Validation of two UHPLC-MS/MS methods for fast and reliable determination of quinolone residues in honey

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic usage for beekeeping, including quinolones, can lead to residues in honey and these residues usually result from the drugs used in the treatment of American or European foulbrood diseases. Residues in honey may cause allergic reactions as well as increased antibiotic resistance. Within this study, rapid and breakthrough analysis methods were developed using UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS and sample preparation processes were minimised. Practical, low cost, time-effective analysis was provided utilising ‘dilute & shoot’ methodology and a QuEChERS-based procedure has been developed alternatively for improved sensitivity. Recovery values were 85%-112% for the ‘dilute & shoot’ method, and 82%-117% for the modified QuEChERS method. For accuracy studies, RSD% values were between 0.7% and 13.4% for both methods in intra-day and inter-day precision studies. CCα (1.1 μg/kg and 0.6 μg/kg) and CCβ (1.2 μg/kg and 0.6 μg/kg) mean values were calculated for the ‘dilute & shoot’ and QuEChERS method, respectively. These novel methods achieved simultaneous quantification of 21 quinolones in 7 min with high specificity and were used to analyse 50 honey samples. Quinolone residues were found in samples, and enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, pipemidic acid, lomefloxacin, cinoxacin, and ciprofloxacin were quantified.

KEYWORDS:

• Quinolones
• UHPLC-ESI -MS/MS
• honey
• QuEChERS
• dilute & shoot

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Marmara University BAPKO (Scientific Research Project Commission) for funding the Project titled “Development of UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS Analytical Method for Quinolone Antibiotics Analysis in Honey” under Grant no.: FEN-C-YLP-090217-0061. The authors would like to also express their gratitude to Altıparmak Food Co. (İstanbul, Turkey) for the donation of the honey samples and sharing their scientific experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by [Marmara University BAPKO (Scientific Research Project Commission)] under Grant number FEN-C-YLP-090217-0061.