Subacute toxicity testing of ochratoxin A and citrinin in swine.

Fourteen pigs were fed ochratoxin A and citrinin through a stomach tube at daily doses of 0.02 and 0.01 mg/kg body mass for 57 days. These toxin doses correspond to the average toxin contamination level of feeds in Central Europe. The clinical status of the pigs was monitored and clinical laboratory, haematological and mycotoxin-analytical examinations were performed throughout the trial. At the end of the experiment gross and histopathological examinations were carried out. The results of ochratoxin A and citrinin determination in the blood, obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), are important from the food hygienic point of view. The sensitivity of the method was 2 and 10 ng/ml for ochratoxin A and citrinin, respectively. The recovery rate of the mycotoxins was above 60%.