Veterinary antibiotics in dairy products from Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Consumption of traces of veterinary drug residues through dairy products could have adverse effects on human health. There is, therefore, the need for routine monitoring of drug residues in dairy products on the market. In this study, fresh milk, cheese, and yogurt being sold at different points in the Kumasi metropolis were analyzed for residues of chloramphenicol, sulfathiazole, sulfamethoxazole, and oxytetracycline — four commonly used veterinary drugs in the country. The concentrations found were generally very low and close to the method detection limit of 0.1 μg/kg. Concentration of chloramphenicol in yogurt (0.8 μg/L) was the highest among all the residues studied. However, with the residue levels being hundred folds lower than the maximum residue limit, they are highly unlikely to pose any health risks to the consumers. Therefore, as far as chloramphenicol, sulfathiazole, sulfamethoxazole, and oxytetracycline in fresh milk, cheese, and yogurt are concerned, this study did not indicate any risk of consumption.

Keywords:

• veterinary drug residue
• chloramphenicol
• sulfathiazole
• sulfamethoxazole
• oxytetracycline

Public Interest Statement

Some of the medications administered on or fed to farm animals stay in their system and build up in their body parts such as milk and muscles. Humans beings who consume such meat and milk products that contain the drugs may gradually build them up in their own bodies and could be affected if the drug’s build-up is high enough. In this work, we investigated how much of some of the popularly used drugs administered on animals are found in milk, cheese, and yogurt sold in three major markets in Kumasi, Ghana. In general, the concentrations of the drugs found in those commodities were very low and would not affect the health of the consumers.

Authors’ contributions

Godfred Darko and Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye conceived the study and drafted the manuscript. All experiments were designed by Godfred Darko, Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye, Akwasi Acheampong, and Kwesi Oppong. Samples were collected by Godfred Darko and Kwesi Oppong. All the experiments were carried out by Kwesi Oppong under the guidance of Godfred Darko, Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye, and Akwasi Acheampong. All authors proof-read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Funding. The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Godfred Darko

Godfred Darko is a senior lecturer in Chemistry with research interests covering environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, nano-chemistry, and natural products. He currently runs the SHEATHE project (www.sheathe.org) which seeks to characterize xenobiotic substances and heavy metals on the local and national scales in Ghana.

Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye

Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye is a bioorganic chemist with interest on science at the interface of chemistry and biology. His research interest includes exploring biologically active natural products from marine organisms and from plant sources. Other research interests include the development of methods for the analysis of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the environment and the characterization of essential oils from plants.

Akwasi Acheampong

Akwasi Acheampong, a senior lecturer, is excited about developing cheap and robust HPLC analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of active principles.

Kwasi Oppong

Kwasi Oppong is a Master of Philosophy candidate.