Abstract: Many countries have paid great attentions to nitrofuran antibiotics due to their intense toxicity and carcinogenic effect. Nitrofuran has poor stability inside the animals. Its metabolites can bind the protein to form steady compound. So the determination results of nitrofuran metabolites are very essential. This paper introduced furazolidone, nitrofurazone, furantoin and furaltadone as the basic constituents of nitrofuran. The paper laid emphasis on the kinds, the toxicity and the harms of nitrofuran metabolites, AOZ(3-amino-2-oxazolidinone), AMOZ(3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone), SEM(semicarbazide) or AHD(1-Aminohydantoin hydrochloride). At present the common determination methods are HPLC-UV(high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet), LC-MS(high performance liquid chromatographer/mass spect rum), LC-MS/MS and ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay). Different elements, applying range, peculiarities of various methods had been compared and ELISA was emphasized particularly on. The paper also made individual suggestions to the deficiency concerned with the determination standards of nitrofuran metabolites in China nowadays.

Key words: animal food, nitrofurans and their metabolites, determination