Comparison of ochratoxin A levels in edible pig tissues and in biological fluids after exposure to a contaminated diet

The aim of this study was to compare ochratoxin A (OTA) levels in pig tissues and biological fluids after animal exposure to contaminated diet (250 μg OTA/kg of feed) during 4 weeks of fattening. OTA concentrations were quantified using a validated immunoassay method (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD). The highest mean OTA concentration in pig tissues was determined in kidneys of exposed animals (13.87 ± 1.41 μg/kg), followed by lungs (10.47 ± 1.97 μg/kg), liver (7.28 ± 1.75 μg/kg), spleen (4.81 ± 0.99 μg/kg), muscle tissue (4.72 ± 0.86 μg/kg), fat tissue (4.11 ± 0.88 μg/kg), heart (3.71 ± 1.09 μg/kg), and brain (3.01 ± 0.25 μg/kg). Furthermore, on the last day of exposure (day 28), significantly higher mean OTA levels were determined in urine (16.06 ± 3.09 μg/L) in comparison to serum (4.77 ± 1.57 μg/L) showing that OTA urine analysis could be a good marker to identify elevated levels of this contaminant in porcine tissues used for human consumption. This study gave guidelines for the most efficient OTA control in pig-derived biological materials that can be exercised at slaughterhouses.