METABOLISM OF XENOBIOTICS
The liver has 2 mechanisms for detoxification of xenobiotics
• Drug-metabolizing system (the most important) e.g. oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, hydroxylation, carboxylation, and demethylation
• Binding to inactivate the compound or chemically modify the compound
This takes place in the liver microsomes via the cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes