Quantification and metabolic variations of mycotoxins in raw milk: Implications for dairy cow health and human safety

This study established a method using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem MS for the quantitative analysis of 9 harmful mycotoxins: zearalenone (ZEN), α-zearalanol, HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, ochratoxin A, fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin M1, and aflatoxin B1 in raw milk. The method exhibited good linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision, making it suitable for trace analysis of these toxins in raw milk. We applied this method to analyze 200 raw milk samples from Heilongjiang Province, China, and found that they contained multiple mycotoxins, with a relatively high concentration of ZEN. To further explore the metabolism of these mycotoxins in dairy cows, we conducted a metabolic study on 12 lactating dairy cows. The results showed significant metabolic changes among the 9 mycotoxins, with ZEN demonstrating notably higher metabolic conversion rates compared with other mycotoxins in the transitions from feed to serum, from feed to milk, and from feed to feces. These findings provide new insights into the safety of raw milk and emphasize the importance of strict monitoring and regulation of these toxins in dairy products to protect human health. Simultaneously, we believe that future research should delve deeper into the metabolism of mycotoxins in dairy cows, which is crucial for ensuring public health safety.