Method validation for simultaneous determination of macrolides, quinolones, and sulfonamides antibiotics in Iranian yogurt samples by SPE clean-up and UHPLC-MS/MS

The transmission of antibiotic residues through the food chain to humans is one of the main concerns of human health due to the emergence of various adverse effects, such as antibiotic resistance. The primary source of antibiotic residues in foods driven from animals is the misuse of antimicrobial drugs in animals. This study aimed to use a selective multi-residues method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry on solid-phase extraction for simultaneous detection and analysis of 25 antibiotics from three different antibiotic groups of quinolones, sulfonamides, and macrolides as well as griseofulvin and trimethoprim in Iranian yogurt samples. The limit of quantification and limit of detection were obtained at 10.0 and 3.3 ng g-1, respectively. The average recovery was in the range of 96-116% for almost all analytes. The inter-day and intra-day precision showed relative standard deviation values lower than 20%. The validated method was applied to determine 25 target analytes of 34 pasteurized and traditional Iranian low-fat yogurt samples, and the results showed no antibiotic contamination.

Automated summary

This study aimed to detect antibiotic residues in Iranian yogurt samples using a selective multi-residues method. The results showed no antibiotic contamination in the samples.