RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Metabolism of Methylisoeugenol in Liver Microsomes of Human, Rat, and Bovine Origin
JF Drug Metabolism and Disposition
JO Drug Metab Dispos
FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
SP 1727
OP 1733
DO 10.1124/dmd.111.038851
VO 39
IS 9
A1 Alexander T. Cartus
A1 Karl-Heinz Merz
A1 Dieter Schrenk
YR 2011
UL http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/39/9/1727.abstract
AB Methylisoeugenol (1,2-dimethoxy-4-propenylbenzene, 1) is a minor constituent of essential oils, naturally occurring as a mixture of cis/trans isomers. 1 is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved food additive and has been given “Generally Recognized as Safe” status. Previously, metabolism of 1 has been studied in the rat, revealing mainly nontoxic cinnamoyl derivatives as major metabolites. However, data concerning the possible formation of reactive intermediary metabolites are not available to date. In this study, the oxidative metabolism of 1 was studied using liver microsomes of rat [not induced, rat liver microsomes (RLM); Aroclor1254 induced RLM (ARLM)], bovine, and human (pooled from 150 donors) origin. Incubations of these microsomes with 1 provided phase I metabolites that were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy and/or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Identity was confirmed by comparison with 1H NMR spectra of synthesized reference compounds. Formation of metabolites was quantified by HPLC/UV using dihydromethyleugenol (10) synthesized as the internal standard. From incubations of ARLM with 1, seven metabolites could be detected, with 3′-hydroxymethylisoeugenol (2), isoeugenol and isochavibetol (3 + 4), and 6-hydroxymethylisoeugenol (5) being the main metabolites. Secondary metabolites derived from 1 were identified as the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde 3′-oxomethylisoeugenol (6) and 1′,2′-dihydroxy-dihydromethylisoeugenol (7). We were surprised to find that formation of allylic 6-hydroxymethyleugenol (8) was observed starting at approximately 30 min after the beginning of incubations with ARLM. HLM did not form ring-hydroxylated metabolites but were most active in the formation of 6 and 7. ARLM incubations displayed the highest turnover rate and broadest metabolic pattern, presumably resulting from an increased expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes. In conclusion, we present a virtually complete pattern of nonconjugated microsomal metabolites of 1 comprising reactive metabolites and suggest the formation of reactive intermediates that need more investigation with respect to their possible adverse properties.