title: Identification and characterization of 19-nortestosterone in urine of meat-producing animals.
abstract: To monitor the illegal use of 19-nortestosterone as an anabolizing agent in meat-production, the Belgian Institute of Veterinary Expertise applies a strategy of urine control by radioimmunoassay, positive samples being confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. We have evaluated this control strategy, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to confirm the presence of 19-nortestosterone, or its metabolite oestrane-diol, in positive samples from radioimmunoassay. Our results show that the effective way of proceeding remains reliable in cattle, for mature and immature males as well as non-pregnant females, and in pigs, for pregnant and non-pregnant sows. The possible presence of endogenous 19-nortestosterone in cattle, in pregnant cows urine, and in pigs, in boars and in cryptorchid pigs, impedes the control of the use of 19-nortestosterone on these samples. False-positive (not confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) results were produced by radioimmunoassay in the urine of castrated pigs and sheep.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Analyse des Denrées Alimentaires d'Origine Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Liège, Sart Tilman, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandenbroeck
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Vyncht
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dasnois
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delahaut
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelzer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Graeve
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maghuin-Rogister
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000652:urine*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012756:Sheep; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D009277:Nandrolone