Determination of ß-lactam antibiotics in animal derived foods by modified QuEChERS coupled with ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This study aimed to develop an effective method for simultaneously determining 52 kinds of ss-lactam antibiotics (ss-LAs) in meat and poultry, aquatic products, milk and eggs samples based on a modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation technique coupled with ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results show that the standard curves of the 52 different ss-LAs demonstrated excellent linearity in their respective concentration ranges, with correlation coefficients (r) > 0.999. The limit of detections (LODs) and limit of quantifications (LOQs) were 0.01-2.06 mu g/kg and 0.03-6.87 mu g/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of the ss-LAs at three different spike concentrations (10, 20, and 50 mu g/kg) range from 67.1% to 109.8%, with relative standard deviations of 0.5-9.9% (n = 7). The method was successfully applied to the determination of ss-LAs in real samples, which provided a powerful tool for monitoring ss-LAs residues in animal derived foods.

Automated summary

This study developed an effective method for the simultaneous determination of 52 types of β-lactam antibiotics (ss-LAs) in meat and poultry, aquatic products, milk, and eggs samples. The method involves a modified QuEChERS sample preparation technique combined with UPLC-MS/MS. The results demonstrate excellent linearity, low detection limits, and good recovery rates, making it a powerful tool for monitoring ss-LAs residues in animal derived foods.