Identification of ejaculate derived propylamine found in collagen sponge contraceptives.

Following up a previous suggestion that propylamine might be the cause of malodor developing after sexual intercourse in sexually active volunteers wearing a vaginal collagen sponge for contraception this study was undertaken to identify this compound in ejaculate. The 1st detection of propylamine was from gas specimens obtained from vials containing pieces of odoriferous collagen sponges; the compound was identified by gas chromatography. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed an m/e pattern peculiar to propylamine. The origin of the compound was investigated by incubating human ejaculate from male volunteers at 37 degrees centigrade for 7 days. Again propylamine was identified by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy as N-propylbenzoylamide. Propylamine was apparently formed enzymatically from spermine and spermidine; it is believed that this is the 1st time that this compound has been identified as forming from human tissue. It was concluded from the data that propylamine is a normal enzymatic metabolite of ejaculate since no propylamine was detected in fresh ejaculate. The significance of this finding was not apparent.