Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for toxicokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion studies of T-2 toxin and its major metabolites in pigs

• LC–MS/MS was developed for analysis of T-2 toxin and its metabolites in swine samples.
• Good linearity, precision and selectivity were observed upon LC–MS/MS analysis.
• It was successfully applied for toxicokinetics, tissue distribution and excretion studies in pigs.
• The results provide important information for evaluating human exposure to residual toxins.

A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantitatively analyzing T-2 toxin and its major metabolites (HT-2 toxin and T-2 triol) in swine biological samples. For all matrices, liquid–liquid extraction (ethyl acetate or acetonitrile) and Varian Bond-Elut MycoSep cartridges for solid phase extraction were used for sample preparation. The analytes were separated via a Zorbax XDB-C18 column and were detected using LC–MS/MS with an electrospray ionization interface in positive ion mode. The resulting calibration curves offered satisfactory linearity (r2 > 0.992) within the test range. The limits of quantification for T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, and T-2 triol were 1 ng/mL (μg/kg), 2 ng/mL (μg/kg), and 5 ng/mL (μg/kg), respectively. The recovery rates in different matrices ranged from 74.3% to 102.4%, and the interday and intraday precisions were all less than 10.2% for the target analytes. The developed method was successfully applied to toxicokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion studies of T-2 toxin and its major metabolites after intravenous (i.v.) administration in pigs. The results provide important information for evaluating and controlling human exposure to residual T-2 toxin and its major metabolites in animal-derived food.