Determination of Arsenicals in Chicken Skin
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Abstract
Roxarsone® (ROX, 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) has been used in the poultry industry to prevent coccidiosis, enhance feed efficiency, and to promote growth of the broiler chickens. However, the metabolism, distribution, and elimination of ROX from poultry are not well understood. The focus of this research is the determination of the total arsenic concentration and arsenic species present in chicken skin. Skin samples were collected from chickens in a 35-day feeding experiment. One portion of the skin samples was digested with acids, and the concentration of total arsenic was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). For the determination of the arsenic species, chicken skin samples were digested using enzymes, and the arsenic species were extracted. The arsenic species were determined by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation paired with ICPMS and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) detection methods. Arsenic concentrations in the skin of the ROX-fed chickens are significantly higher than those in the skin of the control chickens. In the ROX-fed chickens, ROX and its major arsenic metabolites are detectable. Temporal profiles of arsenic species, from all 35 days of the feeding experiment, indicate that ROX is partially metabolized in the chicken and that the metabolites are distributed to various other organs.