Biotransformation is the metabolic process by which the liver alters or modifies substances entering the body, such as drugs. The process takes place through an interaction of substrates with the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes.Consequently, what do you mean by biotransformation?
Biotransformation means chemical alteration of chemicals such as nutrients, amino acids, toxins, and drugs in the body. It is also needed to render non-polar compounds polar so that they are not reabsorbed in renal tubules and are excreted.
Secondly, where does biotransformation occur in the body? Drug biotransformation or metabolism principally occurs in the liver, kidney, skin, and GI tract.
Just so, what is biotransformation process?
Biotransformation is the process by which a substance changes from one chemical to another (transformed) by a chemical reaction within the body. Metabolism or metabolic transformations are terms frequently used for the biotransformation process.
What is the difference between metabolism and biotransformation?
In short, "metabolism of drugs" is a form of biotransformation which happens to drugs in a body, whereas "biotransformation" is a more general term which applies equally well to the actions of a disembodied enzyme digesting an oil slick.
What do you mean by xenobiotics?
Xenobiotic. A xenobiotic is a chemical substance found within an organism that is not naturally produced or expected to be present within the organism.Why is drug metabolism important?
Drug metabolism is the metabolic breakdown of drugs by living organisms, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. The enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism, particularly the glutathione S-transferases are also important in agriculture, since they may produce resistance to pesticides and herbicides.Why are prodrugs used?
Prodrugs can be used to improve drug delivery or pharmacokinetics, to decrease toxicity, or to target the drug to specific cells or tissues. Ester and phosphate hydrolysis are widely used in prodrug design because of their simplicity, but such approaches are relatively ineffective for targeting drugs to specific sites.What are the phases of biotransformation?
Nervous System and Behavioral Toxicology Chemical biotransformation has been subdivided into two major phases. Phase I reactions include oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, or other reactions that modify chemicals in such a way that phase II reactions may occur.What is conjugation of a drug?
Conjugation. Glucuronidation, the most common phase II reaction, is the only one that occurs in the liver microsomal enzyme system. Glucuronides are secreted in bile and eliminated in urine. Thus, conjugation makes most drugs more soluble and easily excreted by the kidneys.Where does Phase 2 metabolism occur?
Phase II reactions occur in the cytoplasm and commonly involve conjugation with sulphates, glucuronides, glutathione or amino acids and result in the formation of metabolites that are usually less toxic and more easily excreted.What is Bioactivation in toxicology?
Bioactivation is the process where enzymes or other biologically active molecules acquire the ability to perform their biological function, such as inactive proenzymes being converted into active enzymes that are able to catalyze their substrates into products to produce (by definition) metabolites that are more toxicWhich organ is considered the primary site of biotransformation?
liver
What are the different types of biotransformation reaction?
Types of biotransformation reactions. Different types of chemical reactions occur during biotransformations, such as oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, condensation, isomerization, formation of new C–C bonds, production of chiral compounds and reversal of hydrolytic reactions.What is Phase 2 biotransformation?
Biotransformation Reaction Phases This allows the substance to "fit" into a second, or Phase II enzyme , so that it can become conjugated (joined together) with another substance . Phase II reactions consist of those enzymatic reactions that conjugate the modified xenobiotic with another substance .What is Phase 1 biotransformation?
Phase I biotransformation reactions introduce or expose functional groups on the drug with the goal of increasing the polarity of the compound. Typically, oxidation is the most common phase I reaction. The hepatic cytochrome P450 system is the most important of the phase I oxidation systems (Figure 1).Which steroid is used for microbial transformation?
Hydroxylated steroids possess useful pharmacological activities, for example, C-11 hydroxylation is regarded as essential for anti- inflammatory action, and 16α- hydroxylated steroids have increased glucocorticoid activity [8,12].What is steroid biotransformation?
Biotransformation of steroids. Biotransformation (regiospecific and steriospecific bioconversion) is a biological process whereby an organic compound is modified into reversible product. These involves simple, chemically defined reactions catalyzed by enzymes present in the cell.What are the phases of metabolism?
Metabolism is often divided into two phases: Phase 1 metabolism involves chemical reactions such as oxidation (most common), reduction and hydrolysis. There are three possible results of phase 1 metabolism. The drug becomes completely inactive.What is cytochrome p450?
Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor that function as monooxygenases. In mammals, these proteins oxidize steroids, fatty acids, and xenobiotics, and are important for the clearance of various compounds, as well as for hormone synthesis and breakdown.What is activation in biology?
In biochemistry, activation, specifically called bioactivation, is where enzymes or other biologically active molecules acquire the ability to perform their biological function, such as inactive proenzymes being converted into active enzymes that are able to catalyze their substrates' reactions into products.Are all drugs metabolized in the liver?
Most drugs must pass through the liver, which is the primary site for drug metabolism. Once in the liver, enzymes convert prodrugs to active metabolites or convert active drugs to inactive forms. The liver's primary mechanism for metabolizing drugs is via a specific group of cytochrome P-450 enzymes. 
