Development and validation of a multiclass method for the determination of veterinary drug residues in chicken by ultra high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

A multiclass method has been optimized and validated for the simultaneous determination of 20 veterinary drug residues belonging to several classes, as quinolones, sulfonamides, macrolides, anthelmintics, avermectins and diamino derivatives, and benzathine, used as a marker of the presence of penicillin, in muscle chicken. It has been based on QuEChERS methodology (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) and ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). Several chromatographic conditions were optimized, obtaining a running time <8.5min. The developed method was validated on the basis of international guidelines. Mean recoveries ranged from 70 to 120%, except for benzathine (65.6% at 20μgkg−1) and sulfadimidine (69.0% at 100μgkg−1). Repeatability was lower than 20.0% except for sulfachlorpyridazine (22.1% at 20μgkg−1) and tylosin (20.5% and 20.6% at 30 and 50μgkg−1, respectively), whereas reproducibility was lower than 25% except for flumequine (27.4% at 20μgkg−1) and benzathine (37.8% and 27% at 20 and 50μgkg−1, respectively). Limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) ranged from 3.0 to 6.0μgkg−1 and 10.0 to 20.0μgkg−1, respectively, except for tylosin that showed a LOD and LOQ of 9.0 and 30.0μgkg−1. Decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) were calculated and CCβ ranged from 24.1μgkg−1 (mebendazole) to 423.6μgkg−1 (flumequine). Finally, the method was applied to real samples and traces of some compounds were found in eight samples of chicken and benzathine was detected in one sample at 29.9μgkg−1.