Nitrofuran (NF) is a class of broad-spectrum veterinary drugs for the treatment of microbial infections. They are highly effective in suppressing and killing most kinds of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which let them to be used extensively in aquaculture and livestock farming as growth promoters until they are observed to be carcinogenic and mutagenic to humans. Currently, the use of NF in food-producing animals has been banned in many countries, including China, U.S.A., and many European countries. However, illegal use of NF exists and the toxicological mechanism of NF is poorly understood. I investigated in this thesis for the first time the genotoxic effect of NF by rigorously quantifying the DNA adducts formed by reacting the hydrazine-containing metabolites of NF with aba...[ Read more ]

Nitrofuran (NF) is a class of broad-spectrum veterinary drugs for the treatment of microbial infections. They are highly effective in suppressing and killing most kinds of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which let them to be used extensively in aquaculture and livestock farming as growth promoters until they are observed to be carcinogenic and mutagenic to humans. Currently, the use of NF in food-producing animals has been banned in many countries, including China, U.S.A., and many European countries. However, illegal use of NF exists and the toxicological mechanism of NF is poorly understood. I investigated in this thesis for the first time the genotoxic effect of NF by rigorously quantifying the DNA adducts formed by reacting the hydrazine-containing metabolites of NF with abasic sites in DNA of bacteria and in internal organs of NF-treated rats. Furthermore, I developed a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography−fluorescence detection (HPLC−FLD) with automated in-injector derivatization method for the determination of NF in food samples. Using my developed HPLC−FLD and high-performance liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry detection method, I further investigated the uptake and metabolism of NF in crops, which is one of the pathways that the genotoxic NFs enter human body after they are discharged into environment. It is my belief that the results in my thesis work have allow better understanding of the genotoxicity of NF and that my developed HPLC−FLD should facilitate regulation and surveillance on illegal use of NF in the food industry.