Metabolism of cycloate in radish leaf: metabolite identification by packed capillary flow fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry.

The metabolism of cycloate, a thiocarbamate herbicide, was investigated in mature radish leaf. Twelve new metabolites were identified by liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis using fast atom bombardment and packed capillary liquid chromatography columns. Full-scan and tandem mass spectrometric methods were employed. Application of the on-column focusing technique resulted in identifications with injections of as little as 15 ng of metabolite (20 ppb in radish). This injection technique allows the practical use of packed capillary liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry in sample-limited applications. Cycloate is oxidized to several ring-hydroxylated isomers that are subsequently glucosylated and esterified with malonic acid. Cycloate is also conjugated with glutathione. Metabolic hydrolysis of the glutathione conjugate formed a cysteine conjugate that is further metabolized by amidation with either malonic or acetic acid. Transamination of the cysteine conjugate gave a thiolactic acid derivative. Metabolites were also identified that were the result of both ring-hydroxylation and conjugation with glutathione. One of these, an N-acetylcysteine conjugate, is the first report of a mercapturic acid in plants. The structures of two of the new metabolites were confirmed by chemical synthesis.