Microbial Models of Mammalian Metabolism: Production of Novel α-diketone Metabolites of Warfarin and Phenprocoumon Using Aspergillus Niger

Abstract

1. The coumarin anticoagulants warfarin and phenprocoumon were metabolized by Aspergillus niger via oxidative ring cleavage to yield the corresponding α-diketone metabolites.

2. Structural identification was based upon physical, spectral, and chromatographic comparisons of isolated metabolites and synthetic standards generated by the oxidative cleavage of warfarin or phenprocoumon with pyridinium chlorochromate.

3. This pathway of metabolism has been previously observed for coumarin anticoagulants in mammalian systems.