Structural characterization of photodegradation products of enalapril and its metabolite enalaprilat obtained under simulated environmental conditions by hybrid quadrupole-linear ion trap-MS and quadrupole-time-of-flight-MS

Abstract

In the environment, organic micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals can be degraded via various biotic and abiotic transformation routes. In surface waters, for example, photodegradation may constitute a relevant natural attenuation process for drug residues that have been discharged from sewage treatment facilities. In the present work, the photochemical fate of the prodrug enalapril (376 Da, C(20)H(28)N2O5) and its active metabolite enalaprilat (348 Da, C(18)H(24)N2O5), a hypotensive cardioprotector previously reported to occur in contaminated rivers, was investigated in aqueous media under the influence of irradiation generated by a sunlight simulator. The experiments yielded three detectable photodegradates for enalapril (346 Da, 2 x 207 Da) whereas the photolysis of enalaprilat went hand in hand with the intermittent buildup of one photodegradate (304 Da). Fragmentation patterns of the parent compounds were established on a hybrid quadrupole-linear ion trap-mass spectrometer exploiting its MS3 capabilities. Accurate mass measurements recorded on a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight instrument in MS/MS mode allowed us to propose elemental compositions for the molecular ions of the degradates (346 Da, C(19)H(26)N2O4; 207 Da, C(12)H(17)NO2; 304 Da, C(17)H(24)N2O3) as well as of their fragment ions. Based on these complementary data sets from the two distinct mass spectrometric instruments, plausible structures were postulated for the four photodegradates. The compounds formed by enalapril corresponded to the loss of formaldehyde out of the proline residue (346 Da), cleavage of the central amide bond (207 Da) followed by migration of the ethylester side chain (207 Da) while decarboxylation of the free carboxylic acid was described for enalaprilat (304 Da). The study emphasized the potential of sunlight for breaking down an environmentally relevant drug and its metabolite.