title: Urinary zearalenone measured with ELISA as a biomarker of zearalenone exposure in pigs.
abstract: The suitability to assess zearalenone (ZEA) exposure in pigs of a commercial ELISA kit for ZEA analysis in urine was tested. A daily dose of 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 μg synthetic ZEA per kilogram BW was administered via the feed to four gilts per dose group, and after 3 and after 7 days of ZEA intake, urine samples were assayed with the ELISA which has a relative cross-reactivity of 42% with α-zearalenol. The concentration of urinary ZEA equivalents (ZEA plus 42% of α-zearalenol present) did not differ between day 4 and day 8 (P = 0.50) within each dose group. The urinary ZEA equivalent/creatinine ratio was tightly correlated with ZEA intake (r = 0.95). The urinary ZEA equivalent/creatinine values at 0 and 40 μg/kg BW were distinctly different from those of the intermediate dose levels, whereas there was some overlapping of the individual values at the dose levels 5, 10 and 20 μg/kg BW. The urinary ZEA equivalent/creatinine ratio can be used as a biomarker for ZEA exposure in pigs provided that urine samples of several animals receiving the same diet are assayed, either separately or after pooling.
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute of Animal Science, Agroscope, 1725, Posieux, Switzerland, andreas.gutzwiller@agroscope.admin.ch.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutzwiller
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gafner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silacci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D013552:Swine; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry*; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015025:Zearalenone