The metabolism of the isomeric tert.-butylcyclohexanones.

1. (+/-)-2-, (+/-)-3- and 4-tert.-Butylcyclohexanone are reduced in the rabbit to secondary alcohols, which are excreted extensively conjugated with glucuronic acid. 2. The major metabolite of (+/-)-2-tert.-butylcyclohexanone is (+)-cis-2-tert.-butylcyclohexanol, which has been isolated from the urine as [(+)-cis-2-tert.-butylcyclohexyl beta-d-glucosid]uronic acid. The minor metabolite is (+)-trans-2-tert.-butylcyclohexanol. 3. (+/-)-3-tert.-Butylcyclohexanone is reduced mainly to (+/-)-cis-3-tert.-butylcyclohexanol, and to a smaller extent to (+/-)-trans-3-tert.-butylcyclohexanol. 4. 4-tert.-Butylcyclohexanone yields mainly the trans-alcohol, which is excreted in conjugated form and has been recovered from the urine as (trans-4-tert.-butylcyclohexyl beta-d-glucosid)uronic acid. The cis-alcohol is formed to a minor extent and excreted in conjugated form. 5. The ratios of the amounts of cis- to trans-alcohols produced by the three ketones differed from the relative amounts of cis- and trans-alcohols produced by the corresponding methylcyclohexanones. 6. From these findings the suggestion is made that two orientations of ketone relative to coenzyme occur: alcohols with an equatorially orientated hydroxyl group are thought to be produced as a result of a ;face-to-face' interaction with NADH, and alcohols with axially orientated hydroxyl groups as a result of a ;perpendicular' interaction. Which will predominate is thought to depend on steric factors, particularly the size and position of alkyl substituents in the substrate.