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Drug metabolism (also known as drug biotransformation) involves the (bio)chemical modification of a drug by the body. Drug metabolism comprises enzyme-catalyzed reactions, which are generally (but not always) irreversible, as they involve the cleavage and formation of high-energy covalent bonds, which are approximately in the range of 200–400 kJ mol−1 [1]. The product of a biotransformation reaction is called metabolite. Drug metabolism reactions have evolved to enhance the hydrophilicity of their substrates, hence facilitating their biliary and urinary excretion [1, 2].
While practically all tissues and organs present some degree of biotransformation capacity, the liver is with no doubt (and generally speaking) the most relevant site of drug metabolism, since most drug-metabolizing enzymes are expressed there at comparatively high levels. Organs and tissues of secondary importance to drug metabolism (either for the variety of metabolizing...
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Talevi, A., Bellera, C.L. (2022). Drug Metabolism. In: Talevi, A. (eds) The ADME Encyclopedia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84860-6_6
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