Analysis of tetracyclines in honey by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method coupling liquid chromatography to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is described for the determination of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline and chlortetracycline in honey. Demeclocycline, another tetracycline molecule not reported for its usage in honey, was used as internal standard to quantify the four analytes. The sample preparation entails a clean-up on an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge and analyses were realised by LC/MS/MS in selected reaction monitoring mode. The stability of tetracyclines was checked under various storage conditions at -20, +4 and +20 degrees C (both under dark and light exposures). Indeed, tetracyclines are not stable molecules and the epimerisation phenomenon was evaluated in this work. Appropriate correction factors of the MS/MS responses of each epimer were studied for each of the four tetracyclines to accurately quantify them. Moreover, the matrix effects encountered during the LC/MS/MS analyses were also studied in spiked experiments from blank honey samples of various geographical origins and different flower types.

One-step liquid chromatographic method for the determination of oxytetracycline in fish muscle

A one-step simple and rapid high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of oxytetracycline (OTC) in fish tissue. The method involves liquid extraction of muscle tissue, precipitation of proteins and reversed phase HPLC analysis with spectrophotometric detection. The limit of quantitation of OTC in spiked fish muscle was 0.04 microg/g and the method showed high linearity (r(2) = >0.999) in the working range of 0.04-2 microg/g. The precision (%R.S.D.) was between 1.9 and 7.5% for the concentration range 0.04-1.0 microg/g and there was no significant difference between the concentrations determined on three different test days for all four spiked concentrations. The percentage recovery over the spiked concentration range 0.04-1.0 microg/g was consistently within a narrow range of 33-35%. While the method had the advantage of high precision, sensitivity and linearity, the method's additional salient advantages included high sample through-put (60 individual preparations per day) and minimum amount of consumables, time and labour required to perform the analysis. The method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study.

Investigating the molecular interactions of oxytetracycline in clay and organic matter: insights on factors affecting its mobility in soil

The interactions of oxytetracycline with model clay adsorbents were investigated as a function of suspension pH. The clay adsorbents used were native montmorillonite (SWy-2), Na-montmorillonite (Na-SWy-2), and hexadecyl trimethylammonium-montmorillonite (HDTMA-montmorillonite). The adsorption of oxytetracycline to the clay could be described by Freundlich-type adsorption isotherms. It was observed that the adsorption of oxytetracycline in the native and sodium forms of montmorillonite decreases with increasing pH in the order pH 1.5 > 5.0 > 8.7 > 11.0. This trend is consistent with cationic exchange interactions that are dominant at lower pH values when oxytetracycline has a net positive charge. On the other hand, hydrophobic interactions when oxytetracycline is zwitterionic (at pH 5.0) are predominant over other mechanisms, as evident from the FT-IR spectrum of the HDTMA-montmorillonite and humic acid-montmorillonite adsorbed with oxytetracycline. The presence of a large amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was also found to decrease the sorption of oxytetracycline to clay, suggesting that DOM may increase its mobility in the natural environment. Several mechanisms of interaction of oxytetracycline in clay are proposed based on the adsorption isotherms and the results from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) analyses.

Fate of veterinary antibiotics in a macroporous tile drained clay soil

The environment may be exposed to veterinary medicines administered to livestock through the application of organic fertilizers to land. For other groups of substances that are applied to agricultural land (e.g., pesticides), preferential flow in underdrained clay soils has been identified as an extremely important mechanism by which pollution of surface waters can occur. This study, therefore, was performed to investigate the fate of three antibiotics from the sulfonamide, tetracycline, and macrolide groups. Pig slurry was applied to a field in arable production in two consecutive years and the fate of the compounds was monitored in the soil and drainage water. Both sulfachloropyridazine and oxytetracycline were detected in soil at concentrations up to 365 and 1691 microg/kg, respectively. Subsequently, peak concentrations of the two substances in drainflow were 613.2 and 36.1 microg/L, although mass losses to the receiving water were less than 0.5%. In contrast, tylosin was not detected at all. These findings could be explained by the persistence and sorption characteristics of the antibiotics, while preferential flow via desiccation cracks and worm channels to the tile drains was found to be the most important route for translocation of the chemicals. Thus, when the soil was disced prior to slurry application, losses were reduced significantly. It is evident that processes governing pesticide fate also apply to veterinary antibiotics.

Sample preparation followed by HPLC under harmless 100% aqueous conditions for determination of oxytetracycline in milk and eggs

A simple and hazardous chemical-free method for the high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in milk and eggs has been developed. Sample preparation consists in homogenization with an aqueous solution by means of a handheld ultrasonic homogenizer followed by centrifugal ultrafiltration. HPLC is performed with an isocratic aqueous mobile phase and a photodiode array detector. Average recoveries of OTC (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 microg mL(-1) for milk; 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 microg mL(-1) for eggs) were > or =84% with relative standard deviations of < or =2.3%. The total time required for the analysis of one sample and LOQs were <30 min and <0.1 microg mL(-1), respectively. In all the processes, no organic solvents or hazardous reagents were used.

Rapid fluorescence screening assay for tetracyclines in chicken muscle

A simple, rapid fluorescence assay was developed for screening tetracyclines in chicken muscle at the U.S. tolerance level (2 mg/kg). The method requires only a homogenization of the tissue in acetonitrile-ammonium hydroxide, centrifugation, addition of Mg+2, and another centrifugation before fluorescence of the supernatant is measured at 505 nm (excitation at 385 nm). Comparison of the fluorescence of control chicken muscle extracts with extracts from muscle fortified with either 2 mg/kg tetracycline, oxytetracycline, or chlortetracycline showed no overlap. A threshold level set at the average fluorescence for a series of fortified 2 mg/kg samples minus 3sigma minimized false-negative responses to provide a successful screening method. The method was tested with blinded samples as controls or samples fortified with tetracycline, oxytetracycline, or chlortetracycline in order to demonstrate its utility. This approach can provide an alternative to microbial screening assays.

The bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. bioaccumulates oxytetracycline, flumequine and oxolinic acid in the freshwater environment

In recent years, the fate of pharmacological substances in the aquatic environment have been more and more studied. Oxolinic acid (OA), flumequine (FLU) and oxytetracycline (OTC) are commonly used antibacterial agents. A large amount of these drugs is released into water directly by dissolved fraction and indirectly in urine and feces. Monitoring these compounds in the freshwater environment is difficult because of the lack of suitable indicators. The aim of this work was to evaluate the OA, FLU and OTC bioaccumulation abilities of Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw., known for heavy metal bioaccumulation. The experiment described was decomposed for two times: a 10-days accumulation period during which bryophytes were in contact with antibiotics and a 15-days post-exposure period during which bryophytes were in water with no antibiotic. This experiment showed that this bryophyte strongly accumulates OA, FLU and OTC in freshwater. Bioaccumulation factors (ratio of concentrations in bryophyte and water) ranged between 75 and 450. Moreover, OA, FLU and OTC persisted in the bryophyte for a long time with clearance between 0.19 and 3.04 ng/g/day. Mean residence times ranged between 18 and 59 days. Accumulation and decontamination mechanism models were proposed.

Construction and characterization of potentiometric sensor for the determination of oxytetracycline hydrochloride

The construction and performance of plastic membrane (PME) oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC)-selective electrodes, based on three types of ion-pairs, OTC-tetraphenylborate (TPB), OTC-phosphotungstate (PT) and OTC-silicotungstate (SiT), as the electroactive substance in a plasticized PVC membrane with dibutylphthalate (DBP), were described. Furthermore, internal solid contact sensors (ISCS) OTC-selective sensors, based on a conducting polypyrrole (PPy) film immobilized on a platinum or glassy carbon electrode surface casted by a plasticized PVC membrane were constructed and evaluated. A novel optimization methodology in a numerical expression, comprehensive quality index (CQI) for a sensor, was used to optimize the composition of the membrane in the preparation of PME and screen the parameter of electropolymerization in the preparation of ISCS. Several PMEs and ISCSs were fully characterized and evaluated. An ISCS (Pt/PPy/PVC (OTC-TPB)) showed an excellent Nernstian response over the linear concentration range of 4.0 x 10(-7)-5.0 x 10(-2) M with the slope of 60.6 mV per decade (at 25 degrees C). The limit of detection was 1.0 x 10(-7) M of OTC (0.03 ppm). The response time was <25 s. The sensor was successfully used for the analysis of OTC in pharmaceutical formulation by using direct potentiometry.

Experimental study on the bioaccumulation of oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid by the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). An evaluation of its ability to bio-monitor antibiotics in the marine environment

The ability of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) to act as a potential antibiotic bioindicator in marine waters was experimentally tested by the study of the kinetics of two veterinary antibiotics (oxolinic acid: OA and oxytetracycline: OTC). Antibiotic uptake was fast in the soft parts of the mussels. OA was quickly eliminated while OTC was released more slowly (half-life in viscera=3.9 days). OA and OTC were preferentially accumulated in gills and in viscera, respectively. Bio-accumulation factors were low (maximum: 2 for OTC in viscera) in accordance with the low K(ow)s. It was assumed that the higher OTC bioaccumulation pattern was related to its binding to mineral and organic compounds that led to its activity inhibition (62%). The antibiotics were persistent in shells (OTC half-life=8.3 days). Most veterinary and human antibiotics such as tetracyclines and sulphonamides have low log K(ow)(<2) and should weakly accumulate in mussel. This might limit the use of blue mussel to bio-monitor antibiotics in the marine environment.

Preliminary investigation on the environmental occurrence and effects of antibiotics used in aquaculture in Italy

A preliminary investigation has been carried out on the occurrence and effects of antibiotics used in Italian aquaculture with the objective of identifying priorities for monitoring programmes. According to the information available on the most pertinent and diffuse fish diseases and their related therapies, the presence of flumequine and oxytetracycline in sediments sampled from two trout farms and three sea-bass farms and in their surrounding environments was selected for an analytical investigation. The concentrations of oxytetracycline and flumequine varied up to a maximum of 246.3 and 578.8 microg/kg d.w., respectively. Flumequine was seen to have the highest toxicity in a bioluminescence assay with EC50 values varying within the range of 12-15 mg/l, while the EC50 values for oxytetracycline were within the range of 121-139 mg/l. The results of the present study indicate flumequine and oxytetracycline as priority chemicals to be monitored for possible environmental side effects of aquaculture in Italy. Apart from peak concentrations the chronic presence of flumequine and oxytetracycline in sediments both inside and outside farms should also be considered. In spite of the potential risks related to the use of antibiotics, the concentrations found in the sediments of the studied fish farms are significantly lower than those found in other areas.

Quantitative analysis of oxytetracycline and its impurities by LC-MS-MS

A liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method using an Xterra MS C(18) chromatographic column ( 100 mm x 2.1 mm i.d., 3.5microm) that allows complete separation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and the impurities: 4-epi-oxytetracycline (EOTC), tetracycline (TC), 4-epi-tetracycline (ETC), 2-acetyl-2-decarboxamido-oxytetracycline (ADOTC), alpha-apo-oxytetracycline (alpha-AOTC) and beta-apo-oxytetracycline (beta-AOTC) was developed. Gradient elution was used and calibration curves were obtained using the scan mode selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Acceptable correlations were obtained for OTC, TC, EOTC and ADOTC whereas the correlations of alpha-AOTC and beta-AOTC were less accurate resulting in higher limits of quantification (LOQ) and limits of detection (LOD) relative to the other compounds. The intraday and interday accuracy varied for all the compounds from 90 to 112% and the intraday and interday precision were lower than 7.1%. The method was applied for analysis of commercial available ointments containing OTC resulting in an acceptable quantification of OTC and the impurities in the drug preparations. The advantage of this method compared to the other separation methods is an empty separation window right after the large peak corresponding to OTC in the chromatogram, which facilitates an accurate determination of ADOTC and the other impurities.

Electrochemical determination of oxytetracycline in veterinary drugs

Conductometric, potentiometric and cyclic voltammetric (CV) titration methods are proposed for determination of oxytetracycline (OTC), commonly used in veterinary. The electrochemical titration of OTC hydrochloride with NH(4)Mo(7)O(24), NaVO(3), NaOH, AgNO(3) and FeCl(3) as titrants are reported. The proposed methods were found to be highly precise, having a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) below 1.0%. Proposed electrochemical titrations were successfully applied to the assay of commercial preparations: Tetrox, Tetramutin OT and Neox, containing the above-mentioned antibiotics. The validity of the methods was tested by the recovery studies of standard addition to pharmaceuticals and results were found to be satisfactory.

Assay and purity control of tetracycline, chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline in animal feeds and premixes by TLC densitometry with fluorescence detection

Methods using TLC densitometry with fluorescence detection are described for the assay and purity control of tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), and oxytetracycline (OTC) in animal feeds and premixes. With a silica gel layer previously sprayed with 10% (m/v) sodium EDTA solution adjusted to pH 8.0 or 9.0, all the major impurities were separated from the main components and from each other. The mobile phase consisted of dichloromethane, methanol, and water. After development, the plate was dipped in a 30% (v/v) solution of liquid paraffin in hexane. Quantitation was realized by fluorescence densitometry at 400 nm. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for tetracycline impurities is 0.8 microg/g, corresponding to 0.2% of the label claimed tetracycline (400 microg/g). The LOQ for impurities of tetracycline and chlortetracycline in premixes is 0.2% of the label-claimed TC (40 mg/g) and CTC (200 or 400 mg/g). The LOQ for impurities of oxytetracycline in a premix is 0.1% of the label claimed OTC (100 mg/g).

Determination of tetracycline antibiotics in salmon muscle by liquid chromatography using post-column derivatization with fluorescence detection

A simple and accurate cleanup procedure using polymeric sorbent was developed for the determination of oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC) residues in salmon muscle. It was applied to the analysis of 20 salmon samples during a month period. The OTC and TC residues were extracted with ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA)-McIlvaine buffer acidified at pH 4.0 and cleaned up by solid-phase extraction with a polymeric sorbent. The advantages of the polymeric sorbent over the silica-based sorbent in the cleanup of salmon muscle samples are described. A liquid chromatographic method with post-column derivatization and fluorescence detection is proposed because of its sensitivity and specificity. The average recoveries of OTC and TC from muscle salmon tissue fortified at 50, 100, and 200 microg/kg levels, ranged from 83.9 to 93.4% with a coefficient of variation between 4.09 and 5.80%. The limit of quantitation for OTC and TC in salmon muscle was 50 microg/kg.

Quantitative analysis of oxytetracycline and its 4-epimer in calf tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with positive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Tetracycline antibiotics are commonly used in veterinary medicine because of their broad spectrum activity and cost effectiveness. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is one of the most important members of this antibiotic family. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a method to determine OTC residues in edible tissues of calf. Extraction of OTC and its 4-epimer (4-epiOTC), in the presence of the internal standard demethylchlortetracycline (DMCTC), was performed using a liquid extraction with sodium succinate solution (pH 4.0), followed by protein removal with trichloroacetic acid and paper filtration. Further solid-phase extraction clean-up on an HLB polymeric reversed phase column was performed to obtain an extract suitable for LC-MS-MS analysis. Chromatographic separation of the internal standard, and especially OTC and its 4-epimer, was achieved on a PLRP-S polymeric reversed phase column, using a mixture of 0.001 M of oxalic acid, 0.5% (v/v) of formic acid and 3% (v/v) of tetrahydrofuran in water (mobile phase A) and tetrahydrofuran (mobile phase B) as the mobile phase, and at a column temperature of 60 degrees C. OTC and its 4-epimer could be identified using the MS-MS detection technique, and were subsequently quantified. The method has been validated according to the requirements of the EC at the MRL (maximum residue limit, 100 ng g(-1) for muscle, 300 ng g(-1) for liver and600 ng g(-1) for kidney), half the MRL and double the MRL levels, as well for OTC as for 4-epiOTC. Calibration graphs were prepared for all tissues and good linearity was achieved over the concentration ranges tested (r > 0.99 and goodness of fit < 10%). Limits of quantification of half the MRLs were obtained for the analysis of OTC and 4-epiOTC in muscle, liver and kidney tissues of calf. Limits of detection ranged for both components between 0.8 and 48.2 ng g(-1). The within-day and between-day precisions, expressed as RSD values, were all below the maximum allowed RSD values calculated according to the Horwitz equation. The results for accuracy fell within the -20% to +10% range. Recoveries were between 47 and 56% for OTC, and between 52 and 62% for 4-epiOTC, depending on the tissue. The method has been successfully used for the quantitative determination of OTC and 4-epiOTC in tissue samples of calves medicated with OTC by intramuscular injection.

Use of oxytetracycline and tylosin in intensive calf farming: evaluation of transfer to manure and soil

Antibiotics may enter soils with manure from treated animals. Because of their biological effects, antibiotics are regarded as potential micropollutants. The levels of oxytetracycline and tylosin over time were followed in faeces, bedding and manure, and then in the soil of a manured field and surrounding drainage courses, after oral treatment of calves. Fifty Simmental calves were treated for 5 days with 60 mg/kg/day of oxytetracycline. After 15 days the animals were treated for 5 days with 20 mg/kg/day of tylosin. Tylosin degraded rapidly, and was no longer detected in manure 45 days after cessation of treatment and no trace of the compound was detected in soil or surrounding water (detection limits 10 microg/l). The half-life of oxytetracycline in manure was 30 days and the compound was still detectable in this matrix (820 microg/kg) after 5 months maturation. In the manured soil oxytetracycline was detected at concentrations at least 10 times lower than the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products threshold (100 microg/kg) requiring phase II environmental risk assessment. Oxytetracycline was not detected in the water courses (detection limit 1 microg/l). These results demonstrate that the processes occurring between faeces production and application of manure to the soil are very effective in reducing the load of TYL and OTC in the environment. For both drugs a toxicity test was performed using the alga Selenastrum capricornutum. The EC50 was 4.18 mg/l for oxytetracycline and 0.95 mg/l for tylosin. A worst-case hazard assessment for the aquatic environment was performed comparing the ratio between the measured concentrations (LOD) and effect data from previous work (OTC) or from this work (TYL). This showed ratio between toxicity levels (bacteria) (EC50=0.14 mg/l) and measured concentrations (LOD=1 microg/l) for OTC to be 140. The corresponding value for TYL (LOD=10 microg/l) was 95.

Validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline in bovine milk and muscle

High-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) was optimised and validated for the determination of tetracyclines in bovine milk and tissues. Milk and tissue samples were extracted and purified using a solid-phase extraction HLB Oasis cartridge and analysed using HPLC-DAD set at 365 nm. The analyses were carried out using the mobile phase of 0.01 M oxalic acid-acetonitrile-methanol (60:25:15, v/v/v) on a C8 column (250 x 4.6 mm I.D., 5 microm). Recoveries of tetracyclines from spiked samples at the three concentrations (0.5, 1 and 1.5) of the maximum residues limits (corresponding to 100 microg/kg for milk and the muscle) were higher than 81.1% in milk and 83.2% in muscle. The method was successfully validated for bovine milk and muscle in compliance with requirements set by draft SANCO/ 1805/ 2000 European Decision. The decision limit (CCalpha) was in the range 113.2-127.2 microg/kg and 107.7-129.9 micro/kg for all compounds in milk and muscle, respectively. The detection capability (CCbeta) was in the range 117.2-131.3 microg/kg and 114.9-133.1 microg/kg for all compounds in milk and muscle, respectively.

Residue persistence in sheep milk following antibiotic therapy

Drug residues in milk supplies may have public health implications and can interfere in the manufacture of dairy products, such as cheese. In Spain, most ewe milk production is destined for cheese making, often using raw milk. This study analyses the main factors influencing antibiotic depletion time in lactating dairy sheep. 42, Manchega ewes were distributed into three groups, each receiving a different treatment (cephalexin intramammary infusion, penicillin G intramuscular, and oxytetracycline intravenous injections). During and after the recommended withdrawal period, milk samples were taken at each milking. A microbiological inhibition test (Brilliant Black Reduction, BRT) was used to screen all samples and antibiotic withholding times were established using a logistic regression model. The response to the BRT method in milk from individual ewes treated showed that the effect of the milking order was significant (P<0.001) with the three antibiotics. However the only influence on milk yield was with the intramammary treatment (P<0.005). The BRT method was found to be very sensitive, particularly to the two beta-lactamic antibiotics.

Detection of traces of tetracyclines from fish with a bioluminescent sensor strain incorporating bacterial luciferase reporter genes

Bioluminescent Escherichia coli K-12 strain for the specific detection of the tetracycline family of antimicrobial agents was optimized to work with fish samples. The biosensing strain contains a plasmid incorporating the bacterial luciferase operon of Photorhabdus luminescens under the control of the tetracycline responsive element from transposon Tn10 (Korpela et al. Anal. Chem. 1998, 70, 4457-4462). The extraction procedure of oxytetracycline from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) tissue was optimized. There was neither need for centrifugation of homogenized tissue nor use of organic solvents. The lowest levels of detection of tetracycline and oxytetracycline from spiked fish tissue were 20 and 50 microg/kg, respectively, in a 2-h assay. The optimized assay protocol was tested with fish that were given a single oral dose of high and low concentrations of oxytetracycline. The assay was able to detect oxytetracycline residues below the European Union maximum residue limits, and the results correlated well with those obtained by conventional HPLC (R = 0.81).

Determination of the distribution coefficient (log Kd) of oxytetracycline, tylosin A, olaquindox and metronidazole in manure

Olaquindox (log Kow = -2.3) and metronidazole (log Kow = -0.1) both have low tendencies to sorp to particles in manure. This corresponds with the negative log Kow values of these antibiotics. Tylosin (log Kow = 1.63) and oxytetracycline (log Kow = -1.12) sorp relatively strongly to the manure particles and have log Kd values between 1.5 and 2.0. The tendency to bind to manure was ranked after increasing binding as follows: metronidazole < olaquindox << tylosin A and oxytetracycline. This order of ranking is consistent with results of sorption in soil. Our experiments illustrate that for some antibacterial agents estimation of the partitioning coefficients, Kd, cannot be made from Kow and f(oc) alone. Sorption of oxytetracycline to manure is much higher than expected from the negative log Kow value of the compound. It is believed that sorption of oxytetracycline to manure is influenced by ionic binding to divalent metal ions as such Mg2+ and Ca2+ as well as other charged compounds in the matrix. Binding of oxytetracycline to soil is stronger than the binding to manure. This is most likely due to the strong mineral related metal complexes formed between soil, metal ion and oxytetracycline. These complexes are not known to exist in manure. The relatively strong sorption of tylosin A to manure corresponds with data found for soil sorption of tylosin. Tylosin has a log Kow value of 2.5, thus it is not surprising that this drug binds strongly to manure.

[Oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid residues in kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus) and the effect of cooking procedures on the residues]

Tissue distribution and residue depletion of oxytetracycline (OTC) and oxolinic acid (OA) were studied in the kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus). The prawn were kept in tanks with recirculated artificial seawater at a salinity of 22-23@1000. The water temperature was maintained at 25 degrees C. The average body weight was 22.9 +/- 4.9 g for OTC and 22.5 +/- 3.6 g for OA. The drug was mixed with the diet and orally administered through a catheter to the prawn. The doses of OTC and OA, respectively, were 50 mg/kg body weight. At each sample time, four prawns were sacrificed and tissues were sampled. OTC and OA levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. At the highest levels, the concentrations of OTC were in the other: shell (13.57 micrograms/g) > hemolymph (12.20 micrograms/mL) > muscle (8.30 micrograms/g). For OA, the order was: shell (20.74 micrograms/g) > hemolymph (7.06 micrograms/mL) > muscle (2.05 micrograms/g). The elimination half-lives of hemolymph and muscle were 44.7 and 46.8 hours for OTC and 55.0 and 107.9 hours for OA, respectively. Residual OTC could not be detected in hemolymph and muscle at 20 days after dosing. Residual OA disappeared from hemolymph and muscle at 25 days after dosing. A 25-day period for OTC and 30-day period for OA could be regarded as the proper withdrawal time established for kuruma prawn by the Pharmaceutical Law in Japan. However, the elimination half-lives of shell for OTC and OA could not be calculated because both drug residues persisted in shell tissues, and the elimination phase was not completed during the experimental period. Residual OTC (14.10 +/- 2.26 micrograms/g, n = 6) and OA (0.32 +/- 0.06 microgram/g, n = 7) were detected in exuviae at 3 days and 4 days after dosing, respectively. Residual OTC was reduced to 50-70% in muscle by the usual methods of cooking (boiling, baking at 200 degrees C and frying at 180 degrees C), whereas reduction levels in shell were only 20-30%. Residual OA was reduced to 20-30% in muscle and shell by the cooking. These results confirm that the cooking procedures could only reduce but not completely eliminate these drug residues in prawn.

Determination of oxytetracycline residues in matrixes from a freshwater recirculating aquaculture system

This paper describes related procedures to determine the amount of oxytetracycline (OTC) present in trout tissue (muscle with skin attached), biofilter sand, sediment, and tank water from a recirculating aquaculture system. OTC was extracted from the matrixes by different techniques, depending on complexity of the matrix and desired OTC detection level in that matrix. Listed in order of increasing complexity, OTC was extracted from tank water by dilution with acidic buffer containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); from biofilter sand by shaking with 0.1 N HCl; from sediment by homogenization and shaking with buffer/EDTA; and from ground trout by homogenization and shaking with buffer/EDTA (twice), with further cleanup and concentration of the extract on a polymeric solid-phase extraction cartridge. The 4 procedures all used the same reversed-phase gradient chromatography on a polymeric column with UV detection at 350 nm. The lower limit of detection (estimated) and upper limit of validation for each of these 4 matrixes were 0.04-4.0 microg/g (ppm; trout), 0.03-20 ppm (biofilter sand), 1-6000 ppm (sediment), and 0.003-10 ppm (water). Recoveries ranged from 82 to 108%, with relative standard deviation <20% over the applicable concentration ranges. These procedures were used to monitor OTC residues resulting from medicated feed administered to rainbow trout in a recirculating aquaculture system.

Residues of oxytetracycline and its 4'-epimer in edible tissues from turkeys

Residues of oxytetracycline (OTC) in edible tissues (muscle, liver, and kidney) of 18 turkeys were determined after continuous administration of the drug for 3 days in drinking water at the maximum recommended concentration of 400 mg/L. The European Union (EU) maximum residue limits (MRLs) set for OTC are 100 microg/kg in muscle tissues, 300 microg/kg in liver, and 600 microg/kg in kidney, as the sum of the parent compound and its derivative 4'-epi-oxytetracycline (4-epi-OTC). Cleanup of tissue samples was performed by metal chelate affinity chromatography (MCAC), but the original technique was miniaturized by the adoption of a mini solid-phase extraction column, allowing reduction of solvents, time, and hazardous waste. OTC and its 4'-epimer were quantitated by an isocratic liquid chromatography elution with UV detection. After 1 day of withdrawal, OTC plus 4-epi-OTC residues were greater than MRL values in muscle and liver; 3 days after the end of treatment, all tissue residues were far lower than the MRL values. At the first day after the end of treatment, 4-epi-OTC was detected at very low concentrations only in muscle, in liver after 1 and 3 days of withdrawal, and in kidney at all sampling times. The withdrawal time was calculated according to EU recommendations and was set at 5 days.

[Determination of tetracyclines antibiotics by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography]

A method for the determination of 7 tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography is described. TCs were successfully separated on a Diamonsil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microns) using methanol-acetonitrile-0.01 mol/L oxalic acid (pH 2.0) (11:22:67, volume ratio) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min and detected at 267 nm within 22 min. Effects of the pH value of the mobile phase, concentration of the mobile phase buffer, elution composition and detection wavelength on the response and retention were studied. Tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline(OTC) in medicinal tablets were quantitated by standard added method. It has been proven that the method is fast, accurate and suitable for routine analysis.

[Survey of residual antibiotic agents in cultured fish and shellfish]

A survey of residual antibiotic agents in cultured fish and shellfish purchased from the Tokyo Central Market was carried out. Out of 240 samples tested, OTC was detected in 14 samples which consisted of flatfish, yellowtail, seriola and eel. Synthetic antibiotic agents were not detected. The highest level of OTC was 0.36 microgram/g in skin of flatfish. In the case of flatfish, the concentration of OTC was highest in skin, followed by liver, then muscle. OTC was detected in livers of all yellowtail, seriola and eel, and the concentration was higher than that in muscle or skin.