Simultaneous detection of residues of 34 beta-lactam antibiotics in livestock and fish samples through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Food Sci Biotechnol. 2023 Aug 25;33(6):1467-1486. doi: 10.1007/s10068-023-01405-y. eCollection 2024 May.

Abstract

β-Lactam is one of the widely used veterinary drugs, but simultaneous analytical methods for β-lactam on various animal foods have not been established. In this study, we aimed to detect 34 β-lactam antibiotics simultaneously in livestock samples (beef, pork, chicken, egg, and milk) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Samples were extracted using phosphate buffer/acetonitrile or water/acetonitrile and then cleaned with 150 mg of C18 and 900 mg of MgSO4. The method showed acceptable recovery and repeatability of 66.1-119% and 1.5-26%, respectively. The method was employed to monitor 127 real samples from the domestic market to confirm its applicability, and no β-lactam residues were detected. It was also applied to other matrices (eel, flat fish, and shrimp) and showed acceptable recovery (62.1-120%) and repeatability (1.0-28%). The method is expected to improve the efficiency of monitoring veterinary drug residues in domestic livestock products and fishery foods.

Keywords: Cephalosporin; Foods; LC–MS/MS; Penicillin; Veterinary drug residues.