Nitrosation of the antimicrobial drug hexetidine: nitrosamines derived from a triamine decomposition product

Five new nitrosamines were identified as nitrosation products of N1,N3-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2-methyl-1,2,3-propantriamine, a hydrolysis product usually found in preparations of the antimicrobial drug hexetidine. All nitrosamines are formed after deamination of the primary amino group by nitrosation of one of the two secondary amino groups. The propantriamine derivative is very easily nitrosatable, with total nitrosamine yields in the upper range of a comparative scale of drug nitrosatability.