Determination of fluoroquinolones in chicken muscle by molecularly imprinted graphitic carbon nitride-based solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

A graphitic carbon nitride was synthesised and nalidixic acid (NA) based molecularly imprinted microspheres (MIMs) were polymerised on its surface to create a composite material. After characterisation and evaluation of its absorption ability, the composite was used to prepare a solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge for purification of fluoroquinolones in chicken muscle, analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The cartridge showed high absorption capacities (378–559 μg) and high recoveries (92.1–99.4%) for eight fluoroquinolones, and could be reused at least 20 times. The limits of detection for the 8 drugs were 0.2–0.8 ng g⁻¹, and recoveries from standard fortified blank chicken muscle samples were 71.9–96.8%. This is the first study reporting the use of molecularly imprinted graphitic carbon nitride composite to determine the residue of veterinary drug in foods of animal origin.

Keywords:

• Fluoroquinolones
• molecularly imprinted microspheres
• graphitic carbon nitride
• solid-phase extraction
• ultra-performance liquid chromatography
• chicken muscle

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072296) and Hebei Layer/Broiler Industry Technology System (HBCT2018150210).

Disclosure statement

All of the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [32072296] and Hebei Layer/Broiler Industry Technology System.