[Demonstration of zearalenone metabolites in bile of breeding sows with fertility disturbances].

Bile of 52 gilts with reproductive problems have been analyzed for zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol. The applied methods, HPLC in combination with a fluorescence detector and with ELISA, were suitable for survey of biological materials with a complex matrix such as bile. The detection limit and recovery rate were 1 ng/ml and 75%, respectively. Zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol, which were present as glucuronide conjugates, were detected up to 40.0 ng/ml and 66.1 ng/ml in all samples analyzed. This suggests that zearalenone occurs more frequently in feed for pigs than it was recognized by feed analysis. Further investigation have to show, if the detection of zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol in samples of bile indicates a participation of these mycotoxins in reproductive problems.