Catalyzes the oxidative metabolism of numerous xenobiotics, including mainly therapeutic drugs and insecticides that contain a soft nucleophile, most commonly nitrogen and sulfur and participates to their bioactivation (PubMed:15144220, PubMed:15294458, PubMed:18930751, PubMed:18948378, PubMed:9804831). Specifically catalyzes S-oxygenation of sulfur derived compounds such as thioureas-derived compounds, thioetherorganophosphates to their sulfenic acid (PubMed:15144220, PubMed:9804831). In vitro, catalyzes S-oxygenation of the second-line antitubercular drugs thiacetazone (TAZ) and ethionamide (ETA), forming a sulfinic acid and a carbodiimide via a postulated sulfenic acid intermediate (PubMed:18930751, PubMed:18948378). Also catalyzes S-oxygenation of the thioether-containing organophosphate insecticides, phorate and disulfoton (PubMed:15294458).
