Fundamentals of Biochemistry: Life at the Molecular Level 5th Edition

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118918401
ISBN 13: 978-1-11891-840-1

Chapter 20 - Lipid Metabolism - Exercises - Page 717: 42

Answer

atorvastatin is expected to be more soluble in the small intestine than in the stomach, due to the presence of bile acids and other lipids that aid in its solubilization.

Work Step by Step

Being a lipophilic medication, atorvastatin has a limited solubility in aqueous solutions but is more soluble in lipid-based settings. When taken orally, a medicine is first exposed to gastric acid and digestive enzymes as it enters the stomach. The stomach's acidic environment and the presence of lipases, which can hydrolyze the drug, may limit atorvastatin's solubility. Yet, because of the presence of bile acids and other lipids in the small intestine and stomach, the medication faces a more hospitable environment for solubility. Before being released into the small intestine during digestion, bile acids are created in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile acids support
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