The biotransformation of xenobiotics in skin: a relevant research tool provided by Biopredic International

11 January 2019

During their transit through the epidermis and dermis, xenobiotics are transformed by multiple enzymes including cytochromes P450, non-CYP oxidoreductases, hydrolases, and conjugating enzymes.

While it may be important to investigate how the target compound binds to biochemical targets in the skin or how it affects activity in skin cells, it is equally important to assess how the target compound’s metabolites perform in these same tests.

One reagent classically used in producing such metabolites is S9 (Supernatant 9000g), which is prepared by grinding whole human skin, centrifuging at 9000g, and collecting the supernatant – hence the product’s name. Due to its large daily supply of human skin samples, Biopredic International is capable of preparing S9 from a pool of at least 10 donors.

This pooling process standardizes the reagent and eliminates intra-donor variations. After preparation, S9 is then frozen and subjected to an extensive battery of quality control tests which utilize esterases, in addition to oxidating and conjugating enzymes. At any given time, Biopredic International has several different batches in its inventory. S9 can be used in buffers for producing xenobiotic metabolites, or can be added to culture media to expose skin cells to these metabolites.

Retrieve Biopredic International: https://www.biopredic.com/