A multi-class, multi-analyte method for routine analysis of 84 veterinary drugs in chicken muscle using simple extraction and LC-MS/MS

Abstract

A multi-residue method for the simultaneous determination of 84 veterinary drug residues (benzimidazoles, quinolones, nitromidazoles, β-lactams, macrolides, triphenylmethane dyes, sulphonamides and tetracyclines) in chicken muscle tissue has been developed. Sample preparation is a simple one-step procedure based on liquid extraction with ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid-succinate buffer and acetonitrile, followed by phase separation and evaporation of the supernatant. The extract was diluted with 0.1% formic acid and analysed by using LC-MS/MS. The method has been validated in chicken muscle below the individual MRLs for each analyte. Recoveries of analysed drugs at fortified levels (2.5–80 ng g⁻¹) were between 60% and 100% for most compounds, corrected for signal suppression and enhancement. Acceptable results regarding linearity of the method, precisions and LOQs were achieved for 84 of 91 investigated substances. The trueness was in the range of ±10%. The LOD ranged from 0.7 to 20 ng g⁻¹, and the LOQ ranged from 2.0 to 48 ng g⁻¹ (signal/noise 10–30) for all analytes and was below the established MRL of each compound.

Keywords:

• confirmatory method
• multi-class
• veterinary drugs
• chicken muscle
• LC-MS/MS