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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #94290
Title: PROFILES OF STEROID HORMONES IN BEEF FROM STEERS IMPLANTED WITH SYNOVEX-S (ESTRADIOL BENZOATE AND PROGESTERONE)

Author
item FRITSCHE, SONJA - VISITING SCI-GERMANY
item Rumsey, Theron
item MEYER, HEINRICH - GERMANY
item SCHMIDT, GABI - HAMBURG, GERMANY
item STEINHART, HANS - HAMBURG,GERMANY

Submitted to: Lebensmittel Untersuchung Und Forschung A
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This study compared the steroid hormone profiles in meat of estrogen- implanted steers with steers not implanted. Implantation of the natural steroid hormones estradiol and progesterone as the Synovex-S formulation used as per label did not affect concentrations of hormonally active steroids in edible tissues of steers. Thus, it can be assumed that no elevated hormone levels are ingested if meat from treated cattle is consumed. However, for final risk assessment it has to be verified that homones are not accumulated in edible tissues of treated cattle as any kind of bound residue or metabolite that is not accessible for routinely applied analytical methods. The present results also indicate that the administration of natural hormones may influence hormone metabolism. To be able to interpret and evaluate the influence of implantation on natural hormone profiles unequivocally, the influence of other sample characteristics which might affect hormone concentrations, such as fat content, have to be eliminated, however.

Technical Abstract: Profiles of steroid hormones (androgens, estrogens, progestogens and corticoids), their precursors and metabolites were analyzed in nine beef samples obtained from steers which had received the anabolic implant Synovex-S (200 mg progesterone + 20 mg estradiol benzoate) and in nine samples of control steers. Analysis of phenolic steroids was performed with enzyme immunoassay (EIA) after separation with HPLC. Neutral steroids were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Concentrations of the hormones progesterone and 17 B-estradiol, of their precursors and metabolites (pregnenolone, 17 a-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, epitestosterone, -androsterone, 1 tradiol, and estrone) and of the corticosteroids cortisone and hydrocortisone did not differ significantly between treatments (P > 0.05) but the ratio of 17 -estradiol to its metabolites and the cortisone/hydrocortisone ratio were significantly higher in beef from treated steers (P < 0.01). Concentrations of testosterone and 5 a-dihydrotestosterone were below the determination limit (10 and 20 ng/kg, respectively) in both treated and control steers.