Toxicokinetics and toxicological effects of single oral dose of fumonisin B1 containing Fusarium verticillioides culture material in weaned piglets

Toxicokinetics and the toxicological effects of culture material containing fumonisin B1 (FB1) were studied in male weaned piglets by clinical, pathological, biochemical and sphingolipid analyses. The animals received a single oral dose of 5 mg FB1/kg of body weight, obtained from Fusarium verticillioides culture material. FB1 was detected by HPLC in plasma collected at 1-h intervals up to 6 h and at 12-h intervals up to 96 h. FB1 eliminated in feces and urine was quantified over a 96-h period and in liver samples collected 96 h post-intoxication. Blood samples were obtained at the beginning and end of the experiment to determine serum enzyme activity, total bilirubin, cholesterol, sphinganine (Sa), sphingosine (So) and the Sa/So ratio. FB1 was detected in plasma between 30 min and 36 h after administration. The highest concentration of FB1 was observed after 2 h, with a mean concentration of 282 μg/ml. Only 0.93% of the total FB1 was detected in urine between 75 min and 41 h after administration, the highest mean concentration (561 μg/ml) was observed during the interval after 8 at 24 h. Approximately 76.5% of FB1 was detected in feces eliminated between 8 and 84 h after administration, with the highest levels observed between 8 and 24 h. Considering the biochemical parameters, a significant increase only occurred in cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase activities. In plasma and urine, the highest Sa and Sa/So ratios were obtained at 12 and 48 h, respectively.