Abstract
1. The metabolism of butyl p-nitrophenyl ether in vitro has been investigated with rabbit liver preparations.
2. Evidence for three metabolic pathways is presented. These involve initial microsomal hydroxylation at α, ω - 1 or the ω positions of the butyl chain.
3. (ω - 1)-Hydroxybutyl p-nitrophenyl ether was oxidized chiefly by the soluble fraction to the corresponding (ω - 1)-oxo derivative which spontaneously decomposed to give p-nitrophenol.
4. ω-Hydroxybutyl p-nitrophenyl ether identified as a metabolite was further oxidized by the soluble fraction to p-nitrophenoxybutyric acid.