Drugs can be metabolized by oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, hydration, conjugation, condensation, or isomerization; whatever the process, the goal is to make the drug easier to excrete.
What are the factors that affects drug metabolism?
Physiological factors that can influence drug metabolism include age, individual variation (e.g., pharmacogenetics), enterohepatic circulation, nutrition, intestinal flora, or sex differences. In general, drugs are metabolized more slowly in fetal, neonatal and elderly humans and animals than in adults.
What is pharmacokinetics drug interactions?
Pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions occur when a drug alters the disposition (absorption, distribution, elimination) of a coadministered agent. Pharmacokinetic interactions may result in the increase or the decrease of plasma drug concentrations.
What are the phases of drug metabolism?
There are often two phases of drug metabolism. Phase I: Non-synthetic reactions such as cleavage (e.g. oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis), formation or modification of a function group. Phase II: Synthetic reactions such as conjugation with an endogenous substance (e.g. sulfate, glycine, glucuronic acid).
What is the importance of drug metabolism?
The main function of drug metabolism is to detoxify drugs. This is achieved by converting lipid-soluble drugs into water-soluble or hydrophilic compounds – the former cannot be excreted by the kidneys, while the latter can, thereby removing the drug from the body.
What is the definition of drug metabolism?
Drug Metabolism. Drug metabolism is the term used to describe the biotransformation of pharmaceutical substances in the body so that they can be eliminated more easily. The majority of metabolic processes that involve drugs occur in the liver, as the enzymes that facilitate the reactions are concentrated there.
What are drug metabolites?
Metabolites are the intermediate products of metabolic reactions catalyzed by various enzymes that naturally occur within cells. This term is usually used to describe small molecules, although broader application is often practiced.
