Metabolism of promethazinein vitro. Identification ofN-oxidized products

Abstract
1. Incubation of promethazine (Ia) and desmethylpromethazine (Ib) with 9000g supernatant fractions of rabbit liver homogenate resulted in formation of N-dealkylated, N-oxygenated and ring-hydroxylated products. 2. The N-oxidation products identified by t.l.c. and mass spectra using synthetic reference products are promethazine-N-oxide (IX) and the nitrone (VIII), which is believed to be formed chemically and metabolically from the metabolite N-hydroxydesmethylpromethazine (VII).