Tissue deposition and passage into eggs of ochratoxin A in Japanese quail.

Laying Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were given single oral doses of 0, 1, 5, and 20 mg of ochratoxin A (OA) per kg of the body weight. After 6, 12, and 24 hours and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days an appropriate number of birds was sacrificed and OA in blood, muscles, liver, kidney, abdominal yolks, and collected eggs was measured. The highest concentration of OA was found in kidneys and the lowest in muscles. Four days following the application, OA could still be detected in kidney, liver, muscles, yolk, and eggs, although even after six days traces of OA were found in the muscles of birds given 20 mg/kg.