Pharmacology Flashcards
(205 cards)
What is pharmacokinetics?
The absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of substances from a biological system
What enzyme is responsible for most metabolism of drugs?
Cytochrome P450 - expressed in liver, intestines, kidneys and brain
What is microbial metabolism?
Microbiome and host metabolism converting phenolics into smaller metabolites that reach systemic circulation that may return to the GIT to be further metabolised
What is reinforcement in terms of herbal synergy?
Herbs used together produces greater efficacy
What is potentiation in terms of herbal synergy?
One herb is the principal herb in the mix, which another herb is an adjunct herb
What is restraint and detoxification in terms of herbal synergy?
Where a potentially toxic herb is combined with another herb to offset or mitigate the toxicity
What is counteraction in terms of herbal synergy?
Where an action of one herb is diminished by another herb
e.g. Raphanus sativus (radish) seed weakens the effect of Panax ginseng
What is pharmacodynamics?
The mechanism of action of a medicinal substance on a biological system
List 2 cellular defence pathways
Nrf2, NF-kB
Define inverse agonist
Causes target to do the opposite of its usual function
What is the 6 tissue state model?
Assesses states of:
Metabolism: hot to col
Internal moisture: damp to dry
Tissue tone: tense to relaxed
What is one example of a heating remedy?
Ginger - stimulates vanilloid receptor mediated noradrenaline release -> increase uncoupling protein 1 activity -> increases mitochondrial energy expenditure -> thermogenesis
What is hormesis?
The adaptive response to stress.
Each organism has an individual capacity to respond, and given sufficient stress intensity, can be overwhelmed
What does mild stress in the hormetic zone induce?
A beneficial adaptive response - eg increase in anti-oxidant activity in a plant
What is allostatic load?
The load produced by survival activities which organisms use to maintain homeostasis, including obtaining food, reproducing, and adapting to unexpected stress
Allostatic load prompts adaptation to stress on cellular and systemic levels
What is a chemotype?
The same botanical species but producing a different phytochemical profile
What are the two types of plant metabolites?
Primary - molecules that plants depend on to exist
Secondary - produced by plants as needed for survival
What are examples of primary metabolites?
Macronutrients, enzymes, nucleic acids, vitamins, chlorophyll
What are examples of secondary metabolites?
Terpenoids, sterols, saponins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, iridoids, tannins, phenolic acids
Which biosynthetic pathways produce primary metabolites?
MVA - mevalonic acid
MEP - methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate
Shikimic acid
Acetate and glutamate via krebs cycle
Which biosynthetic pathways create secondary metabolites?
MVA
MEP
Terpenoid
Shikimic acid
Phenylpropanoid
Polyketide
What does the shikimic acid pathway produce?
amino acid precursors
What does the MVA and MEP pathways produce?
precursor molecules to the terpenoids
What does the terpenoid pathway produce?
molecules with 5 carbons and beta-carotene