Biotransformation of drugs by microbial cultures for predicting mammalian drug metabolism.

This review discusses the microbial transformation studies of drugs, correlating them with the corresponding metabolism (biotransformation) in animal systems. Approaches are provided for development of microbial models for mammalian metabolism. Emphasis is placed on the potential of microorganisms to mimic mammalian metabolism and provide ways for structural elucidation and toxicological and pharmacological studies of metabolites. Microorganisms can provide difficult-to-synthesize drugs and assist in identifying metabolic pathways of drugs.