Why is LogP important?
Octanol/water partitioning is an index of the general distribution of a chemical between aqueous and lipid environments. As a measure of lipophilicity, LogP is a very important global descriptor that gives an indication of the ability of a chemical to cross the cell membrane. The membrane can be regarded as a lipid bilayer separating two aqueous compartments. Hydrophilic substances having a very small LogP are generally unable to diffuse passively across the membrane into the cell. Lipophilicity has further consequences for bioavailability in mammals because of partitioning between the blood and fatty tissues.
