Detoxification

• The liver acts on drugs and toxins that have entered the bloodstream 
• Many toxic substances are difficult to deal with because they are fat soluble, making them difficult for the body to excrete
• The liver converts harmful, fat-soluble toxins into less harmful and more soluble forms to be excreted
• The detoxification of compounds by the liver typically involves two sets of chemical pathways
• Oxidation, reduction and hydrolysis reactions are used to convert toxins
• The cytochrome P450 enzyme group mediates the reactions that convert harmful chemicals
• Conversions produce damaging free radicals, which are neutralized by antioxidants in the liver
• Converted chemicals are then attached to another substance via a conjugation reaction
• The second pathway allows the toxins to be excreted by the body, as they are now water soluble
• Detoxification by the liver

  A) Toxins

  B) Phase 1

  C) Conjugation