Metabolism of gossypol, biosynthesized from methyl‐14C‐and carboxyl‐14C‐labeled sodium acetate, in rat

Stereospecifically labeled radioactive gossypol was biosynthesized by incubating cotton seedlings with either methyl‐14C‐ or carboxyl‐14C‐labeled sodium acetate. The respective products were purified as gossypol acetic acid. Each radioactive gossypol acetic acid preparation was dissolved in oil and administered by stomach tube to two rats. A negligible amount of radioactivity was found in the expired air of the rats receiving the gossypol biosynthesized from 1‐14C‐sodium acetate; however, a significant quantity of radioactivity was found in the expired air of rats that received gossypol labeled from 2‐14C‐acetate. This indicated that the binaphthalene nucleus of the gossypol molecule was not degraded to CO2 in the rat. A low level of radioactivity was found in the urine of rats administered either gossypol preparation. In each rat there was radioactivity found in all the tissues that were analyzed; however, the major portion of the radioactivity was excreted in the feces.