Studies in detoxication. 55. The metabolism of alkylbenzenes: (a) glucuronic acid excretion following the administration of alkylbenzenes; (b) elimination of toluene in the expired air of rabbits.
Little is known about the metabolism in the animal body of monoalkylbenzenes other than toluene and ethylbenzene (cf. Williams, 1947). The information available suggests that the n-alkyl side chains undergo w-oxidation followed by $-oxidation of the terminology (Rules of Carbohydrate Nomenclature, J. chem. Soc., 1952, p. 5108), glucosiduronic acids) andthe alcohols asnon-reducing glucuronides. These possibilities are shown below (where G= CAH9,0) for the case of n-propylbenzene.