Identification of the major metabolites of prochloraz in rainbow trout by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

The metabolic pattern of the imidazole fungicide prochloraz [N-propyl-N-[2-(2,4,6-trichlorophenoxy)ethyl] imidazole-1-carboximide] was investigated in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Following a single oral administration of [C-14]prochloraz, levels 4.3 +/- 4.1 and 3.9 +/- 8% of the dose were excreted in the bile after 48 h in male and female animals, respectively. Urinary radioactivity accounted for 1.3 +/- 0.4 and 2.4 +/- 1.1% of the dose over the same period in males and females. Metabolites from both matrices were separated by reversed-phase HPLC with radioactive detection and analyzed by positive and/or negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. No unchanged prochloraz was detected in the analyzed excreta. The major biotransformation products in bile were the aldehyde corresponding to the cleavage of the imidazole ring, N-2-(2,4,6-trichlorophenoxy)ethylurea, and the glucuronide conjugate of 2,4,6-trichlorophenoxyethanol. In urine, the major metabolite was 2,4,6-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid. On the basis of enzymatic hydrolysis by P-glucuronidase and LC-MS analyses, this study demonstrates that rainbow trout are able to biotransform prochloraz, mainly as glucuronide conjugates.