The following points highlight the four main detoxification processes occurring in human body:- 1. Oxidation 2. Reduction 3. Hydrolysis 4. Conjugation.
Human Body Detoxification Process # 1. Oxidation:
Alcohols, aldehydes, amines and amine derivatives, hydrocarbons and sulphur compounds are detoxified by the process of oxidation.
Alcohols:
Alcohols are oxidized to the corresponding acids via aldehydes:
Methyl alcohol → Formic acid
Ethyl alcohol → Acetic acid.
Benzyl alcohol → Benzoic acid.
Aldehydes:
Aldehydes are oxidized to the corresponding acids:
Benz aldehyde → Benzoic acid
Chloral → Trichloracetic acid.
Amines and amine derivatives
Aliphatic amines are oxidized to the corresponding acids:
Aliphatic amine → Aliphatic acid + Urea.
Aromatic amines are oxidized to p-Phenols.
Aniline → p-amino phenol.
Acetanilide → p-Acetyl aminophenol.
Hydrocarbons:
Aromatic hydrocarbons are oxidized to phenols:
Benzene → Phenols.
Sulfur compounds:
Sulfur compounds are oxidized to sulfuric acid:
Organic sulfur → Sulfuric acid.
Human Body Detoxification Process # 2. Reduction:
Less commonly reduction takes place in the body. Nitro or aldehyde groups are reduced.
Chloral → Trichlorethylalcohol
p-Nitro-benzal-adehyde → p-Aminobenzaldehyde.
Picric acid → Picramic acid .
Human Body Detoxification Process # 3. Hydrolysis:
The therapeutic activity of some therapeutic agents becomes less in the body due to their hydrolysis.
Some examples are mentioned below:
Atropine → Tropic acid + Tropine.
Digitalis → Aglycones + Sugars.
Aspirin → Salicylic acid + Acetic acid.
Procain → p-Amino benzoic acid + Diethyl-amino-ethanol.
Human Body Detoxification Process # 4. Conjugation:
It is the process in which the chemical to be detoxified combines with another chemical formed or supplied by the body. Eight types of chemical substances are used by the body for conjugation reactions. These are: glucuronic acid, sulphuric acid, glycine, glutamine, cysteine, acetic acid, active methyl groups and thiosulphate.
Glucuronic acid:
This important conjugating agent is formed in the body from glucose.
It produces the following products by conjugation:
Phenol + Glucuronic acid → Phenyl glucuronide.
Bilirubin + Glucuronic acid → Bilirubin diglucuronide.
Benzoic acid + Glucuronic acid → Benzoyl glucuronide.
Sulphuric acid:
It detoxifies phenol, indoxyl, etc.
Phenol + Sulphuric acid → Phenol sulphate.
Indoxyl + Sulphuric acid → Indoxyl sulphate.
Glycine:
The amino group of glycine reacts with the carboxyl group of the compound to be detoxified.
Benzoic acid + Glycine → Hippuric acid.
Nicotinic acid + Glycine → Nicotinuric acid
Cholic acid + Glycine → Glycocholic acid.
Glutamine:
Phenylacetic acid + Glutamine → Phenyl acetyl glutamic acid.
Dogs use glycine for detoxifying phenylacetic acid.
Cysteine:
Bromobenzene + Cysteine → p-Bromophenyl mercapturic acid.
Acetic acid:
Sulphanilamide + Acetic acid → Acetyl sulphanilamide.
Active methyl groups:
Pyridine + Active methionine → n-Methyl pyridine.
Nicotinic acid + Active methionine → N- methyl nicotinic acid.
Thiosulphate:
Inorganic cyanides are detoxified by thiosulphates converting the highly toxic cyanides into less toxic thiocyanate
Cyanide + Sodium thiosulphate → Thiocyanate + Sodium sulphate.