I've come across the term drug metabolites in my research on medication. What are drug metabolites, and what role do they play in the body's processing of drugs?
Metabolites are byproducts formed when the body breaks down, or metabolizes drugs.
When you take medication, your body's enzymes work to break it down into smaller molecules, which can then be excreted from the body. These smaller molecules are called metabolites. They can have different properties than the original drug, such as being inactive, active (having therapeutic effects), or toxic.
Studying drug metabolites is important for understanding how drugs work in the body, their efficacy, and potential side effects.
Examples include benzoylecgonine (from cocaine), cotinine (from nicotine), and THC-COOH (from marijuana).
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