicated 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 each terminal and exocyclic double bonds in organic compounds.


Career :-

She joined the Lady Brabourne College of the University of Calcutta and founded the department of chemistry there. In 1954, Asima Chatterjee joined the University College of Science of the University of Calcutta, as reader in pure chemistry.



Google Honour :-

Google Doodle, on September 23, 2017 celebrated the one hundredth birthday of Asima Chatterjee to be the first Indian woman to acquire doctorate in science from an Indian institute.


Asima Chatterjee - An Indian Organic Chemist (Women Scientists of India)



A Role Model for Indian Women

Asima had accomplished more than most of the women who had been her contemporaries in India during the 1950s. This was once a time and a place where women have been now not generally afforded the opportunity to pursue their education to the extent that Asima Chatterjee had. While it was once expected that women would get married and tend to the family, many of them towards their wills, she set an amazing example and her story is still applicable today.



Her research and her contributions to science

Asima Chatterjee’s main focus used to be upon the organic compounds that have been produced by chemistry. She was instrumental in developing the alkaloids which are used for chemotherapy, in anti-convulsant medications and in drugs used to deal with malaria. Thanks to her lookup and findings, we now have chemotherapy treatments for cancer, pills that assist in the prevention of malaria and medicinal drugs that manipulate convulsions.



Final Thoughts :-

Asima Chatterjee forever changed the area of chemistry and she made infinite contributions to the improvement of many of the drugs and remedies which are now used in modern pharmaceuticals. She was a pioneer in many components of her life. She represented women in the subject of scientific and scientific lookup as well as in training and accomplishing professional success. She crashed through cultural and social barriers to grow to be a great determine in the world.

She set a precedent for the girls and women of India by way of not submitting to cultural expectations, marrying and tending the house. She followed her passions and as a result, the world benefited from her lookup and discoveries in the discipline of organic chemistry and beyond. She passed away in 2006, however her legacy will live on through the pages of history.






Thank you for reading this article. Do let me know for any queries in comment section below.




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Akash is a co-founder and an aspiring entrepreneur who keeps a close eye on open source, tech giants, and security. Get in touch with him by sending an email (akashchugh1994@gmail.com).


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