Academic foreign compound metabolism – 'quo vadis'?

The article discusses the field of academic foreign compound metabolism, specifically focusing on the identification and characterization of drug metabolites. In the past, it was acceptable to identify metabolites down to a certain percentage of the given dose, but regulatory authorities now require the identification of metabolites representing 10% or more of the dosed product. Modern technology allows for the detection of metabolites at extremely low levels. The article also explores the significance of the absolute number of drug metabolite molecules and the challenges in detecting minor metabolites. It concludes by discussing the future directions of xenobiochemistry, including the study of polymorphic variation, genetic and epigenetic associations, and the importance of the microbiome. [Extracted from the article]