Endometrial cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed
cancers in women. The search for factors that contribute to the development of
cancer cells in reproductive organs should involve the detection of xenoestrogens, in particular
zearalenone (ZEA) and its metabolites. Xenoestrogens are
endocrine disruptors-ZEA and its metabolites are structurally similar to
estrogens (macrocyclic
lactone ring) and show high affinity for
estrogen receptors. This study proposes a new method for the preparation of samples of human tissues with
endometrial cancer by the use of the QuEChERS technique. Analytical parameters such as centrifugation temperature, extraction
solvent, and adsorbents were modified to obtain satisfactory recovery for ZEA (R = 82.6%, RSD = 2.9%) and one of its metabolites, α-
zearalenol (R = 50.1%, RSD = 3.2%). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) were used for the identification and quantitative determination of the analyzed compounds. The developed procedure was applied for analyses of human tissues with
endometrial cancer. The presence of α-
zearalenol was detected in 47 out of the 61 examined tissue samples. Graphical Abstract Methodology for isolation and identification of
zearalenone and its major metabolites.