Stereoselective hydroxylation of 4-methyl-2-cyclohexenone in rats: its relevance to R-(+)-pulegone-mediated hepatotoxicity

Abstract R -(+)-Pulegone, a monoterpene ketone, is a potent hepatotoxin. One of the major metabolites of pulegone has been shown to be p -cresol, a glutathione depletor and a known toxin. Allylic hydroxylation of 4-methyl-2-cyclohexenone results in the formation of p -cresol. The present study documents for the first time the involvement of cytochrome P-450 system and the stereochemical preference in this hydroxylation reaction. Incubation of PB-induced rat liver microsomes as well as reconstituted PB-induced cytochrome P-450 system with ±4-methyl-2-cyclohexenone in the presence of NADPH and O 2 resulted in the formation of 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-cyclohexenone and p -cresol. From the assay mixture, the unreacted substrate, viz., 4-methyl-2-cyclohexenone was isolated and purified and its optical rotation was found to be 2.2 (in CHCl 3 ). The observed enantiomeric excess in the recovered substrate was further confirmed by circular dichroism (CD) studies. The CD spectrum has a peak at 292 nm and a trough at 270 nm. The enantiomeric excess in the recovered substrate indicates that the hydroxylation at C-4 position is stereoselective. The significance of these results with respect to pulegone-mediated hepatotoxicity is discussed.