Species differences in the metabolism of palmotoxins B0 and G0 in vitro

1. The metabolism of palmotoxins B0 and G0 has been studied using liver slices and liver microsomal-plus-soluble fractions from eleven animal species. 2. Neither slices nor microsomal-plus-soluble fractions of livers from goat and duck demethylated palmotoxins B0 and G0. No demethylation occurred with microsomal-plus-soluble fractions from lizard, toad, and guinea-pig although some was detected with the liver slices of these animals. 3. All species with the exception of duck and the white rock cock produced the fluorescent metabolite identical with the hydroxylation product from the rat. The rat metabolite with RF value 0 - 21 was absent in all other species studied. 4. In all species, the total amount of each toxin metabolized was far less than that obtained for aflatoxin B1 under identical conditions.