Excretion of deoxynivalenol and its metabolite, DOM-1, in milk, urine, and feces of lactating dairy cows

Abstract

Corn contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) was added to the diets of 3 dairy cows for 5 days. Total milk, urine and feces were collected for 4 days prior to, during, and 3 days following the feeding of DON-contaminated diets. DON was added to the diets twice a day at feeding time. The dietary concentrations of DON averaged 66 ppm. Following exposure to DON-contaminated diets, DOM-1, a metabolite of DON, was present in milk at concentrations up to 26 ppb. DON was not detected in the milk. Approximately 20% of the DON fed was recovered in the urine and feces in the unconjugated forms as DOM-1 (96%) and DON (4%). After incubating urine with B-glucuronidase, the concentration of unconjugated DOM-1 increased by 7-15 fold while unconjugated DON increased 1.6-3 fold. Detectable concentrations of DOM-1 were found in urine and feces up to 72 hours after the last oral exposure. Thus, excreta are the diagnostic specimens of choice for the determination of DON exposure in cows. Feeding DON-contaminated diets for 5 days did not alter feed intake or milk production, nor were the milk concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium or nitrogen altered.