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Occurrence and Profiles of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Bovine Feed and Urine from China, India, and the United States
journal contribution
posted on 2019-05-07, 00:00 authored by Hongkai Zhu, Bommanna G. Loganathan, Kurunthachalam KannanMelamine
and cyanuric acid have been reported to occur in animal products.
Nevertheless, information that pertains to the occurrence of melamine
and cyanuric acid in cattle feed and urine is lacking. In this study,
the occurrence of melamine and its three derivatives (i.e., cyanuric
acid, ammeline, and ammelide) was determined in 183 bovine urine and
29 matched feed samples collected from China, India, and the United
States. ∑Melamine (sum of four target compounds) was found
in all urine samples at concentrations that ranged from 4.2 to 5280
ng/mL (median: 370 ng/mL); cyanuric acid was the major derivative,
accounting for 97% of the total concentrations, followed by melamine
(2.2%). The ubiquitous occurrence of ∑Melamine in feed (21–6230
ng/g) suggests that it is the major source of melamine and its derivatives
in bovines. Urinary concentrations of melamine and cyanuric acid varied
significantly among the three countries, with samples from China as
having the highest concentrations, followed by the United States and
India. The calculated cumulative daily intakes of melamine and cyanuric
acid were at least 10-fold below the current tolerable daily intake
recommended for humans. Our study provides evidence-based data on
exposure patterns and sources of melamine and cyanuric acid in cattle.