Biochemical studies of toxic agents. 12. The biosynthesis of n-propylmercapturic acid from n-propyl halides

Before the preliminary account of the present work (Grenby & Young, 1959) there appears to have been no report of the isolation of a biosynthetic alkylmercapturic acid. Evidence had been obtained, however, which suggested that alkylmercapturic acids could probably be isolated from the urine of animals which had been dosed with certain alkyl- ating agents. Roberts & Warwick (1957, 1958), by means of radiochromatography, showed the presence of ethylmercapturic acid in the urine of rats which had been dosed with ethyl methanesulphonate. By chromatographic and radiochro- matographic methods ethylmercapturic acid was also detected in the urine of rats after administra- tion of bromoethane (Thomson, Maw & Young, 1958), and by the use of a procedure for deter- mining mercapturic acids Bray & James (1958) demonstrated the excretion of alkylmercapturic acids by animals dosed with 1-and 2-bromobutane and certain higher 1-bromoalkanes.