DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjavs.2024.v11i06.001

Pages: 77-81

Growth-promoting hormones are produced naturally in the animal body and can also be artificially synthesized and supplemented. It is challenging for control laboratories to monitor them and verify if the presence of certain RALs is due to an illegal practice or natural occurrence. Resorcylic acid lactones (RALs) are Zeranol (α-zearalanol) and its primary metabolite taleranol (β-zearalanol), which also include α- and β-zearalenol, zearalenone and zearalenone. Administration of zeranol, a non-steroidal oestrogenic growth-promoting compound, to animals raised as food is banned in the EU due to the potential risk to human health. Commonly found in animal feed is zearalenone also known as the Fusarium spp. toxin. The purpose of this study was to monitor the farms from which urine samples were taken, if zeranol or taleranol were used as a growth promoter for weight gain or if their presence would be a consequence of feed contamination with zearalenone. Through the statistical model we can distinguish illegal use of zeranol from consumption of food contaminated with Fusarium spp. toxin based on comparing the sum of zeranol and taleranol mass concentrations with the sum of zearalenone and its two major metabolites, α and β-zearalenol. We have analyzed urine samples using a confirmatory method by LC-MS/MS. The samples were taken from different regions of Albania. During the year 2023 from January to December, forty eight (n=48) urine samples from sheep, goat, swine were taken in the study. After analysis, all the urine samples resulted compliant lower than the decision limit for confirmation CCα for all compounds except three (n=3) urine samples, two from sheep and one from swine. Based on statistical model we can conclude that the feed was contaminated by mycotoxin Zearalenone. But further investigation should be conduct, to indicate the origin of the finding in order to protect animal health and public health.