Zeranol is formed from Fusarium spp. toxins in cattle in vivo.

Zeranol, a semi-synthetic oestrogenic growth promoter, was banned in the EU in 1988. The ability of Member States to police the ban on zeranol has been hampered by suggestions from New Zealand and from this laboratory that zeranol may be formed by the in vivo metabolism of naturally occurring Fusarium spp. toxins. The present study demonstrates that zeranol is formed from alpha-zearalenol and zearalenone in vivo and is detected in bovine bile following the oral administration of these compounds. However, it is not detected following administration of beta-zearalenol. These data suggest that hydrogenation of alpha-zearalenol, probably in the rumen, is responsible for the appearance of zeranol. The present study shows that environmental contamination with Fusarium spp. toxins is widespread in Northern Ireland. Fusarium spp. toxins were present in 32% (n = 422) of all bovine bile samples tested for zeranol during 1995. Zeranol itself was confirmed in 6.6% (n = 28) of the samples. However, the mean alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol concentrations in the bile of zeranol-positive animals were 12 and 9 times higher, respectively, than those in the zeranol-negative animals. The alpha-zearalenol concentration always exceeded the zeranol concentration by at least 5:1. This may, in the future, permit differentiation between zeranol abuse and natural contamination.

Immunobiosensor--an alternative to enzyme immunoassay screening for residues of two sulfonamides in pigs.

A rapid immunoassay using an optical biosensor (BIAcore) for determining the presence of sulfamethazine (SMT) residues in pig bile was developed. The assay was used in a routine screening laboratory alongside a previously described biosensor method for sulfadiazine (SDZ). Sulfonamide bile concentrations, determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), have already been shown suitable for use in predicting the extent of sulfonamide accumulation in kidney. The ability of immunobiosensor based bile screening to predict violative tissue residues (greater than the maximum residue limit; MRL) was compared with results achieved using two conventional EIAs for two of these drug residues (SMT and SDZ). Analysis of 2081 samples for both sulphonamide residues, over an 8 month period, showed the false positive prediction rate of biosensor analysis to be 0.14% and 0.34% for SMT and SDZ, respectively, compared with false positive rates of 1.54% and 1.44% by EIA. Biosensor analysis showed no false negative predictions for either SMT or SDZ while EIA showed a false negative prediction rate of 0.14% for SMT and 0.24% for SDZ. The present study has clearly demonstrated that immunobiosensor assays can be developed for veterinary drug residue screening programmes. These methods have the potential for generating faster and more reliable results than conventional immunoassay methods.

Residues of clenbuterol in cattle receiving therapeutic doses: implications for differentiating between legal and illegal use.

Clenbuterol (CBL) can be used legally in the treatment of respiratory diseases and illegally as a growth promoter in animals. Liver and eye have previously been shown to be effective matrices for the detection of residual concentrations of the drug. The pharmacokinetics of CBL in therapeutically treated cattle were investigated. During treatment, many body fluids and tissues contained residues of the drug. After a 14 day withdrawal only eyes (mean 27.1 micrograms/kg), and to a much lesser extent lung and kidney (mean 0.3 micrograms/kg), contained detectable residues. By day 28 of withdrawal only residues in eyes were present (mean, 6 micrograms/kg). These persisted to the end of the trial (42 days withdrawal). It is concluded that it is not possible to differentiate between the legal and illegal use of CBL solely on drug residue analysis. Other information must be made available to regulatory bodies to enforce control programmes.