Metabolic Pathways of T-2 Toxin in in Vivo and in Vitro Systems of Wistar Rats

In the present study, metabolites of T-2 toxin in in vivo and in vitro systems of Wistar rats were identified and elucidated by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). Expected and unexpected metabolites were detected by Metabolynx(XS) software, which could automatically compare MS(E) data from the sample and control. A total of 19 metabolites of T-2 toxin were identified in this research, 9 of them being novel, which were 15-deacetyl-T-2, 3'-OH-15-deacetyl-T-2, 3',7-dihydroxy-T-2, isomer of 3',7-dihydroxy-T-2, 7-OH-HT-2, isomer of 7-OH-HT-2, de-epoxy-3',7-dihydroxy-HT-2, 9-OH-T-2, and 3',9-dihydroxy-T-2. The results showed that the main metabolic pathways of T-2 toxin were hydrolysis, hydroxylation, and de-epoxidation. In addition, the results also revealed one novel metabolic pathway of T-2 toxin, hydroxylation at C-9 position, which was demonstrated by the metabolites 9-OH-T-2 and 3',9-dihydroxy-T-2. In addition, hydroxylation at C-9 of T-2 toxin was also generated in in vitro of liver systems. Interestingly, several metabolites of hydroxylation at C-7 of T-2 toxin were also detected in in vivo male Wistar rats, but they were not found in in vivo female rats and in in vitro systems of Wistar rats.