Species differences in the generation of the chiral sulfoxide metabolite of albendazole in sheep and rats.

The prochiral anthelmintic drug albendazole was administered orally to sheep and rats. Blood samples were taken at standardized intervals during the time course of the plasma kinetics: 18 h in rats and 48 h in sheep. The enantiomeric ratio of the sulfoxide metabolite was determined by means of HPLC on a chiral stationary phase, the chiral selector of which was a N-3,5-dinitrobenzoyl derivative of (S)-tyrosine. Two enantiomers were detected in both animal species but their ratios were inverted in rat vs. sheep. The evolution of the ratio is turned from a racemate at 15 min to 60(-):40(+) at 12 h in rats, while it moved from 23(-):77(+) at 3 h to 4(-):96(+) at 36 h after administration in sheep.