Fusarium toxin residues in physiological samples of piglets

Physiological samples of 100 piglets fed diets containing 0.01, 0.06, 0.15, 0.22 and 0.42 mg ZON and 0.2, 0.8, 1.0, 1.9 and 3.9 mg DON per kg over a period of 35±1.5 days were investigated for concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) and their metabolites.DON was detected in serum, bile and urine in increasing concentrations corresponding to the diet contamination. The metabolite de-epoxy-DON was detected only in urine. The DON contamination of the diet was closely reflected by the serum concentrations of the piglets.ZON and its metabolite α-zearalenol were detected in bile fluid, liver and urine, while β-zearalenol was only detected in bile fluid. In serum neither ZON nor its metabolites were found. The total concentration of ZON plus its metabolites in the bile fluid corresponded well with the dietary contamination.For all analyses it has to be noted that toxin residues were detectable even in individual samples of piglets fed the control diet containing 0.01 mg ZON/kg and 0.2 mg DON/kg.