ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the chemistry of a poison is of primary importance because it is a major determinant in the solubility and reactivity of the substance. Chemistry can dictate the
vehicle
used to administer the substance in testing, and can predict to some extent the duration of the test, as well as any potential products of biotransformation (metabolism). For small molecules, knowledge of chemistry is relatively simple to gain by examining the chemical formula and performing tests such as an octanol/water partitioning experiment to find the relative lipid solubility. However, the coming generation of drugs will be composed of many large polymeric compounds such as proteins and nucleic acids, which are more challenging to study chemically. There is also a trend to return to botanical products, which are often highly complex mixtures with multiple active ingredients. This can complicate the administration and interpretation of testing for toxicity.
