Structural elucidation of N-oxidized clemastine metabolites by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and the use of Cunninghamella elegans to facilitate drug metabolite identification

• Cunninghamella elegans is a filamentous fungus that has been shown to biotransform drugs into the same metabolites as mammals. In this paper we describe the use of C. elegans to aid the identification of clemastine metabolites since high concentrations of the metabolites were produced and MS(n) experiments were facilitated. The combination of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques and hydrogen/deuterium exchange were used for structural elucidation of the clemastine metabolites. Norclemastine, four isomers of hydroxylated clemastine, and two N-oxide metabolites were described for the first time in C. elegans incubations. The N-oxidations were confirmed by hydrogen/deuterium exchange and deoxygenation (-16 Da) upon atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. By MS(n) fragmentation it was concluded that two of the hydroxylated metabolites were oxidized on the methylpyrridyl moiety, one on the aromatic ring with the chloro substituent, and one on the aromatic ring without the chlorine.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmaceutiska vetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmaceutical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

PHARMACY

FARMACI

Analytical Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Analytisk farmaceutisk kemi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)