title: Sensitive analysis of the mycotoxin zearalenone and its metabolites in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography alpha.
abstract: A method is described for the analysis of zearalenone and its metabolites, alpha- and beta-zearalenol, in small volumes (0.5-2.0 ml) of biological fluids including milk, blood, plasma, urine and bile, using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Isolation of the toxins from biological fluids was achieved using a series of pH-controlled solvent extractions. Detection limits for zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol were 1 ng/ml, and for beta-zearalenol ca. 5 ng/ml, both at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. In bile, however, the detection was ca. five times less sensitive owing to interfering substances. Recoveries at low ng/ml concentrations were highest from urine (87-94%) and plasma (85-93%), slightly lower from whole blood (78-88%) and milk (75-84%), and lowest from bile (66-77%).
authors.affiliation: Animal Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Prelusky
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Trenholm
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D012118:Resorcinols / Q000032:analysis*; D013552:Swine / Q000097:blood; D014556:Urine / Q000032:analysis; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000032:analysis*; D015029:Zeranol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D012118:Resorcinols; C029659:zearalenol; D015025:Zearalenone; D015029:Zeranol