Biochemical Approach on the Conservation of Drug Molecules During Hair Fiber Formation

January 1997 in “ Forensic science international ”

Lucia Pötsch, Gisela Skopp, Manfred R. Moeller

drug molecules hair fiber formation biomembranes biotransformation drug melanin affinity hair analysis parent drug metabolite physico-chemical properties non-pigmented hair hair pigmentation

Studysummary This article presents a biochemical model to explain how drug molecules are incorporated into hair, highlighting factors such as drug melanin affinity and the role of physico-chemical properties.

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The document presented a biochemical concept for the endogenous incorporation of drug molecules into growing hair, based on principles of transport across biomembranes, biotransformation, and drug melanin affinity. It explained various phenomena observed in hair analysis, such as the ratio of parent drug to metabolite in hair, the dependence of incorporation on the physico-chemical properties of the drug, the independence of drug incorporation on active melanogenesis (incorporation into non-pigmented hair), and the dependence of drug content on hair pigmentation.

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