Determination of Multi-Class Antibiotics Residues in Farmed Fish and Shrimp from Sri Lanka by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)

Antibiotics have been used to control the aquatic environment in both therapeutic and prophylactic ways. Antibiotics are particularly difficult to extract due to their strong interactions with biological matrices. In this study, UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantitative confirmatory analysis of multi-class antibiotics residues in fish and shrimp. Fourteen antibiotics belonging to sulphonamides, beta-lactams, quinolones, sulfones and macrolides were determined within one chromatographic run. The samples were suspended in 0.1 M HCl, and the analytes were extracted into ethyl acetate. The extracts were defatted with cyclohexane. The limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.24 to 1.32 mu g kg(-1) for fish and 0.42-1.62 mu g kg(-1) for shrimp samples. The recoveries ranged from 75 to 105%. The method was applied to the analysis of farmed freshwater Tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) and shrimp (Penaeus monodon) collected in Sri Lanka. Sulfacetamide (4.31 +/- 0.70 mu g kg(-1)) and sulfamethoxypyridazine (0.75 +/- 0.15 mu g kg(-1)) were detected in the fish, and sulfapyridine (0.21-0.56 mu g kg(-1)) and sulfadoxine (0.35-1.44 mu g kg(-1)) were detected in the shrimp samples. The concentrations complied with the EU regulation limits for veterinary drug residues in seafood and did not pose a risk in terms of food safety.

Automated summary

A UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the quantitative confirmatory analysis of multi-class antibiotics residues in fish and shrimp. The method successfully detected 14 antibiotics belonging to different classes. The concentrations of antibiotics found in the samples complied with the EU regulation limits for veterinary drug residues in seafood and did not pose a risk in terms of food safety.