Evidence for transformation of sulfamethazine to its N4-glucopyranosyl derivative in swine liver during frozen storage.

An analytical procedure for determining N4-glucopyranosylsulfamethazine (GPS) in swine livers is described. The sulfamethazine derivative is extracted from the tissues with water. GPS is isolated in sufficient purity for liquid chromatographic determination by a series of adsorption chromatographic procedures. Recovery of the conjugate from spiked swine livers was 82.2% with a coefficient of variation of 4.5%. Evidence is presented suggesting that sulfamethazine in swine livers is transformed to GPS during frozen storage. Two samples of swine liver in which incurred sulfamethazine residues were substantially depleted during frozen storage were analyzed for GPS. The conjugate accounted for 96.2% and 92.2% of the depleted sulfamethazine residues.