Structural elucidation of sulfaquinoxaline metabolism products and their occurrence in biological samples using high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2014 Jun 3;86(11):5579-86. doi: 10.1021/ac501132r. Epub 2014 May 13.

Abstract

Four previously unreported metabolism products of sulfaquinoxaline (SQX), a widely used veterinary medicine, were isolated and analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Metabolites were structurally elucidated, and a fragmentation pathway was proposed. The combination of high-resolution MS(2) spectra, linear ion trap MS(2), in-source collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation, and photolysis were used to analyze SQX and its metabolites. All metabolism products identified showed a similar fragmentation pattern to that of the original drug. Differential product ions were produced at m/z 162 and 253 which contain the radical moiety with more 16 Da units than sulfaquinoxaline. This occurs by a hydroxyl attachment to the quinoxaline moiety. With the exception of two low-intensity compounds, all the mass errors were below 5.0 ppm. The distribution of these metabolites in some animal species are also presented and discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biotransformation
  • Cattle
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Hydroxyl Radical / chemistry
  • Hydroxylation
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Liver / chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Poultry
  • Sheep
  • Sulfaquinoxaline / chemistry*
  • Sulfaquinoxaline / metabolism
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Sulfaquinoxaline