Zearalenone and Its Metabolites in Blood Serum, Urine, and Milk of Dairy Cows

Abstract

After oral contamination, zearalenone (ZEN) is rapidly absorbed in organisms and can be detected in biological fluids. In this study, we investigated the metabolites of ZEN in the biological fluids of cows (blood, urine, milk). The study was divided into three stages: preparation (the first stage), investigation (the second stage), and final stage (the third stage). Samples of biological fluids were taken 7, 21, and 35 days after the beginning of the study. At the first stage and at the second stage, the cows were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) with naturally contaminated mycotoxin-zearalenone (500 ± 75 µg/kg). In the third stage, the cows were fed a TMR without mycotoxins. This study established that at the second stage, the alpha-zearalenol concentrations in the serum increased by 92% and the beta-zearalanol in the urine decreased by 48% compared to the first stage (p p p < 0.05). During the study, it was determined that feeding cows for two weeks with a TMR without mycotoxins can reduce concentrations of alpha-zearalanol, beta-zearalenol, and beta-zearalanol in the biological fluids and can reduce the concentrations of ZEN in the milk, but does not reduce the concentration of zearalanone.

Keywords

• zearalenone
• zearalanone
• cows
• β-derivatives
• α-derivatives