Metabolism of 2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuranyl-7 N-dimethoxyphosphinothioyl-N-methylcarbamate in the house fly,rat, and mouse

The metabolism of a selectively toxic derivative of carbofuran, 2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuranyl-7 N-dimethoxyphosphinothioyl N-methylcarbamate (PSC), was examined in the house fly, rat, and mouse. In house flies, PSC is metabolized mainly to carbofuran and related oxidation products containing the intact N-methylcarbamyl ester moiety. Degradation to phenolic products was the principal route of metabolism in rodents. The results indicate that the selective toxicity of PSC between insects and mammals is attributable to differing pathways of metabolism.