Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2025

Analysis of Interactions between Endobiotics and Human Gut Microbiota Using In Vitro Bath Fermentation Systems
Published on: August 23, 2019
Human Gut Microbiota and Drug Metabolism
Archana Pant1,2,3, Tushar K Maiti2, Dinesh Mahajan4
1Molecular Genetics Lab, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, Delhi-110067, India.
Abstract:
The efficacy of drugs widely varies in individuals, and the gut microbiota plays an important role in this variability. The commensal microbiota living in the human gut encodes several enzymes that chemically modify systemic and orally administered drugs, and such modifications can lead to activation, inactivation, toxification, altered stability, poor bioavailability, and rapid excretion. Our knowledge of the role of the human gut microbiome in therapeutic outcomes continues to evolve. Recent studies suggest the existence of complex interactions between microbial functions and therapeutic drugs across the human body. Therapeutic drugs or xenobiotics can influence the composition of the gut microbiome and the microbial encoded functions. Both these deviations can alter the chemical transformations of the drugs and hence treatment outcomes. In this review, we provide an overview of (i) the genetic ecology of microbially encoded functions linked with xenobiotic degradation; (ii) the effect of drugs on the composition and function of the gut microbiome; and (iii) the importance of the gut microbiota in drug metabolism.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Absorption: Factors Affecting GI Absorption
Drug Biotransformation: Overview
Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Biological
Species differences: Variations in enzyme systems across species can cause disparities in drug metabolism. For instance, humans may metabolize certain drugs faster than rodents, altering therapeutic effects.
Strain differences: Genetic variations within a species can result in differing enzyme activity, impacting drug response and toxicity. For example, some mouse strains may...
Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Physicochemical and Chemical Properties of Drugs
The drug's acidity or basicity is essential in...
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Disease States and Pharmacology
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
Factors Affecting Dissolution: Drug Permeability, Stability and Stereochemistry

