lipophil

Lipophil, short for lipophilic, is a term used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe the tendency of a compound to dissolve in fats, oils, and nonpolar solvents rather than in water. It is a key aspect of a broader property called lipophilicity, the chemical affinity for lipid-like environments. Lipophilicity is commonly quantified by the partition coefficient between octanol and water (logP) or, at a given pH, logD; higher values indicate greater lipophilicity.

Lipophilicity arises from nonpolar, hydrocarbon-like regions in a molecule that minimize interactions with water. This property influences a wide range of behavior, including solubility, membrane permeability, and distribution within an organism. In drug design, lipophilicity affects oral absorption, ability to cross lipid membranes such as the intestinal lining and the blood–brain barrier, and the extent of tissue distribution. It also impacts metabolism, often guiding routes of hepatic clearance and potential for accumulation in adipose tissue, which can influence duration of action and toxicity.

Measurement and estimation methods include experimental shake-flask partitioning and high-performance liquid chromatography–based approaches, as well as computational predictions of logP or logD. Lipophilicity must be balanced with aqueous solubility to achieve favorable pharmacokinetic and formulation properties; excessively lipophilic compounds may exhibit poor solubility, higher nonspecific binding, and increased risk of off-target effects or toxicity.

In summary, lipophil describes how readily a substance associates with lipid phases, a central factor in solubility, permeability, distribution, and overall pharmacokinetic behavior of chemicals and drugs.