Glutathione conjugation with the pyrrolizidine alkaloid, jacobine

The reaction of glutathione with the epoxide containing pyrrolizidine alkaloid, jacobine, was catalyzed by guinea pig hepatic glutathione-S-transferase enzymes in in vitro experiments; the rate of the reaction in the presence of rat hepatic glutathione-S-transferases did not differ from the non-enzymatic rate. Using ion-pairing liquid chromatography we were able to isolate the conjugate and obtain a daughter ion spectrum using Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry together with Collisionally Activated Dissociation/Mass Analyzed Kinetic Energy experiments.