Urinary excretion of theobromine in horses given contaminated pelleted food.
A high pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for measuring the theobromine content in cocoa husks, pelleted food and horse urine is described. Starting with 2 ml of urine, concentrations of 500 ng/ml could easily be detected. When feed containing 38.4 mg of theobromine was given twice daily to horses for 2 1/2 days, two days were needed after the last intake before the theobromine concentrations fell below the threshold value of 2 micrograms/ml. The time at which the peak excretion rate occurred varied from 2 to 12 h after the last administration, while the excretion rate seemed to be dependent on the urinary flow. Theobromine could not be detected in plasma after administration in this way.
Delbeke
F T
FT
Laboratorium voor Farmacologie en Toxicologie der Huisdieren, Faculteit Diergeneeskunde, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Belgium.
Debackere
M
M
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004300:Doping in Sports; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine*; D013805:Theobromine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine*
D013805:Theobromine