Simple Pharmanotes

  Biotransformation of drugs is defined as the chemical conversion of one form to another . The term is used synonymously with metabolism, The therapeutic efficacy, toxicity and biological half-life of a drug greatly depend upon its metabolic rate.  A number of factors may influence the rate of drug metabolism. They are as follows, Physicochemical properties of the drug Chemical factors: Induction of drug metabolizing enzymes Inhibition of drug metabolizing enzymes Environmental chemicals Biological factors: Species differences Strain differences Sex differences Age Diet Altered physiological factors: Pregnancy Hormonal imbalance Disease states Temporal factors: Circadian rhythm Circannual rhythm . Physicochemical properties of the drug: Just as the absorption and distribution of a drug are influenced by its physicochemical properties, so is its interaction with the drug metabolizing enzymes.  Molecular size and shape, pKa, acidity/basicity, lipophilicity and steric and electronic char

  Definition: These are high molecular weight biomolecules made up of chains of amino acids linked together with “peptide bonds”, found in all living organisms. Biological Functions of Proteins: Proteins, which are composed of amino acids, serve in many roles in the body (e.g., as enzymes, structural components, hormones, and antibodies). They are structural components of hair and nail, collagen of bone etc e.g. keratin. Through Proteins genetic information is expressed. Gaseous transportation e.g. Hemoglobin in RBCs of Blood. Homeostatic control of the volume of the circulating blood and that of the interstitial fluids through the plasma proteins. Blood clotting through thrombin, fibrinogen and other protein factors. Defense against infections through protein antibodies. Hereditary transmission by nucleoproteins of the cell nucleus. Ovalbumine, glutelin etc. are storage proteins. Myosin acts as a contractile protein important for muscle contraction. Classification of Proteins: Dep