Metabolism of 3,4-dichloropropionanilide in plants: the metabolic fate of the 3,4-dichloroaniline moiety.

Studies to elucidate the fate of 3,4-dichloropropionanilide (propanil) in rice (Oryza sativa L. var. Nato) plants have shown that the propanil molecule is cleaved and the propionic acid moiety metabolized. To ascertain the fate of the 3,4-dichloroaniline moiety of propanil, rice plants were exposed to propanil in liquid culture. The roots and shoots of treated rice plants were extracted and quantitatively assayed for four aniline-containing metabolites. One of the four metabolites proved to be 3,4-dichloroaniline, while the remaining three metabolites contained complexed 3,4-dichloroaniline. N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-glucosylamine was identified as one of the complexes. A time-course study of the four metabolites indicated the appearance of the 3,4-dichloroaniline-containing metabolites within 6 hours. After 14 days of treatment, the complexed aniline metabolites amounted to only 10 percent of the total propanil administered to the rice plants.