AFLATOXICOL IN ANIMAL TISSUES

The objective of this study was to determine the possible occurrence of aflatoxicol (R(,0)) as a residue in edible animal tissue and its relation to aflatoxins B(,1) (B(,1)) and M(,1) (M(,1)). Towards this end two analytical methods were developed, one for R(,0) in milk, blood, and tissue, and one for R(,0) in eggs and ova. These methods were also adapted to determine B(,1) and M(,1) in the same extract. The methods utilized a fluorescence detector of a high performance liquid chromatographic system to measure R(,0) and a Fluorodensitometer after thin layer chromatographic separation to quantitate B(,1) and M(,1). Five animal studies were conducted: (1) 2 lactating cows were each given B(,1) as a single oral dose of 0.5 mg/kg bw, (2) 6 lactating cows were each given B(,1) either orally or abomasally for five days at a daily dose of 0.15 mg/kg bw, (3) 3 pigs were each given B(,1) as a single oral dose of 1.0 mg/kg bw, (4) 20 pigs were given for 14 days a feed naturally contaminated with B(,1) at a level of 400 (mu)g/kg, and (5) 18 laying hens were given for 7 days a ration containing B(,1) at a level of 8.0 mg/kg. The milk, blood, muscle, organs, or eggs collected at selected time intervals from the dosed animals were analyzed for R(,0), B(,1) and M(,1). R(,0) was found in milk (0.01 - 1.3 ng/g), cow blood (0.01 - 0.31 ng/g), pig tissues (0.01 - 4.5 ng/g), chicken tissues (0.03 - 0.62 ng/g) and eggs (0.02 - 0.33 ng/g). In milk and blood the B(,1) metabolite, M(,1), was the major residue observed, followed by the parent compound B(,1) and then R(,0). The levels of M(,1) and B(,1) were about 10 times higher in milk than in blood from the same animal. The levels of R(,0) were similar in milk and cow blood, were at least 200 times less than M(,1) levels and were at least 10 times less than B(,1) levels. In pig tissues the levels of M(,1) and B(,1) were about the same and were about 20 times greater than the levels of R(,0). In eggs the levels of B(,1) and R(,0) were about the same; no M(,1) was found. In chicken tissues the B(,1) levels were about twice as high as R(,0) levels; M(,1) was found only in the kidneys.