Comparative Toxicokinetics and Plasma Protein Binding of Ochratoxin A in Four Avian Species

Ochratoxin A (OTA, 0.25 mg/kg body weight) was absorbed rapidly ( T_max = 0.31-1.88 h) in all avian species (broiler chickens, laying hens, turkeys, and Muscovy ducks) but more slowly in broiler chickens ( T_max = 1.43-4.63 h). The absolute oral bioavailability was complete in these bird species (88.0-109.6%). Ducks have a significantly higher volume of distribution ( V_d) and turkeys a lower V_d compared to chickens and layers (broiler chickens, 0.27 ± 0.12 L/kg; layers, 0.23 ± 0.08 L/kg; turkeys, 0.18 ± 0.04 L/kg; ducks, 0.76 ± 0.44 L/kg). This difference in V_d can be attributed to the species-dependent differences in plasma protein binding of OTA, namely ranging between 82.2 and 88.9% in ducks and between 96.5 and 98.8% in turkeys. No significant gender differences were found in toxicokinetics or plasma protein binding.