N-Oxidation of Quinoline and Isoquinoline by Cunninghamella elegans

Sutherland, J. B., Freeman, J. P., Williams, A. J., and Cerniglia, C. E. 1994. N-oxidation of quinoline and isoquinoline by Cunninghamella elegans. Experimental Mycology 18: 271-274. Cultures of Cunninghamella elegans were grown for 7 days in liquid Sabouraud medium containing 1.9mM quinoline or isoquinoline. The spent culture media were extracted with ethyl acetate; metabolites were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography. The major metabolite produced from each compound was identified by the HPLC elution time, ultraviolet/visible absorption spectrum, and mass spectrum. Under similar conditions, approximately 65% of the added quinoline and 3% of the added isoquinoline were metabolized to quinoline N-oxide and isoquinoline N -oxide, respectively.