title: Toward a criterion for suspect thiouracil administration in animal husbandry.
abstract: Thyreostats are growth-promoters banned in Europe since 1981. The identification of thiouracil (TU) in animal biological matrices can, however, no longer be systematically interpreted as a consequence of illegal administration. Indeed, some experimental results have indicated a causal link between cruciferous-based diet and the presence of TU in urine of bovines. The present study aims at investigating, on a large scale (n > 1300), the natural occurrence of thiouracil in urine samples collected from different animal species. TU was identified in main breeding animal species: bovine, porcine and ovine. The natural distribution of TU allowed proposing threshold values to differentiate compliant from suspect urine samples. Suggested values are 5.7 and 9.1 µg l(-1) in male adult bovines (6-24 months), 3.1 and 8.1 µg l(-1) in female adult bovines (6-24 months), 7.3 and 17.7 µg l(-1) in calves (<6 months), 3.9 and 8.8 µg l(-1) in female bovines (>24 months), and 2.9 and 4.1 µg l(-1) in porcines at a 95 and 99% confidence level, respectively.
authors.affiliation: a ONIRIS, École Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Laboratoire d'Étude des Résidus et Contaminants dans les Aliments (LABERCA) , Atlanpole - La Chantrerie , BP 40706, Nantes F-44307 , France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Bizec
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bichon
authors.forename: Yoann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deceuninck
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prévost
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monteau
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Antignac
authors.forename: Gaud
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dervilly-Pinel
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D013956:Antithyroid Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D002417:Cattle; D004032:Diet; D004350:Drug Residues / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D059022:Food Safety; D005602:France; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D012756:Sheep; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013889:Thiouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D019155:Veterinary Drugs / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D013889:Thiouracil