Bioassay- An Important Pharmacological Tool

Bioassay is the determination of the relative strength of a substance by comparing its effect on a test organism with that of a standard preparation. It is typically conducted to measure the potency of a new compound, examine effects of the substance on a living organism, essential in the development of new drugs and in monitoring environmental pollutants. Bioassays are broadly of two types: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative bioassays are used for assessing the physical effects of a substance that may not be quantified, such as abnormal development or deformity. Quantitative bioassays involve estimation of the concentration or potency of a substance by measurement of the biological response that it produces. Bioassay can again be categorized into quantal and graded response. The main aim of bioassay is to provide information that will predict the effect of the drug in the clinical situation. The purpose of bioassay is to ascertain the potency of a drug and to standardize the preparation so that each contains the uniform specified pharmacological activity. Thus, it serves as a pointer in the Commercial Production of drugs when chemical assays are not available or do not suffice and provides a predictive link towards quantitative pharmacology.