Concentration levels of zearalenone and its metabolites in urine, muscle tissue, and liver samples of pigs fed with mycotoxin-contaminated oats

Abstract

The content of zearalenone and its metabolites in urine and tissue samples from pigs fed zearalenone-contaminated oats was established by analytical methods combining solid-phase extraction cleanup of the samples with highly selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS detection. Investigation of the urine samples revealed that approximately 60% of zearalenone was transformed in vivo to α-zearalenol and its epimer β-zearalenol in a mean ratio of 3:1. Zeranol and taleranol as further metabolites could only be detected in trace amounts. Zearalanone was identified at considerable concentrations, though only in a couple of samples. In contrast, liver samples contained predominantly α-zearalenol, and to a minor extent β-zearalenol and zearalenone, with a mean ratio of α-/β-zearalenol of 2.5:1, while zeranol, taleranol, or zearalanone could not be identified in any of the investigated samples. The degree of glucoronidation was established for zearalenone as 27% in urine and 62% in liver; for α-zearalenol as 88% in urine and 77% in liver; and for β-zearalenol as 94% in urine and 29% in liver. Analyses of muscle tissue revealed relatively high amounts of nonglucuronidated zeranol and α-zearalenol together with traces of taleranol and zearalenone, indicating that the metabolism of zearalenone and its metabolites is not restricted to hepatic and gastrointestinal metabolic pathways.