Metabolism of isopropyl carbanilate by soybean plants

Root-treated soybean plants absorb, translocate, and metabolize isopropyl carbanilatephenyl-¹⁴C (propham-¹⁴C). After a 3-day treatment period and removal of the exogenous ¹⁴C treating solution, only small concentrations of ¹⁴C-labeled materials were found in newly emerging tissues. A measurable concentration of radiocarbon was found in the seed pods, but the fruit tissues were shown to be free of any dectable ¹⁴C-labeling. Three days after removal of the exogenous propham-¹⁴C, the parent herbicide was completely metabolized by all tissues. Polar products and nonextractable residues were found in roots, stems, and leaves after a 3-day treatment period. The polar metabolites were not translocated once they were formed in either the roots or shoots.Conjugated polar metabolites were isolated, partially purified, and the prophamphenyl-¹⁴C moiety characterized. The aglycone moiety of the polar metabolites was liberated either by methanol-HCl solvolysis or by enzyme hydrolysis with β-glucosidase or hesperidinase. The aglycone from all three procedures was derivatized, purified and characterized by NMR, ir, and mass spectral analysis. The only aglycone was the derivative of isopropyl-2-hydroxycarbanilate which was at least in part conjugated as a glycoside.