Evaluation of Hydroxyapatite as Adsorbent in the Analysis of Trace Tetracyclines in Complex Matrices

Abstract

In this work, nanoporous hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) was synthesized and used as adsorbent for extraction of tetracyclines (TCs) in complex matrices. Owing to its permanent nanoscale porosity and surface functional groups on nano-HA, nano-HA has the potential to be a two-functional adsorbent to extract TCs as well as exclude macro-molecules such as protein in matrices. Therefore, we developed a facile method for the analysis of TCs in complex matrices by coupling nano-HA extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection. The new method gave wide linear correlations for TC concentration ranging from 0.96 to 4000 μg kg−1 with detection limits of 0.29–1.67 μg kg−1. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine TCs in pig tissue. This nano-HA extraction technique is rapid, simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly and has the potential to extract TCs from other bio-matrices.