Metabolism of Drugs. LXXII. Synthesis of Nalorphine-3- and -6-glucuronide and Identification of Urinary Metabolites of Nalorphine in Rabbits

Nalorphine-3- and -6-glucuronide were synthesized according to the method used in the synthesis of morphine glucuronides. These glucuronides were then utilized as reference standards for identification of the urinary metabolites of nalorphine in rabbits, and nalorphine-3-glucuronide was established as a major metabolite. No other metabolite could be detected in the 24 hr urine samples, except a small amount of unchanged nalorphine was detected. Isolation procedure of the urinary glucuronides adopted in the present and previous studies was confirmed to be very effective especially for the morphine alkaloids.