Single-Step Multiresidue Determination of β-Lactam Antibiotics and β-Agonists in Porcine Muscle by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A Fast Method for the Simultaneous Analysis of 26 Beta-Agonists in Swine Muscle with a Multi-Functional Filter by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A rapid and simplified sample preparation method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 26 beta-agonists in swine muscle using a multi-functional filter (MFF) based on quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe methods (QuEChERS). MFF integrated the cleanup and filter procedures, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of sample preparation compared with traditional solid-phase extraction. The sample was processed via enzymatic hydrolysis, purified with the optimized MFF containing 150 mg magnesium sulfate, 50 mg PSA, and 50 mg C18, and then analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. All procedures can be completed in 6.5 h. Good linearity (R2 > 0.99) was detected in all analytes. The recoveries ranged from 71.2% to 118.6%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of less than 18.37% in all spiked concentrations. The limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.01–0.10 and 0.10–0.50 μg/kg, respectively. The decision limit (CCα) and detection capacity (CCβ) values fluctuated in the range of 3.44–25.71 and 6.38–51.21 μg/kg, respectively. This method is a good alternative for detecting beta-agonist residues in swine muscle and can be successfully applied to the national risk monitoring of agro-product quality and safety in China.

Determination of antibiotics in meat samples using analytical methodologies: A review

Antibiotics are widely used to prevent or treat some diseases in human and veterinary medicine and also as animal growth promoters. The presence of these compounds in foods derived from food-producing animals can be a risk for human health. Consequently, regulatory agencies have set maximum residue limits for antibiotics in food samples. Therefore, the development of novel methodologies for its determination in food samples is required. Specifically, the analysis and quantification of these substances in meat tissues is a challenge for the analytical chemistry research community. This is due to the complexity of the matrix and the low detection limits required by the regulatory agencies. In this sense, a comprehensive review on the development of new sample preparation treatments involving extraction, cleanup, and enrichment steps of antibiotics in meat samples in combination with sensitive and sophisticated determination techniques that have been carry out in the last years is necessary. Therefore, the aim of this work is to summarize the published methodologies for the determination of antibiotics from 2016 until the beginning of the second semester of 2020. The first part of this review includes an introduction about antibiotic families, followed by sample preparation and determination techniques applied to the different families. Finally, a detailed discussion of the current trends and the future possible perspectives in this field are also included.

Gold nanoparticle-based signal enhancement of an aptasensor for ractopamine using liquid crystal based optical imaging

The authors report on a method for the determination of ractopamine (RAC) via liquid crystal (LC) optical imaging and gold nanoparticle-induced signal enhancement. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were blended with the desired concentrations of RAC, and this is found to strongly improve the performance of the assay. The RAC aptamers were immobilized on the self-assembled film of a glass slide for specific recognition of RAC. This causes a homeotropic re-orientation of the LCs. Notably, the aptamers need not be immobilized on the nanoparticles like in other methods. The addition of RAC causes the formation of an AuNP-RAC-aptamer conjugate on the sensing interface. This disrupts the orientation of LCs and results in a change of the polarized images of the LCs. The method has a detection limit as low as 1 pM of RAC. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a method for the determination of ractopamine (RAC) using liquid crystal (LC) optical imaging and gold nanoparticle-induced signal enhancement. The aptamers need not be immobilized on the nanoparticles like in other methods.