A New Metabolite of 2, 4, 3', 4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl in Rat Feces

Abstract

Metabolism in vivo of 2, 4, 3', 4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) was further studied using male Wistar rats. When the extract of feces of rats given TCB with chloroform was methylated and applied to gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS), a new metabolite was detected. The structure of this new metabplite was 4-hydroxy-2, 5, 3', 4'-TCB based on both its retention time in GC and comparison of the mass spectrum with that o the synthetic sample. 4-Hydroxy-2, 5, 3', 4'-TCB was assumed to be formed via a 4, 5-oxide intermediate followed by NIH-shift of a chlorine atom at 4-position.