Fast simultaneous determination of 23 veterinary drug residues in fish, poultry, and red meat by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The misuses of veterinary drugs can result in the accumulation of residues in food of animal origin that can make its way to the final consumer. Herein we describe a simple method for the accurate determination of beta-lactams, quinolones, sulphonamides, and tetracyclines in fish, poultry, and red meat. No extraction cartridges were used; instead, the extraction process consisted of the addition of an organic solvents, shaking, centrifugation, and dilution. An extensive validation process demonstrated an excellent linearity (R-2 = 0.99) for 23-drug residues. The recovery of drugs in different matrices at two concentration levels (n = 6) was in the range of 82-119%. The method was proved to be repeatable and reproducible with intra/inter-day measurements (RSDs lower than 20%). The quantification limits of drug residues were in the range of 0.8 to 45.3 ug/kg, which is well below the maximum residue limits set by most regulatory authorities. This method was successfully applied to the routine analysis of 20 fish, poultry, and red meat samples (n = 60). (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

Automated summary

In this study, a simple method for the accurate determination of several veterinary drug residues in fish, poultry, and red meat was described. The method involved a straightforward extraction process without using extraction cartridges. Extensive validation demonstrated the method's excellent linearity, recovery, and repeatability. The quantification limits of drug residues were well below the maximum residue limits set by regulatory authorities. The method was successfully applied to the routine analysis of actual samples.