Comparison of veterinary drug residue results in animal tissues by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole or quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry after different sample preparation methods, including use of a commercial lipid removal product

Multitarget and suspect-screening of antimicrobials in vegetables samples: Uptake experiments and identification of transformation products

This work provided an accurate analytical method to perform a multitarget analysis of a variety of antimicrobials (AMs) including sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones and quinolones, one imidazole and one nitroimidazole, one triazole, one diaminopyridine and one derivative of Penicillium stoloniferum in vegetables. The analysis is performed using liquid-chromatography coupled to a low-resolution triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) to detect the target analytesor coupled to a high-resolution q-Orbitrap (HRMS) to monitor the formed transformation products (TPs). Both instruments were compared in terms of limits of quantification and matrix effect at the detection. The method was applied to determine the presence of AMs in organic and non-organic vegetables, where sulfadiazine and mycophenolic acid were detected. On the other hand, the transference of four AMs (trimethoprim, sulfamethazine, enrofloxacin, and chlortetracycline) from soils to lettuces was evaluated through controlled uptake experiments. The choice of AMs was based on the classification into different families, and on the fact that those AM families are the most frequently detected in the environment. In this case, each of the AMs with which the soils were contaminated were found in the exposed lettuces. Moreover, in both studies, specific TPs of the AMs were identified, posing the necessity of assessing their effects in relation to food and human safety.

Levamisole incorporation in fish feed - Ensuring the medication dose and avoidance of leaching into the water

Levamisole, an anthelmintic and immunostimulant drug, has been studied as a promising alternative for aquaculture use. While oral administration through feeding is the main route of administration in fish farming, no studies evaluating methods of levamisole incorporation into the feed have been reported so far. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate potential procedures for levamisole incorporation in extruded fish feed using ethyl cellulose, gelatin, or vegetable oil, to avoid drug leaching to the water during the animal's medication. A suitable LC-MS/MS method was optimized (full factorial design), validated, and applied to evaluate the efficiency of the process, the homogeneity of the drug concentration, and the leaching rate. The method has been demonstrated to be selective, precise (RSD < 4.9%), accurate (recovery > 98.4%), and linear (r > 0.99, 125-750 mg kg-1). The incorporation procedures using the three coating agents showed high incorporation efficiency (70%) and a homogeneous drug concentration among the extruded feed pellets. A low levamisole leaching rate was verified in the feed prepared using the ethyl cellulose coating procedure (4.3% after 15 min of immersion in the water). On the other hand, fish feed coated with gelatin and oil resulted in a high leaching rate (30-35% after 15 min). Thus, this study shows that coating ethyl cellulose may be a promising procedure for levamisole incorporation in fish feed and with the potential to enhance its use in animal production while reducing environmental contamination.

Determination of Multiclass Pharmaceutical Residues in Milk Using Modified QuEChERS and Liquid-Chromatography-Hybrid Linear Ion Trap/Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry: Comparison of Clean-Up Approaches and Validation Studies

A multi-residue method was developed to identify and quantify pharmaceutical drug residues in full-fat milk, using a modified QuEChERS extraction procedure and sonication combined with Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HR-Orbitrap-MS). Sample preparation involves three different QuEChERS extraction procedures and sorbents for the purification step. The optimized modified extraction method, combined with the clean-up approaches using C18 and the EMR-Lipid sorbent, has been validated in terms of linearity, recovery, precision, LOD and LOQ, matrix effects (ME) and expanded uncertainty. The optimized method showed a linearity >0.9903, recoveries within the range 65.1-120.1%, precision (expressed as %RSD) <17.5%, medium (<39.9%) to low (<16.7%) matrix effects and acceptable expanded uncertainty (<33.1%). Finally, the proposed method was applied to representative real samples of milk (by local markets), revealing the existence of one pharmaceutical drug (imidocarb) in one sample.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric determination of bisphenol residues by dispersive solid phase extraction followed by activated carbon spheres cleanup from fish feed samples

Bisphenols are known endocrine disruptors commonly utilized in food packaging and storage materials, which frequently come into touch with multiple food products packed in them. The bisphenols in fish feed and other feed materials for aquatic organisms are harmful. The consumption of such marine foods is hazardous. Hence, the feed of aquatic products needs to be verified for the presence of bisphenols. The present study was focused on developing and validating a rapid, selective, and sensitive method to quantify 11 bisphenols from the fish feed with dispersive solid-phase extraction, which was cleaned by an optimized amount of activated carbon spheres and silylated by N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoro acetamide and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The new method was rigorously tested and verified after carefully tuning various parameters affecting analyte recovery. Limit of detection (LOD) were set at 0.5-5 ng/g and limit of quantification (LOQ) at 1-10 ng/g, respectively, resulting in 95-114% recoveries. Interday and intraday precisions in terms of relative standard deviation were found to be less than 11%. The proposed approach was effectively applied in floating and sinking fish feeds. The obtained results showed that higher concentration of bisphenol A, followed by bisphenol TMC, and bisphenol M at a concentration of 256.10, 159.01, and 168.82 ng/g in floating feed and 88.04, 200.79, and 98.03 ng/g in sinking feed samples, respectively.

Approaches to determine pesticides in marine bivalves

Due to agricultural runoff, pesticides end up in aquatic ecosystems and some accumulate in marine bivalves. As filter feeders, bivalves can accumulate high concentrations of chemicals in their tissue representing a potential risk to the health of human and aquatic ecosystems. So far, most of the studies dealing with pesticide contamination in marine bivalves, for example, in the French Atlantic and English Channel coasts, have focused on the old generation of pesticides. Only a few investigated the newly emerging pesticides partly due to methodological challenges. A better understanding of the most sensitive and reliable methods is thus essential for accurately determining a wide variety of environmentally relevant pesticides in marine bivalves. The review highlighted the use of more environmentally friendly and efficient materials such as sorbents and the "quick easy cheap effective rugged safe" extraction procedure to extract pesticides from bivalve matrices, as they appeared to be the most efficient while being the safest. Moreover, this method combined with the high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) technique offers promising perspectives by highlighting a wide range of pesticides including those that are not usually sought. Finally, recent developments in the field of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to MS, such as two-dimensional chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry, will improve the analysis of pesticides in complex matrices.

Wide-Scope Multi-residue analysis of pesticides in beef by gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Increasing pesticide contamination in foods of animal origin has made the wide-scope multi-residue analysis of pesticides an international concern. By using 191 pesticides, this study investigates a sensitive and reliable method for multi-residue analysis of pesticides in beef to determine the extent of the application of this method. The QuEChERS method was employed to extract and purify the pesticides as C18 was utilized as the absorbents. Then, the purified pesticides were analysed using gas chromatography - quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (GC-Q-Orbitrap-MS). The validation test results revealed that this method was satisfactorily sensitive since its screening detection limit (SDL) ranged from 0.2 to 100 µg∙kg^-1. The recovery tests implemented at three spiking levels, namely 100, 200, and 500 µg∙kg^-1, generated the results of 71.95 %-113.97 %, while the intra- and inter-day precisions were 0.27 %-17.94 %, indicating that this method had excellent accuracy and precision.

Accurate Determination of Pesticide Residues in Milk by Sonication-QuEChERS Extraction and LC-LTQ/Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

A modified, quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction procedure combined with sonication and Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC–Orbitrap-MS) was developed as a sensitive and reliable methodology for the determination of multiclass pesticides in full-fat milk. Different amounts of EMR-lipid sorbent were assayed for the cleanup step in order to achieve both acceptably high recoveries and low co-extractives in the final extracts. Accurate mass measurements of the analyte’s pseudo-molecular ions and tandem MS fragmentation were used to quantify and identify the target pesticides. Analytical performance characteristics of the method, such as linearity, recovery, precision, the limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), matrix effects (ME), and expanded uncertainty, have been determined for method validation fulfilling all criteria for its use as a validated routine method. The method was successfully applied to real samples (by local farms and commercial), revealing the presence of carbendazim in one milk sample at a concentration level below the maximum residue limits.

Multiresidues Multiclass Analytical Methods for Determination of Antibiotics in Animal Origin Food: A Critical Analysis

Veterinary drugs are widely used to prevent and treat diseases. The European Union has forbidden the use of antibiotics as growth promoters since 2006. Its abusive use leads to the presence of antibiotic residues (AR) in foods of animal origin which is associated with antibiotic resistance. The monitoring of AR in food intended for human consumption is of utmost importance to assure Food Safety. A systematic bibliographic review was carried out on the analytical methodologies, published in 2013, for the determination of AR in foods of animal origin. The food processing effect in the AR detected in animal products is also addressed. However, there is a preference for multiresidues multiclass methods, i.e., methodologies that allow determining simultaneously different classes of antibiotics, which is still a challenge for researchers. The wide diversity of physico-chemical properties of these drugs is an obstacle to achieving excellent analytical performance for a vast number of molecules analyzed concurrently. New techniques in sample preparation continue to be developed in order to obtain a compromise between good recoveries and extracts without interferences (clean extracts). The most widely used analytical methodology for the determination of AR is liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. However, the current trend is focused on the use of powerful high-resolution MS detectors such as Time of Flight and Orbitrap with modern chromatographic systems. Cooking time and temperature control are the key processing conditions influencing the reduction of AR in foods.

Generation and Characterization of an Anti-diclazuril Monoclonal Antibody and Development of a Diagnostic Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Poultry

An anti-diclazuril monoclonal antibody (mAb) was developed for use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based detection of diclazuril with high sensitivity and specificity, which can be used to measure anti-coccidial drug residues. The anti-diclazuril mAb had a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.449–0.517 ng/mL. The mAb cross-reactivity with toltrazuril, toltrazuril 18 sulfone, clozaril, monesin, madurmycin, and salinomycin was very minimal (< 0.1%). The detection limit of the ELISA using this mAb was 0.10 ng/mL and the sensitivity was 0.05 ng/mL. A standard curve generated in the range of 0.05–16.2 ng/mL had a linear correlation coefficient value of ≥ 0.99. The average recoveries of diclazuril from chicken and duck samples ranged from 85.0 to 102.5%.Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation ranged from 5.9 to 8.5% and 9.2 to 12.6%, respectively. Using the International Immunogenetics Information System^®, the VH domain of the mAb was found to be encoded by an IGHV3 family gene and had the following complementarity determining region (CDR) sequences: GFTFSRY (CDR1), SRGGS (CDR2), and GDDNYAFAY (CDR3). The VL domain was encoded by an IGKV1 family gene and had the following CDR sequences: KSSQSLLNSRTRKNYLA (CDR1), WASTRES (CDR2), and KQSYNLHT (CDR3). This study provides a method to generate anti-diclazuril mAbs and determine their variable region sequences. The diagnostic ELISA developed using this mAb may drive additional studies on the monitoring and detection of food and veterinary drug residues.

A REVIEW ON DETERMINATION OF THE VETERINARY DRUG RESIDUES IN FOOD PRODUCTS

In this paper, we discuss veterinary medicine and its applications in the food field as well as its risk to the health of humans and animals by the residues. We review how the veterinary residues enter and cause some detrimental effects. We also mention two techniques to determine the residue of veterinary medication that existed in food originating from animals, including classic and advanced techniques. Finally, we discuss the potential of various developed methods compared to some traditional techniques.

Development and validation of liquid chromatography method for simultaneous determination of multiclass seven antibiotic residues in chicken tissues

Background

Antibiotics are routinely used on poultry for therapy and prevention of diseases and to enhance animal growth. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and reliable liquid chromatography with UV detection (LC-UV) method for the simultaneous determination of seven multiclass antibiotic residues (amoxicillin, ampicillin, penicillin, sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin) in chicken tissues.

Methods

The liquid chromatography method with UV detection was optimized for complete separation of the seven selected antibiotic compounds with reversed phase and isocratic elution using Hypersil BDS-C18 (3 µm, 100 mm × 4 mm) column. The mobile phase consisted a ratio of 0.05 M Na₂HPO₄, acetonitrile and methanol (70:10:20), at UV absorption wavelength of 230 nm. The column thermostat was set at 40 °C, the mobile phase flow rate was 1 mL min⁻¹, and the injection volume was 20 μL.

Results

All the seven standard compounds were eluted within 14 min. The results for: linearity, precision, sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), suitability and method robustness were validated according to the criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC guidelines. Calibration plot correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9983 to 0.9998 and the percent relative standard deviations for repeated analysis were below 5% indicating acceptable method precision. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.098–0.255 μg kg⁻¹ to 0.297–0.574 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. The accuracy study yielded recoveries in the ranges 98.1–107% for the pure compounds and 94.0–102% for the spiked drug free chicken tissue samples.

Conclusions

The method was found to be appropriate for simultaneous determination of five different classes of seven antibiotic residues in chicken tissues. Furthermore, this is the first instance for the simultaneous determination of seven multiclass, multi-residues analysis using LC-UV from chicken tissue samples. This is a cost-effective and alternative method with simple instrumentation approach for laboratories that lack highly specialized state-of-the-art instrumentation.

The QuEChERSER Mega-Method

Introduced in 2003, the “quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe” (QuEChERS) sample preparation approach has been widely adopted in many applications, particularly in chemical residue analysis of foods. Prior to QuEChERS, sample preparation generally entailed several time-consuming, labor-intensive, and reagent-excessive steps, but the commercialization at the time of powerful, cost-effective, benchtop gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and liquid chromatography–tandem MS (LC–MS/MS) instruments enabled the implementation of the QuEChERS procedure. Despite analytical technologies continuing to improve over the last two decades, many laboratories are still using QuEChERS protocols developed for outdated instrumentation. Recently, QuEChERS has been updated into QuEChERSER (with “efficient and robust” being added to the portmanteau) to better take advantage of the features provided by modern sample preparation and analytical techniques. Most notably, QuEChERSER is a “mega-method” that covers a broader scope of polar and nonpolar analytes in diverse sample types. In this article, the new QuEChERSER approach and its advantages over QuEChERS are explained.

Removing Disturbing Matrix Constituents from Biota Extracts from Total Extraction and Silicone-Based Passive Sampling

Contaminant analysis in biota extracts can be hampered by matrix interferences caused by, for example, co-extracted lipids that compromise the quality of the analytical data and require frequent maintenance of the analytical instruments. In the present study, using gas chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS), we aimed to develop and validate a straightforward, robust, and reproducible cleanup method with acceptable recoveries for diverse compound classes with a wide range of physicochemical properties representative of pollutant screening in biota extracts. We compared Oasis PRiME HLB cartridges, Agilent Captiva EMR-Lipid cartridges, and "Freeze-Out" with salmon lipids spiked with 113 target chemicals. The EMR-Lipid cartridges provided extracts with low matrix effects at reproducible recoveries of the multi-class target analytes (93 ± 9% and 95 ± 7% for low and high lipid amounts, respectively). The EMR-Lipid cartridges were further tested with spiked pork lipids submitted to total extraction or silicone-based passive sampling. Reproducible recoveries were achieved and matrix residuals were largely removed as demonstrated gravimetrically for both types of extracts. Ion suppression of halogenated compounds was not as efficiently removed by the cleanup of total and silicone-based extracts of pork lipids as for the salmon lipids. However, the samples with clean up provided better instrument robustness than those without cleanup. Hence, EMR-Lipid cartridges were shown to be efficient as a cleanup method in multi-class monitoring of biota samples and open up new possibilities as a suitable cleanup method for silicone extracts in biota passive sampling studies using GC-HRMS analysis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2693-2704. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Screening and Analysis of Multiclass Veterinary Drug Residues in Animal Source Foods using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS

A rapid, simple, and sensitive method of detecting veterinary drug residues in animal food sources, including poultry and pork, was developed and validated. The method was optimized for over 155 veterinary drugs of 21 different classes. Sample pretreatment included a simple solid-liquid extraction step with 0.2% formic acid-acetonitrile-water and a purification step with a PRiME HLB (hydrophile-lipophile balance) solid-phase extraction cartridge. Data were collected using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Quadrupole-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The limits of detection of 155 veterinary drugs ranged from 0.1 µg/kg to 10 µg/kg. The recovery rates were between 79.2 and 118.5 % in all matrices studied, with relative standard deviation values less than 15% (n = 6). The evaluated method allows the reliable screening, quantification, and identification of 155 veterinary drug residues in animal source food and has been successfully applied in authentic samples.

Identification of Erythromycin and Clarithromycin Metabolites Formed in Chicken Liver Microsomes Using Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Nontargeted analysis can be used for the rapid screening and confirmatory analysis of veterinary drugs and their metabolites, which are important for the comprehensive safety evaluation of animal-derived foods. Here, a novel nontargeted screening approach based on liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-HR-MS) was developed to determine erythromycin, clarithromycin, and their metabolites in chicken liver microsomes. Erythromycin and clarithromycin were incubated in vitro in the presence of NADPH for 60 min to generate metabolites in chicken liver microsomes. After the incubation, the supernatant was extracted using ultrasonic shaking, orbital shaking, and centrifugation before analysis using LC/ESI-HR-MS in positive ion mode on an Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm; i.d. 3.5 µm) with 0.1 percent formic acid-water and acetonitrile as the mobile phases for gradient elution at 0.4 mL/min. The results show that erythromycin can produce N-desmethyl-erythromycin A in chicken liver microsomes, but clarithromycin cannot produce N-desmethyl-clarithromycin in chicken liver microsomes. The N-desmethyl-erythromycin A and N-desmethyl-clarithromycin were tentatively identified in chicken liver microsomes using the established quick analytic method, which will provide a theoretical foundation for future research on pharmacokinetics and drug elimination in poultry.

Extract-and-Inject Analysis of Veterinary Drug Residues in Catfish and Ready-to-Eat Meats by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry

BACKGROUND

Validated analytical methods are needed to conduct regulatory monitoring of ready-to-eat meats and fish for food safety, risk assessment, and other purposes. The methods should be cost-effective, high-throughput, and meet acceptable performance standards for a wide scope of drugs and matrixes.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the validity for possible implementation in the US National Residue Program of an efficient method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of 176 targeted drugs at levels as low as 10 ng/g in hot dogs, catfish and swai (Siluriformes), chicken tenders, fried bacon, and sausage using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

METHODS

Sample preparation simply involved a 5 min extraction by shaking 2 g comminuted samples with 10 mL of 4/1 (v/v) acetonitrile/water followed by centrifugation and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of 2 μL injections. For cleanup comparison purposes only, sausage extracts were also prepared using a cartridge-based EMR-Lipid method prior to analysis.

RESULTS

Acceptable validation of 70-120% recoveries with <25% RSDs was met for 156-176 out of 186 drugs and quality control analytes without cleanup depending on the matrix. The EMR-Lipid method for sausage improved results for some analytes, such as mectin anthelmintics, due to reduction of indirectly interfering fats in the final extracts, but it also led to significantly worse results for several other drugs, resulting in 32 fewer analytes meeting the given validation criteria than without cleanup.

CONCLUSIONS

The simple, high-throughput method was demonstrated to be valid to meet routine regulatory and other monitoring needs for many diverse targeted drugs in fish and ready-to-eat meat matrixes.

Comparison of analyte identification criteria and other aspects in triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry: Case study using UHPLC-MS/MS for regulatory analysis of veterinary drug residues in liquid and powdered eggs

Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is one of the most powerful tools for the multiclass, multiresidue analysis of veterinary drugs, pesticides, mycotoxins, and other chemical contaminants in foods and other sample types. Until approximately 2010, commercial MS/MS instruments using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) were generally limited to minimum dwell (and inter-dwell) times of 10 ms per ion transition. To achieve the needed accuracy and detection limits for hundreds of targeted analytes, older UHPLC-MS/MS methods typically acquired only two ion transitions per analyte (yielding only one ion ratio for qualitative identification purposes), which is still the norm despite technological advancements. Newer instruments permit as little as 1 ms (inter-)dwell times to afford monitoring of more MRMs/analyte with minimal sacrifices in accuracy and sensitivity. In this study, quantification and identification were assessed in the validation of 169 veterinary drugs in liquid and powdered eggs. Quantitatively, an "extract-and-inject" sample preparation method yielded acceptable 70-120% recoveries and < 25% RSD for 139-141 (82-83%) of the 169 diverse drug analytes spiked into powdered and liquid eggs, respectively, at three levels of regulatory interest. Qualitatively, rates of false positives and negatives were compared when applying three different regulatory identification criteria in which two or three MRMs/drug were used in each case. Independent of the identification criteria, rates of false positives remained <10% for 95-99% of the drugs whether 2 or 3 ions were monitored, but the percent of drugs with >10% false negatives decreased from 25-45 to 10-12% when using 2 vs. 3 MRMs/analyte, respectively. Use of a concentration threshold at 10% of the regulatory level as an identification criterion was also very useful to reduce rates of false positives independent of ion ratios. Based on these results, monitoring >2 ion transitions per analyte is advised when using MS/MS for analysis, independent of SANTE/12682/2019, FDA/USDA, or 2002/657/EC identification criteria. (Quant)identification results using all three criteria were similar, but the SANTE criteria were advantageous in their greater simplicity and practical ease of use.

Comparison of four different multiclass, multiresidue sample preparation methods in the analysis of veterinary drugs in fish and other food matrices

In 2018, AOAC International issued Standard Method Performance Requirements (SPMR) 2018.010 - Screening and Identification Method for Regulated Veterinary Drug Residues in Food. In response, we compared 4 different multiresidue methods of sample preparation using the same analytical method entailing ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Tilapia was chosen for testing, and the analytes and monitoring levels were from SPMR 2018.010. The methods consist of efficient procedures with published validation results from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and an enhanced-matrix removal (EMR)-Lipid protocol from China. Each method was used to prepare 102 final extracts of tilapia spiked or not at different levels with the 78 targeted analytes plus metabolites. The same FDA/USDA rules of mass spectral identification were employed in all analyses to assess rates of false positives and negatives. Quantitative accuracy of the methods was also compared in terms of recoveries and reproducibility of spiked tilapia, incurred catfish, and spiked and certified reference material of bovine muscle. Each method yielded generally acceptable results for the targeted veterinary drugs, but the USDA "extract & inject" method was the fastest, simplest, and cheapest to achieve equally or more acceptable results for the widest scope of analytes for the tested food matrices.

Suitability of High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Routine Analysis of Small Molecules in Food, Feed and Water for Safety and Authenticity Purposes: A Review

During the last decade, food, feed and environmental analysis using high-resolution mass spectrometry became increasingly popular. Recent accessibility and technological improvements of this system make it a potential tool for routine laboratory work. However, this kind of instrument is still often considered a research tool. The wide range of potential contaminants and residues that must be monitored, including pesticides, veterinary drugs and natural toxins, is steadily increasing. Thanks to full-scan analysis and the theoretically unlimited number of compounds that can be screened in a single analysis, high-resolution mass spectrometry is particularly well-suited for food, feed and water analysis. This review aims, through a series of relevant selected studies and developed methods dedicated to the different classes of contaminants and residues, to demonstrate that high-resolution mass spectrometry can reach detection levels in compliance with current legislation and is a versatile and appropriate tool for routine testing.

Veterinary Drug Residues in Animal-Derived Foods: Sample Preparation and Analytical Methods

Veterinary drugs are used to treat livestock and aquatic diseases and thus are introduced into animal-derived foods, endangering consumer health and safety. Antibiotic resistance is rapidly becoming a major worldwide problem, and there has been a steady increase in the number of pathogens that show multi-drug resistance. Illegal and excessive use of veterinary drugs in animals and aquaculture has serious adverse effects on humans and on all other environmental organisms. It is necessary to develop simple extraction methods and fast analytical methods to effectively detect veterinary drug residues in animal-derived foods. This review summarizes the application of various sample extraction techniques and detection and quantification methods for veterinary drug residues reported in the last decade (2010-2020). This review compares the advantages and disadvantages of various extraction techniques and detection methods and describes advanced methods, such as those that use electrochemical biosensors, piezoelectric biosensors, optical biosensors, and molecularly imprinted polymer biosensors. Finally, the future prospects and trends related to extraction methods, detection methods and advanced methods for the analysis of veterinary drug residues in animal-derived foods are summarized.

Development and validation of a multi-residue analytical method for veterinarian and human pharmaceuticals in livestock urine and blood using UHPLC-QTOF

The aim of this work is to contribute to the assessment of multi-residue analysis of veterinarian and human pharmaceuticals using UHPLC-QTOF in livestock urine and blood (cattle, chicken, sheep and pig). Firstly, an in-house database including compound name, monoisotopic mass, chemical formula, retention time, chemical structure, and three CID MS-MS spectra of the 234 selected drugs were built for qualitative detection. Secondly, the method validation result showed that all the 234 drugs exhibited good linearity with determination coefficients (R²) higher than 0.999. Then, the distribution of the drugs recoveries, intra-day RSD and inter-day RSD results for all seven matrices were tested. Finally, after a carefully cross check, 150 veterinarian and human pharmaceuticals could meet the methodological requirements (recovery, 50-120%; intra-day RSD ≤ 15%, inter-day RSD ≤ 20%) in all seven matrices. Our results suggested that although the main applications of UHPLC-QTOF are directed towards detection and identification of the compounds, this method should be also applied for quantitative purposes.

Multi-class analysis of veterinary drugs in eggs using dispersive-solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A multi-residue method has been developed for the identification and quantification of 78 compounds from seven different classes of veterinary drugs in eggs. This method was based on dispersive solid phase extraction where mixed-mode cation exchange sorbent was used to combine the isolation of compounds and sample purification. The analysis was performed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the chromatographic run time of one injection was 9.5 min. The mean recovery ranged from 70.5% to 119.2% and inter-day relative standard deviation was less than 17.0%. The limit of quantification ranged between 0.1 and 1 μg/kg, which was sufficient to support surveillance monitoring. Lastly, the method was successfully used to detect residues of veterinary drug in real samples. The dietary exposure risk was subsequently assessed using the results of the survey, indicating that the evaluated daily intake and percentage of acceptable daily intake were at toxicologically acceptable levels.

Dispersive micro solid phase extraction of busulfan from plasma samples using novel mesoporous sorbent prior to determination by HPLC-MS/MS

Determination of busulfan concentration in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation is necessary in order to reduce toxic effects and/or graft rejection due to unadjusted dose exposure. A new extraction method namely dispersive micro solid phase extraction (DMSPE) based on mesoporous sorbent was used for cleaning-up the plasma samples. DMSPE coupling with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was implemented for the determination of busulfan dosage in plasma samples. The linear range was found from 10 to 2000 ng/ml. The precision and accuracy were found better than 15% according to Food and drug Administration (FDA) guideline. This method was successfully used to determine the busulfan in patients administrated busulfan as part of the preparative regimen for bone marrow transplantation.

Comparison of Solid-Phase Microextraction to Solvent Extraction and QuEChERS for Quantitative Analysis of Veterinary Drug Residues in Chicken and Beef Matrices

A fully automated high-throughput method using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was developed and validated for quantitative analysis of more than 100 veterinary drugs in chicken and beef tissue. The work also encompassed a comparison of the SPME method to two well-documented sample preparation procedures, solvent extraction (SE) and quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS). SPME showed considerably less matrix effects, with only two compounds showing significant matrix effects in comparison to 30% of analytes in QuEChERS and 42% in SE in beef tissue. Excellent accuracy and precision results were achieved with all methods in the chicken matrix, with more than 91% of analytes falling within the 70-120% range of their true concentrations and relative standard deviation of ≤25% at 0.75X and 1.5X, where X is the maximum residue level. Similar results were achieved in beef tissue. All methods were able to meet regulatory limit of quantitation levels for the majority of target analytes.

Comparative analysis of constitutes and metabolites for traditional Chinese medicine using IDA and SWATH data acquisition modes on LC-Q-TOF MS

Identification of components and metabolites of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) employing liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF MS) techniques with information-dependent acquisition (IDA) approaches is increasingly frequent. A current drawback of IDA-MS is that the complexity of a sample might prevent important compounds from being triggered in IDA settings. Sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment-ion spectra (SWATH) is a data-independent acquisition (DIA) method where the instrument deterministically fragments all precursor ions within the predefined m/z range in a systematic and unbiased fashion. Herein, the superiority of SWATH on the detection of TCMs’ components was firstly investigated by comparing the detection efficiency of SWATH-MS and IDA-MS data acquisition modes, and sanguisorbin extract was used as a mode TCM. After optimizing the setting parameters of SWATH, rolling collision energy (CE) and variable Q1 isolation windows were found to be more efficient for sanguisorbin identification than the fixed CE and fixed Q1 isolation window. More importantly, the qualitative efficiency of SWATH-MS on sanguisorbins was found significantly higher than that of IDA-MS data acquisition. In IDA mode, 18 kinds of sanguisorbins were detected in sanguisorbin extract. A total of 47 sanguisorbins were detected when SWATH-MS was used under rolling CE and flexible Q1 isolation window modes. Besides, 26 metabolites of sanguisorbins were identified in rat plasma, and their metabolic pathways could be deduced as decarbonylation, oxidization, reduction, methylation, and glucuronidation according to their fragmental ions acquired in SWATH-MS mode. Thus, SWATH-MS data acquisition could provide more comprehensive information for the component and metabolite identification for TCMs than IDA-MS.

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SWATH was first used to identify components and metabolites of TCMs.

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Superiority of SWATH on the detection of TCM was firstly investigated.

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The number of components detected by SWATH was greatly higher than IDA.

Comparison of three different lipid removal cleanup techniques prior to the analysis of sulfonamide drug residues in porcine tissues

A number of 17 sulfonamides (SNs) determination in porcine tissues using two new materials including Enhanced Matrix Removal for Lipid (EMR-L) and Oasis PRiME hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB), and the conventional liquid-liquid extraction with n-hexane (LLE) sample preparation methods were evaluated and compared. Samples were extracted uniformly with acidified acetonitrile and cleaned up by the three sample preparation methods, and then, analytes were further separated by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and detected by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS/MS) or a quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF/MS). The results showed that the matrix effects from the EMR-L and HLB were significantly lower than that from LLE, suggesting that these two new materials are superior to n-hexane in the precipitation of proteins and the adsorption of lipids. Moreover, the recoveries of 17 SNs were quantified by the matrix-matched calibration curve at spiked level of 5, 10, and 20 μg/kg, and 97.0% of the results satisfied method validation requirements. The samples cleaned up by EMR-L and HLB achieved the highest average recovery in liver and kidney with high moisture content, and muscle which is high in fat, respectively. In addition, Q-TOF/MS could play a good role in aided verification based on the result of repeated validation test. In summary, either combination of approaches could be used to achieve monitoring purposes; it is still worthwhile to adopt a specific sample preparation method and MS detector for the quantification in a specific matrix.

Transfer of a Multiclass Method for over 60 Antibiotics in Food from High Resolution to Low Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A multiclass method has been developed to screen and confirm a wide range of anti-microbial residues in muscle and milk, and validated using liquid-chromatography coupled to (low-resolution, LR) tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ). Over sixty antibiotics, belonging to ten distinct families, were included in the method scope. The development process was rapidly concluded as a result of two previously implemented methods. This consisted of identical sample treatments, followed by liquid chromatography, and coupled with high-resolution (HR) mass spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap). The validation study was performed in the range between 10-1500 μg·kg^-1 for muscles and 2-333 μg·kg^-1 for milk. The main performance characteristics were estimated and, then, compared to those previously obtained with HR technique. The validity of the method transfer was ascertained also through inter-laboratory studies.

Fully-automated systems and the need for global approaches should exhort clinical labs to reinvent routine MS analysis?

Today, many LC–high-resolution MS instruments have become affordable, easy-to-use, sensitive and quantitative. Meanwhile, there is an increased need for more comprehensive approaches. However, omics analyses are still restricted to specialists whereas, in hospitals, routine analyses are targeted and quantitative and represent the main and heavy tasks. But the availability of fully automated LC–MS instruments that can handle independently from sample extraction to result reporting, as well as the increasing biomedical interest for global approaches, clinical analytical workflow should be reorganized. Bioanalysts are now in the position to develop/implement clinical metabolomics or proteomics as routine analyses. In this article, this coming evolution and the reasons to implement global/omics determinations as routine analysis, is described.

Development and Validation of a Hybrid Screening and Quantitative Method for the Analysis of Eight Classes of Therapeutants in Aquaculture Products by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A method using reverse-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry is described for eight classes of therapeutants that are used in marine aquaculture products. Validation studies to evaluate recovery, precision, method detection limits, and measurement uncertainty were performed at three levels, using three representative matrices [salmon (fatty fish), tilapia (lean fish), and shrimp (crustaceans)] to assess the method performance for use as a screening or determinative (quantitative and confirmatory) method. A total of 16 sulfonamides (plus 2 potentiators), 2 tetracyclines, 11 (fluoro)quinolones, 7 nitroimidazoles, 3 amphenicols, 5 steroids, and 3 stilbenes met the quantitative criteria for method validation. An additional 5 triphenylmethane dyes, 2 sulfonamides, 2 tetracyclines, and 1 amphenicol met the required performance for use as a screening method. Limits of detection (LODs) for the compounds that met the quantitative criteria ranged from 0.1 to 5 μg/kg, while LODs for compounds from the screening group ranged from 0.1 to 30 μg/kg. This method provides a comprehensive approach to the determination of different classes of compounds in aquaculture products.

Multiclass screening of >200 pharmaceutical and other residues in aquatic foods by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry

A quick screening method of more than 200 pharmaceutical and other residues in aquatic foods based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/Orbitrap MS) was established. In this method, after the addition of 200 μL of 1 M EDTA-Na₂, 2 g of each sample homogenate was extracted successively with 10 mL of acetonitrile and 10 mL of ethyl acetate. The extracts were combined, dried under nitrogen flow, and redissolved in 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile/water (4:6, v/v) for analysis. The prepared samples were analyzed by UHPLC- Q/Orbitrap MS system in Full MS/ddMS² (full-scan data-dependent MS/MS) mode. Compound identification was performed through comparison of the sample data with the database for standard chemicals, including the retention time, precursor ion, product ions, and isotope pattern for all 206 compounds. Five different aquatic food matrices (carp, shrimp, crab, eel, and mussel) spiked with the analytes at 1, 10, and 50 ng/g were evaluated to assess recoveries, precision, matrix effects, stability, and detection limits using the method. UHPLC analyses required 25 min, and 178-200 analytes met identification criteria at 50 ng/g depending on the matrix. Furthermore, practical application of this method for real samples displayed strong screening capability. Graphical abstract A quick screening method of >200 pharmaceutical and other residues in aquatic foods based on ultrahighperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer was established. Fivedifferent aquatic food matrices, including carp, shrimp, crab, eel and mussel, were studied to evaluatescreen limit at 1, 10 and 50 μg·kg-1 level. Results suggest the high reliability, high time-efficiency and goodsimplicity of the method.

Advanced LC-MS-based methods to study the co-occurrence and metabolization of multiple mycotoxins in cereals and cereal-based food

Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is widely used for the determination of mycotoxins in cereals and cereal-based products. In addition to the regulated mycotoxins, for which official control is required, LC-MS is often used for the screening of a large range of mycotoxins and/or for the identification and characterization of novel metabolites. This review provides insight into the LC-MS methods used for the determination of co-occurring mycotoxins with special emphasis on multiple-analyte applications. The first part of the review is focused on targeted LC-MS approaches using cleanup methods such as solid-phase extraction and immunoaffinity chromatography, as well as on methods based on minimum cleanup (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe; QuEChERS) and dilute and shoot. The second part of the review deals with the untargeted determination of mycotoxins by LC coupled with high-resolution MS, which includes also metabolomics techniques to study the fate of mycotoxins in plants.

Dispersive Solid Phase Extraction for the Analysis of Veterinary Drugs Applied to Food Samples: A Review

To achieve analytical success, it is necessary to develop thorough clean-up procedures to extract analytes from the matrix. Dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) has been used as a pretreatment technique for the analysis of several compounds. This technique is based on the dispersion of a solid sorbent in liquid samples in the extraction isolation and clean-up of different analytes from complex matrices. DSPE has found a wide range of applications in several fields, and it is considered to be a selective, robust, and versatile technique. The applications of dispersive techniques in the analysis of veterinary drugs in different matrices involve magnetic sorbents, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, and the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method. Techniques based on DSPE permit minimization of additional steps such as precipitation, centrifugation, and filtration, which decreases the manipulation of the sample. In this review, we describe the main procedures used for synthesis, characterization, and application of this pretreatment technique and how it has been applied to food analysis.