β-Zearalenol is a hepatic metabolite of zearalenone , a mycotoxin produced by fungi in food and animal feeds.1,2 It is a less potent agonist of estrogen receptors than the parent compound.3 However, β-zearalenol has pronounced effects on uterotropic activity and sperm acrosome reaction.4,5,6
1.Zinedine, A., Soriano, J.M., Moltó, J.C., et al.Review on the toxicity, occurrence, metabolism, detoxification, regulations and intake of zearalenone: An oestrogenic mycotoxinFood Chem. Toxicol.45(1)1-18(2007) 2.Ueno, Y., and Tashiro, F.α-Zearalenol, a major hepatic metabolite in rats of zearalenone, an estrogenic mycotoxin of Fusarium speciesJ. Biochem.89(2)563-571(1981) 3.Kiang, D.T., Kennedy, B.J., Pathre, S.V., et al.Binding characteristics of zearalenone analogs to estrogen receptorsCancer Res.38(11 Pt 1)3611-3615(1978) 4.Mirocha, C.J., Pathre, S.V., Behrens, J., et al.Uterotropic activity of cis and trans isomers of zearalenone and zearalenolAppl. Environ. Microbiol.35(5)986-987(1978) 5.Filannino, A., Stout, T.A.E., Gadella, B.M., et al.Dose-response effects of estrogenic mycotoxins (zearalenone, alpha- and beta-zearalenol) on motility, hyperactivation and the acrosome reaction of stallion spermReprod. Biol. Endocrinol.9134(2011) 6.Wang, H., Camargo Rodriguez, O., and Memili, E.Mycotoxin α-zearalenol impairs the quality of preimplantation porcine embryosJ. Reprod. Dev.58(3)338-343(2012)