Gut microbiota & Pharmaceuticals / Medication

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When do the medications encounter the complex gut microbiome?

Before their absorption in the small intestine, the medications encounter the complex gut microbiome, which consists of bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses, as well as their metabolites. Unabsorbed drugs move to the colon, where they interact with dense microbial communities. These can change the drugs' effects (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). However, a direct microbiome effect requires biologically meaningful exposure of the microbes to the drug. Oral administration does not necessarily ensure colonic exposure, nor …