Toxicokinetics of the mycotoxin fumonisin B2 in rats.

Fumonisin B2 (FB2), a secondary metabolite of the fungus Fusarium moniliforme, was administered at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg body weight to male BD IX rats by ip injection or by gavage. FB2 was rapidly absorbed from the peritoneum, its level in plasma reaching a maximum within 20 min after injection. It was rapidly eliminated from plasma with a half-life of 26 min. After 24 hr, FB2 could not be detected in plasma (< 20 ng/ml). Analysis of rat plasma for FB2 following a gavage dose failed to detect any toxin over a 6-hr period after dosing. The elimination of FB2 in the urine and faeces was determined over a 3-day period after dosing. After i.p. injection, the mean urinary excretion over this period was 1.2% and faecal elimination accounted for 84.1% of the dose. Similarly, after dosing by gavage, 0.2 and 82.0% of the dose was recovered in urine and faeces, respectively. FB2 appeared to be excreted unmetabolized.