P450 detoxification compound isolated after decades of searching

by Earthwalker | Nov 13, 2010 | Chemical Sensitivity News, General Health News, NEWS | 0 comments

source: physorg.com
PhysOrg.com has reported that scientists have been able to isolate a key player in the detoxification pathway that has eluded them for three decades. The family of enzymes known as cytochromes P450 (CYP) are responsible for the metabolism of about 75 percent of known pharmaceuticals. CYP enzymes have been found in animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and archaea. Michael Green, an associate professor of chemistry at Penn State University, and Jonathan Rittle are authors of a paper describing a breakthrough in isolation of P450 compound I (P450-I), a chemical intermediate in the process of drug metabolism. This important compound, a heme iron bearing a single oxygen atom, can catalyze the oxidation of aliphatic carbon-hydrogen bonds. The research paper is published in the November 12 issue of the journal Science.

The report in PhysOrg.com explains why chemists have been unable to isolate this compound in the past:

At the heart of the problem is P450 compound I. It is a highly reactive chemical species produced by the P450 enzyme to help metabolize a toxin or drug. Because of this extreme reactivity, compound I turns into something else before scientists have a chance to capture it. This has remained a problem for more than 40 years, prompting some to question its very existence.

“This work confirms the existence of compound I, and demonstrates that it can perform the type of chemical reactions for which P450s are known,” stated Green. “Now that we can make this chemical species, we can begin to do larger scale studies to understand just how it performs this chemistry.”

Although years away from providing any tangible help to those with damaged liver detoxification pathways, the news is exciting for those unable to detoxify xenobiotics and other substances.

Author

Earthwalker

Earthwalker is the username that PT founder Julie Genser created for her online interactions so many years ago when first creating Planet Thrive.

Julie's (Earthwalker's) life was derailed over twenty years ago when she had a very large organic mercury exposure after she naively used a mouth thermometer to measure the temperature of just-boiled milk while making her very first pizza at home. The mercury instantly expanded into a gas form and exploded out the back of the thermometer right into her face. Unaware that mercury was the third most neurotoxic element on Earth, Julie had no idea she had just received a very high dose of a poisonous substance.

A series of subsequent toxic exposures over the next few years -- to smoke from two fires (including 9/11), toxic mold, lyme disease, and chemical injuries -- caused catastrophic damage to her health. While figuring out how to survive day-to-day, and often minute-to-minute, she created Planet Thrive to help others avoid some of the misdiagnoses and struggles she had experienced.

She has clawed her way over many health mountains to get to where she is today. She is excited to bring the latest iteration of Planet Thrive to the chronic illness community.

In 2019, Julie published her very first cookbook e-book called Low Lectin Lunches (+ Dinners, Too!) after discovering how a low lectin, gluten free diet was helping manage her chronic fascia/muscle pain.
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