ABSTRACT
Conflicting findings regarding the boldenone content of bovine faeces suggest it may be synthesized de novo in emitted faeces. We tested this hypothesis by analysing uncontaminated urine, fresh and various forms of dried faeces from 10 calves (not given boldenone) by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for 17alpha- and 17beta-boldenone (alpha and beta BOL); 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD); 4-androstene-3,17-dione (AED), testosterone (T) and epitestosterone (ET). Urine contained no alpha BOL, beta BOL or ADD. The analysed substances were variably present in the rectal faeces, and at generally higher levels in faeces scraped from skin or stall floor. In pooled rectal faeces naturally dried for 13 days, alpha BOL, ADD, AED and ET levels were extremely high (much higher than accounted for by increases due to drying), and beta BOL and T were absent. It is concluded that de novo synthesis of alpha BOL and metabolites occurs naturally in bovine faeces and only uncontaminated urine should be analysed for illegal boldenone.
Subject(s)
Feces/chemistry , Testosterone/analogs & derivatives , Anabolic Agents/analysis , Anabolic Agents/urine , Androgens/analysis , Androgens/urine , Androstadienes/analysis , Androstadienes/urine , Androstenedione/analysis , Androstenedione/urine , Animals , Cattle , Epitestosterone/analysis , Epitestosterone/urine , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods , Rectum , Testosterone/analysis , Testosterone/urineABSTRACT
A recent approach to the problem of contamination of agricultural products by aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) is to add non-nutritional adsorbents to animal diets in order to sequester ingested aflatoxins. We conducted in vitro experiments to develop a rapid and cheap model using ruminal fluid to assess the ability of sorbent materials to bind AFB(1). Seven sorbents (hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate; clinoptilolite; zeolite; two types of bentonite; sepiolite; and PHIL 75), commonly added to bovine diets were incubated in water and ruminal fluid in the presence of AFB(1). Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate, sepiolite and one of the bentonites bound 100% of the AFB(1) in the presence of both ruminal fluid and water; clinoptilolite bound about 80% of AFB(1) in both liquids; whereas the affinities for the mycotoxin of zeolite (50%) and the other sample of bentonite (60%) in water seem to be increased by about 40% in ruminal fluid incubations. PHIL 75 had the poorest binding ability: about 30% in water and 45% in ruminal fluid. In view of the differences in toxin binding in water and ruminal fluid, it is preferable to use the ruminal fluid model for the in vitro pre-screening of sorbent materials potentially useful as adjuvants to ruminant feeds.
Subject(s)
Aflatoxin B1/chemistry , Body Fluids/chemistry , Cattle , Rumen/chemistry , Adsorption , Aflatoxin B1/pharmacokinetics , Animals , Bentonite/chemistry , Magnesium Silicates/chemistry , Zeolites/chemistryABSTRACT
The risk related to the presence of residues in food of animal origin has to be carefully evaluated and it is important to distinguish between the residues of veterinary drugs and environmental contaminants. The first are easily monitored and only difficulty and occasionally exceed MRL concentrations, whereas the second ones can have prolonged and high level exposures. The Safety Margins of environmental contaminants are thus lower, and the risk increases for high level consumers. It is therefore important to ovoid transfer of pollutants to food of animal origin, especially when local contamination occur.
