A toxicokinetic study of the Fusarium mycotoxins enniatin B1 (ENN B1) and enniatin B (ENN B) was performed in broiler chickens. Each animal received ENN B1 or B orally via an intracrop bolus and intravenously at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Both enniatins were poorly absorbed after oral administration, with absolute oral bioavailabilities of 0.05 and 0.11 for ENNs B1 and B, respectively. Both enniatins were readily distributed to the tissues, with mean volumes of distribution of 25.09 and 33.91 L/kg for ENNs B1 and B, respectively. The mean total body clearance was rather high, namely, 6.63 and 7.10 L/h/kg for ENNs B1 and B, respectively. Finally, an UHPLC-HRMS targeted approach was used to investigate the phase I and II biotransformations of both mycotoxins. Oxygenation was the major phase I biotransformation pathway for both ENNs B1 and B. Neither glucuronide nor sulfate phase II metabolites were detected.
Keywords: HRMS; biotransformation; broiler chickens; enniatin B; enniatin B1; mycotoxin; oral bioavailability; phase I and phase II metabolites; toxicokinetic analysis.