Abstract
The introduction of antimicrobial residues in the food chain has a significant impact on human health. An innovative solution to avoid their presence in meat is the adaptation of current control methods for use with in vivo matrixes. Thus, the aim was to obtain paired blood and muscle samples from pigs treated with some of the main antimicrobials currently used in veterinary medicine (oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxypyridazine, enrofloxacin, amoxicillin), and to compare their rate of depletion in both matrixes. Antimicrobial concentrations in paired samples of blood and muscle were determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) or high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). A comparison between values obtained in muscle and blood showed a similar distribution in both matrixes for oxytetracycline; for sulfamethoxypyridazine, a similar decrease rate but a concentration three times higher in blood compared to muscle was found; for enrofloxacin, we found significant differences in the rate of depletion, with similar antimicrobial concentrations in both matrixes with values close to the maximum residue limit (MRL) and higher amounts in muscle for values that lay considerably over the MRL. Conversely, amoxicillin depletion was so rapid that its appearance in carcasses does not seem to pose a risk. Therefore, blood would be a feasible matrix for the development of new in vivo tests.
Highlights
The World Health Organization regards antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the major threats to health, in which humanity will have to face in the decades, as it involves a significant decrease in antimicrobial effectiveness
As a first step, we gathered a collection of paired muscle and blood samples from animals that had been injected in vivo by certain relevant antimicrobial compounds currently used in livestock
The antimicrobials chosen for this study were oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxypyridazine, enrofloxacin, and amoxicillin, as they are among the most commonly used antimicrobial substances in animal production in the EU; they follow substantially divergent metabolic pathways [17]
Summary
The World Health Organization regards antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the major threats to health, in which humanity will have to face in the decades, as it involves a significant decrease in antimicrobial effectiveness. If worst comes to worst, we could be heading toward a post-antibiotic era, in which common illnesses could lead to great economical and human losses. AMR is a problem of major concern in human medicine, its origin is not restricted to that area of activity. According to the second joint report on the consumption of antimicrobial agents in humans and food-producing animals, nearly 70% of all the antibiotic consumption in the EU in 2014 was in the area of animal production [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
