Excretion and distribution of morpholine salts in rats

Elimination, distribution and metabolism of morpholine salts in rats were investigated by means of chemical analysis and/or radioassay. Gas-liquid chromatography was used for chemical analysis of morpholine in the rat urine and faeces. The analytical results of the excreta accorded with those made by the tracer technique. When rats were given morpholine-HCl or -palmitate, it was found that about 90% of the dose was excreted in the urine over a period of 3 days and the remaining in the faeces. The faecal excretion of morpholine palmitate appeared to be a little more than that of morpholine-HCl after an oral dose of each labelled compound. Morpholine was largely excreted unchanged in the urine. The elimination of morpholine from organs, tissues and blood was generally rapid and specific organ-affinity was not observed in other organs except the intestine. The lowest affinity was found for adipose regardless of routes of administration.