Lipophilic small molecules

Lipophilic small molecules are chemical entities characterized by their ability to dissolve in lipids, fats, or non-polar solvents rather than water. This property is quantified using the partition coefficient (logP), with lipophilic molecules generally having a logP greater than 2. Lipophilicity profoundly affects a molecule’s pharmacokinetic profile—this includes absorption (increased ability to cross biological membranes), distribution (accumulation in fatty tissues), metabolism, and excretion. Many drugs are designed to be lipophilic to optimize oral absorption and tissue penetration, but excessive lipophilicity can lead to poor solubility and bioavailability as well as off-target accumulation. Lipophilic molecules can nonspecifically interact with biological materials (e.g., absorption into device polymers like PDMS), complicating drug formulation and bioanalytical measurement. Key note: There is no "Lipophilic small molecules" receptor or canonical target. The phrase is a property class and refers broadly to any small molecule possessing significant lipophilicity, but not to a discrete biological entity. Therefore, it is not appropriate to treat "lipophilic small molecules" as a target for structured biomedical annotation.

Other names

Lipophilic compoundsFat-soluble small moleculesHydrophobic small molecules