SUELA TEQJA1*, JANI MAVROMATI
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1 Laboratory of Toxicology and Veterynary Drug Residues, Department of Toxicology / Food Safety and Veterinary Institute, Tirana, Albania. * Suela Teqja ; E-mail: teqja.suela@yahoo.com Abstract Zeranol was a widely used in animals as growth promoters to increase body weight. Zeranol (α-zearalanol) is a non-steroidal oestrogenic growth promoter that increases live-weight gain in food animals following implantation. But, the use of zeranol for growth promotion in food animals has been banned in the European Union (EU). As no data exist on the occurrence of Zeranol in caprine urine, in Republic of Albania we have analyzed them by ELISA method. The samples were taken from different regions of Albania. All samples were collected using official sampling methods. The method is based on a competitive enzyme immunoassay ELISA for the quantitative analysis of Zeranol in urine. The urine samples were spiked at the level 0.5 ng/ml. The Screening Target Concentration (Cut-Off FM) value for Zeranol was determined 0.404 ng/ml. All the concentration found above this value were considered suspected and were analyzed with UPLC-MS/MS confirmatory method. The overall recovery was 95%. Fourty six (n=46) caprine urine samples were taken in the study during the period 2021 until now. Of which forty three (n= 43) were found to be compliant below the Cut-Off FM value. Three (n=3) samples were found to be suspect with the ELISA method above the Cut-Off FM value. After analyzing the suspect samples with the UPLC-MS/MS confirmatory method, caprine urine samples were compliant below decision limit for confirmation (CCα). It is concluded that ELISA method relatively economical and rapid for screening Zeranol residues in urine, so it could be used as an alternative for the UPLC-MS/MS method. To investigate the Zeranol screening of caprine urine samples. Keywords: Zeranol, Growth promotor, Caprine urine, ELISA. |