Automated solid-phase extraction coupled online with HPLC-FLD for the quantification of zearalenone in edible oil.

Established maximum levels for the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) in edible oil require monitoring by reliable analytical methods. Therefore, an automated SPE-HPLC online system based on dynamic covalent hydrazine chemistry has been developed. The SPE step comprises a reversible hydrazone formation by ZEN and a hydrazine moiety covalently attached to a solid phase. Seven hydrazine materials with different properties regarding the resin backbone, pore size, particle size, specific surface area, and loading have been evaluated. As a result, a hydrazine-functionalized silica gel was chosen. The final automated online method was validated and applied to the analysis of three maize germ oil samples including a provisionally certified reference material. Important performance criteria for the recovery (70-120 %) and precision (RSDr <25 %) as set by the Commission Regulation EC 401/2006 were fulfilled: The mean recovery was 78 % and RSDr did not exceed 8 %. The results of the SPE-HPLC online method were further compared to results obtained by liquid-liquid extraction with stable isotope dilution analysis LC-MS/MS and found to be in good agreement. The developed SPE-HPLC online system with fluorescence detection allows a reliable, accurate, and sensitive quantification (limit of quantification, 30 µg/kg) of ZEN in edible oils while significantly reducing the workload. To our knowledge, this is the first report on an automated SPE-HPLC method based on a covalent SPE approach.

In vitro phase I metabolism of cis-zearalenone.

The present study investigates the in vitro phase I metabolism of cis-zearalenone (cis-ZEN) in rat liver microsomes and human liver microsomes. cis-ZEN is an often ignored isomer of the trans-configured Fusarium mycotoxin zearalenone (trans-ZEN). Upon the influence of (UV-) light, trans-ZEN isomerizes to cis-ZEN. Therefore, cis-ZEN is also present in food and feed. The aim of our study was to evaluate the in vitro phase I metabolism of cis-ZEN in comparison to that of trans-ZEN. As a result, an extensive metabolization of cis-ZEN is observed for rat and human liver microsomes as analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS and high-resolution MS. Kinetic investigations based on the substrate depletion approach showed no significant difference in rate constants and half-lives for cis- and trans-ZEN in rat microsomes. In contrast, cis-ZEN was depleted about 1.4-fold faster than trans-ZEN in human microsomes. The metabolite pattern of cis-ZEN revealed a total of 10 phase I metabolites. Its reduction products, α- and ß-cis-zearalenol (α- and ß-cis-ZEL), were found as metabolites in both species, with α-cis-ZEL being a major metabolite in rat liver microsomes. Both compounds were identified by co-chromatography with synthesized authentic standards. A further major metabolite in rat microsomes was monohydroxylated cis-ZEN. In human microsomes, monohydroxylated cis-ZEN is the single dominant peak of the metabolite profile. Our study discloses three metabolic pathways for cis-ZEN: reduction of the keto-group, monohydroxylation, and a combination of both. Because these routes have been reported for trans-ZEN, we conclude that the phase I metabolism of cis-ZEN is essentially similar to that of its trans isomer. As trans-ZEN is prone to metabolic activation, leading to the formation of more estrogenic metabolites, the novel metabolites of cis-ZEN reported in this study, in particular α-cis-ZEL, might also show higher estrogenicity.

Estrogenicity of novel phase I and phase II metabolites of zearalenone and cis-zearalenone.

Zearalenone and its cis-isomer, cis-zearalenone, are nonsteroidal mycotoxins that elicit an estrogenic response upon binding to the estrogen receptor. This study compares the estrogenicity of eleven congeners including novel metabolites as 15-OH-zearalenone, zearalenone-14-sulfate, α-cis-zearalenol and ß-cis-zearalenol using the E-Screen assay. Overall, a change in the configuration from trans to cis retains significant estrogenic activity. In contrast, alterations of the aromatic moiety including hydroxylation and sulfation showed a markedly decreased estrogenicity when compared to zearalenone.