Development of a Quantitative Multi-Class Method for 18 Antibiotics in Chicken, Pig, and Fish Muscle using UPLC-MS/MS

Abstract

A rapid multi-residue/multi-class procedure utilizing ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) detection has been developed and validated to monitor 18 veterinary drugs, including macrolides (clarithromycin, erythromycin, josamycin, kitasamycin, natamycin, neospiramycin, oleandomycin, spiramycin, tilmicosin, tylosin, and virginiamycin M1), β-lactams (ampicillin, cefoperazone, cloxacillin, and mecillinam), lincosamides (clindamycin and lincomycin), and one quinolone (orbifloxacin), in pig, chicken, and fish muscle. Two grams of homogenized muscle sample were fortified with the 18 drugs. The drugs were extracted using two extraction solutions and then were cleaned up with n-hexane and SPE. Data acquisition with MS/MS was achieved using the multiple reaction monitoring modes to acquire the data. The method was validated at four concentration levels within the designated linear ranges for each drug, with most recoveries greater than 75 % and most coefficients of variation (CV) values less than 15 %.