Pig Urinary Concentration of Mycotoxins and Metabolites Reflects Regional Differences, Mycotoxin Intake and Feed Contaminations.

Lucia Gambacorta,Michele Solfrizzo,Monica Olsen

doi:10.3390/toxins11070378

Abstract

The determination of mycotoxin and metabolite concentrations in human and animal urine is currently used for risk assessment and mycotoxin intake measurement. In this study, pig urine (n = 195) was collected at slaughterhouses in 2012 by the Swedish National Food Agency in three counties representing East, South and West regions of Sweden. Urinary concentrations of four mycotoxins, (deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and ochratoxin A (OTA)), and four key metabolites, (deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (DOM-1), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1, biomarker of AFB1), α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL)) were identified and measured by UPLC-MS/MS. Statistically significant regional differences were detected for both total DON (DON + DOM-1) and total ZEA (ZEA + α-ZOL + β-ZOL) concentrations in pig urine from the three regions. These regional differences were in good agreement with the occurrence of Fusarium graminearum mycotoxins (DON + ZEA) in cereal grains harvested in 2011 in Sweden. There were no statistically significant differences in FB1, AFM1 and OTA urinary concentrations in pigs from the three regions. The overall incidence of positive samples was high for total ZEA (99–100%), total DON (96–100%) and OTA (85–95%), medium for FB1 (30–61%) and low for AFM1 (0–13%) in the three regions. Urinary mycotoxin biomarker concentrations were used to estimate mycotoxin intake and the level of mycotoxins in feeds consumed by the monitored pigs. The back-calculated levels of mycotoxins in feeds were low with the exception of seven samples that were higher the European limits.

Highlights

Deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin B1 (FB1 ), ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxinB1 (AFB1 ) were defined as the five agriculturally important mycotoxins for their impact on the safety of human food and feed [1]
DOM-1) and total ZEA (ZEA + α-ZOL + β-ZOL) concentrations in pig urine from the three regions. These regional differences were in good agreement with the occurrence of Fusarium graminearum mycotoxins (DON + ZEA) in cereal grains harvested in 2011 in Sweden
Urinary mycotoxin biomarker concentrations were used to estimate mycotoxin intake and the level of mycotoxins in feeds consumed by the monitored pigs

Summary

Introduction

B1 (AFB1 ) were defined as the five agriculturally important mycotoxins for their impact on the safety of human food and feed [1]. Feeds are constantly monitored for mycotoxins to protect animal health and increase animal productivity and farmer’s income. Monitoring mycotoxins in cereal grain is expensive and laborious due to the inhomogeneous distribution of mycotoxins in raw materials, which requires the application of adequate sampling plans that comprise the collection of a Toxins 2019, 11, 378; doi:10.3390/toxins11070378 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins. Hult et al (1979) demonstrated the efficacy of biomonitoring of OTA in pig’s blood to determine OTA levels in feeds consumed by the monitored pigs [3]. Gilbert et al.; (2001) demonstrated a better correlation between OTA consumption and urinary OTA as compared to blood OTA [4].

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