Simultaneous Detection of Androgen and Estrogen Abuse in Breeding Animals by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Combustion/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/C/IRMS) Evaluated against Alternative Methods.
The administration of synthetic homologues of naturally occurring steroids can be demonstrated by measuring (13)C/(12)C isotopic ratios of their urinary metabolites. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-MS/C/IRMS) was used in this study to appraise in a global approach isotopic deviations of two 17β-testosterone metabolites (17α-testosterone and etiocholanolone) and one 17β-estradiol metabolite (17α-estradiol) together with those of 5-androstene-3β,17α-diol as endogenous reference compound (ERC). Intermediate precisions of 0.35‰, 1.05‰, 0.35‰, and 0.21‰, respectively, were observed (n = 8). To assess the performance of the analytical method, a bull and a heifer were treated with 17β-testosterone propionate and 17β-estradiol-3-benzoate. The sensitivity of the method permitted the demonstration of 17β-estradiol treatment up to 24 days. For 17β-testosterone treatment, the detection windows were 3 days and 24 days for the bull and the heifer, respectively. The capability of GC-MS/C/IRMS to demonstrate natural steroid abuse for urinary steroids was eventually compared to those of mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) when measuring intact steroid esters in blood and hair.
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Directorate General Laboratories , Kruidtuinlaan 55, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.|Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University , Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Geert
G
Janssens
Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University , Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Sven
S
Mangelinckx
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Directorate General Laboratories , Kruidtuinlaan 55, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Dirk
D
Courtheyn
Department of Sustainable Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University , Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Norbert
N
De Kimpe
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Directorate General Laboratories , Kruidtuinlaan 55, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Bert
B
Matthijs
Oniris, Laboratoire d'Etude des Résidus et Contaminants dans les Aliments (LABERCA), LUNAM Université , F-44307 Nantes, France.
Bruno
B
Le Bizec
D000728:Androgens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004967:Estrogens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary
D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens
GC-MS/C/IRMS; bovine; estradiol; food safety; fraud; natural hormones; steroids; testosterone; urine