Alcohol dehydrogenases biotransformation reactions

Oxidative biotransformations, which constitutes the major portion of Phase I reactions, can be catalyzed by either cytochrome P450s (CYP450) or nonmicrosomal enzymes such as flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs), monoamine oxidase (MAOs), alcohol dehydrogenase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase. As listed in Table 5.1,... 

Screening kits/sets containing samples of the normal commercially available enzymes are also provided by other enzyme suppliers, such as Boehringer Mannheim/Roche (Chirazyme sets for lipases/esterases, aldol reaction kits), Altus Biologies (ChiroScreen Kits TE and EH (based on CLECs, see section 5) for the chiral resolution of alcohols, amines, and esters), Biocatalysts (kits with alcohol dehydrogenases), Enzymatix (lipase biotransformation research kit), and others. 

The reductive biotransformation of drugs has been one of the least studied reactions, and many of the enzymes that are involved have not been well characterized. Some of the enzymes that catalyze reductive reactions of drugs are the cytochrome P450s, molybdenum reductases, alcohol dehydrogenases, carbonyl reductases, NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase, NAD(P)H— quinone oxidoreductases, and enzymes of the intestinal microflora (Matsunaga et al., 2006 Rosemond and Walsh, 2004). 

Of the Phase I reactions, oxidative biotransformations are by far the most common. These reactions are carried out by several oxidative enzyme systems, the most predominant of which is the CYP superfamily of enzymes. Additional oxidative enzymes include FMO, xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases monoamine oxidases, and various peroxidases. Determining the enzyme(s) employed to biotransform any particular substrate will depend on the substrates chemical and physical characteristics as well as functional substituents. This chapter does not describe in detail the mechanism of these various enzymes however, it does illustrate the product(s) (i.e., metabolites) produced by each reaction. 

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