Biological and chemical approaches for the detection and identification of illegal estrogens in water-based solutions.
The continuous introduction of new products used as growth promoters in animal husbandry, for sports doping and as products for body-building requires residue laboratories to initiate research on developing a strategy for the identification of 'unknown' components. In this study, a strategy is presented for elucidating the identity, the structure and the possible effects of illegal estrogenic compounds in an unidentified water-based solution. To obtain complete information on the composition and activity of the unidentified product, a multidisciplinary approach was needed. A case-study is described with a 'solution X' found during a raid. First, in vivo techniques (animal trials with mice, anatomical and histological research) were combined with in vitro techniques (the yeast estrogenic screen (YES)). In a later stage of the investigation, HPLC-fractionation, liquid chromatography-multiple mass spectrometry (LC-MSn) and gas chromatography-multiple mass spectrometry (GC-MSn) were used. Finally, the identity of 'solution X' was confirmed in a very low concentration range (10 ng/L estrone and 400 ng/l ethinyloestradiol).
Noppe
H
H
Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium. Herlinde.Noppe@UGent.be
Arijs
K
K
De Wasch
K
K
Van Cruchten
S
S
Poelmans
S
S
Courtheyn
D
D
Cobbaert
E
E
Gillis
W
W
Vanthemsche
P
P
De Brabander
H
H
Janssen
C
C
Van Hoof
N
N
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004350:Drug Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D011897:Random Allocation; D015430:Weight Gain
D004967:Estrogens