Multi-residue and multi-class determination of antibiotics in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This paper describes a method for the determination of 41 antibiotics from seven different classes in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Sulfonamides, trimethoprim, tetracyclines, macrolides, quinolones, penicillins and chloramphenicol were simultaneously determined. Fourteen procedures for sample treatment were tested and an extraction with acetonitrile and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid was found to be the best option. The methodology was validated in accordance with Decision 2002/657/EC. Precision in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) was under 17% for all compounds, and the recoveries ranged from 92% to 111%. CC alpha and CC beta were determined according to the maximum residue limit or the minimum required performance limit, when necessary. The validation provided evidence that the method was suitable for application in routine analysis for the detection and confirmation of antibiotics in muscle of gilthead sea bream, an important and intensively produced fish in aquaculture.