Partition coefficient

Partition coefficient

The partition coefficient, denoted by K, P, Kp or D, is the ratio of concentrations of a compound in a mixture of two immiscible phases at equilibrium. This ratio is therefore a measure of differential solubility of the compound in these two phases. The partition coefficient generally refers to the concentration ratio of un-ionized species of compound, since the ionized form is assumed not to cross the membrane barrier.

Definition

The partition coefficient, P, is defined as the ratio of the concentrations of a compound in the two phases of a mixture of two immiscible solvents at equilibrium.

P = [compound]_organic phase / [compound]_aqueous phase

Uses

Partition coefficients can be useful in estimating the distribution of drugs within the body. Drugs with a high partition coefficient are mainly distributed to fatty tissues and organs, while drugs with a low partition coefficient are mainly distributed to lean tissues and the blood.

See also

• Distribution coefficient
• Solubility equilibrium
• Bioconcentration
• Bioaccumulation
• Pharmacokinetics

References

Partition coefficient Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski