2023-11-202023-11-201974-09Septemberhttps://hdl.handle.net/10388/15279The aim of this project was to examine the in vivo metabolism of the anti-cancer agent, '(E)-2-benzylidene-. cyclohexanone (31), which has been found to be effective against the in vitro KB (Eagle) culture tissue (i.e. a human carcinoma of the nasopharynx). Urine and feces samples collected after intra-peritoneal and oral administration of the unsaturated ketone (31) to male albino Wistar rats were extracted by two methods. Liquid-liquid continuous extraction (Schreiber et al., 1968) resulted in virtual 100% extraction efficiency, whereas a modified version of Curry's general extraction procedure (1969) offered only a 11.40% extraction efficiency. Intraperitoneal injections in doses of 400 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg showed minute amounts (i.e. 0.75%) being ex-creted via the urine as the unchanged ketone (31). A meta-bolite (i.e. C13H1802, molecular weight 206.1311) excreted via the urine was also observed. Examination of the feces samples yielded no indication of the unchanged ketone (31) and/or metabolite(s) being excreted. The size of the dosage level did not alter the amounts of unchanged ketone (31) or metabolite excreted. Oral administration of the unsaturated ketone (31) in doses of 40 mg/kg yielded more promising results than the intraperitoneal experiment. A total of 0.66% of unchanged ketone (31) was found to be excreted via the urine, a result very similar to that observed with the intraperitoneal route. However, two other suspected metabolites excreted via the urine, totalling approximately 8% of the administered dose, were also found. The feces samples showed no sign of (E)-2- benzylidenecyclohexanone (31) being excreted unchanged. However, three possible metabolites, accounting for approxi-mately 80% of the administered dose, were indicated. The unchanged ketone (31) and possible metabolites mentioned in the intraperitoneal and oral dosed experiments were isolated by thin-layer chromatography and gas chromato-graphy, and will be examined further by mass spectrometry for possible identification.human carcinoma of the nasopharynxunsaturated ketone(E)-2- benzylidenecyclohexanoneThesis