Detection of Trenbolone Acetate in Beef Muscle and Liver Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method

Abstract

The use of trenbolone acetate (TBA) as growth promotor was legal in some regions, and it has to be considered since there are no rules yet in Indonesia committed to TBA application in beef. As a step for preconditioning the policy of TBA used as growth promotor in beef, the validated method of hormone detection is needed to be established. This research was aimed to validate the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for TBA detection as a tool to control the hormone residue in meat. The imported beef muscles and liver were obtained from a supermarket in Yogyakarta. All samples (n = 10) were kept in the freezer (−18 °C) before analysis. The HPLC method is developed from sample extraction, cleanup with solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, and the hormone concentration analysis using standard curve of TBA. The method has validated and gave the values of LOD (limit of detection): 1 × 10−5 μg · L−1 (muscle) and 1 × 10−4 μg · L−1 (liver). The LOQ (limit of quantification): 1 × 10−4 μg · L−1 (muscle) and 1 × 10−3 μg · L−1 (liver) and R2 = 0.99 (muscle and liver). The analysis results were three positive TBA in muscles (0.730 μg · L−1, 0.074 μg · L−1 and 0.116 μg · L−1) and two positive in livers (0.080 μg · L−1 and 0.130 μg · L−1). All TBA levels in tissues were not exceeding the maximum residue limits of TBA according to the Codex Alimentarius Commissions. This HPLC analysis procedure could be done as a detection method for TBA in beef tissues.