Toxicologic and teratologic studies of oxibendazole in ruminants and laboratory animals.

Acute toxicity of oxibendazole was assessed with single oral doses given to mice (4 to 32 g/kg of body weight), sheep (230 to 600 mg/kg), and cattle (600 mg/kg); there were no ill effects. Subacute toxicity did not occur with multiple doses given 5 days to cattle (30 to 75 mg/kg/day) and to sheep (10 to 50 mg/kg/day). Chronic effects did not occur with daily doses of 3 to 30 mg/kg given 98 days to rats and dogs. Teratogenicity of the compound was studied in mice, rats, and sheep medicated at a dose level of 30 mg of oxibendazole/kg and in cattle given 75 mg/kg on selected dates during pregnancy. Microscopically, rodent fetuses seemed normal, and on gross physical examination, lambs and calves were free of malformations and ossification variations.

Microbial transformation of methyl 5(6)-butyl-2-benzimidazolecarbamate.

The anthelmintic agent methyl 5(6)-butyl-2-benzimidazolecarbamate (Parbendazole) was transformed to two of its animal metabolites, methyl 5(6)-(4-hydroxybutyl)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate and methyl 5(6)-3-(carboxypropyl)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate, by the filamentous fungus Cunninghamella bainieri ATCC 9244. The transformation pathway was shown to be through the 4-hydroxybutyl product to the 3-carboxypropyl product. The reaction favored accumulation of the latter product.