Possibilities of fungal biodegradation of antimalarial and anticancer primaquine in the environment

Abstract

After human and veterinary therapy primaquine is not completely removed at municipal wastewater treatment plants and therefore are discharged into the environment. We studied changes of the structure of primaquine by fungus Beauveria bassiana widely present in nature. Two peaks of metabolites were observed by HPLC in extract of incubation mixture. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and electrospray ionization mass spectra analysis of the products confirmed the formation of N-acetylprimaquine, 24.5% of total extract peak area at 265 nm and N-formylprimaquine, 2.8% of total extract peak area at 265 nm.