Atmospheric Solid Analysis Probe and Modified Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Screening and Semi-Quantification of Zilpaterol in Urine and Tissues of Sheep

Zilpaterol in bovine liver, meat, heart, and kidney, determined by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

An analytical method was developed for identification and quantification of zilpaterol in bovine liver, meat, heart, and kidney, using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). It was validated in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (CIR) EU 2021/808 at six different concentrations, ranging from 0.1 to 5 μg/kg. The mean recoveries ranged from 71% to 99%, while the decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ) ranges were 0.11-0.12 μg/kg and 0.13-0.15 μg/kg, respectively. The method demonstrated good linearity (R2 > 0.9996) and the limits of detection (LODs) and of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.015-0.061 μg/kg and 0.025-0.091 μg/kg, respectively. Out of 200 samples collected from local markets in Egypt, 17 contained zilpaterol residues. Liver samples revealed the highest detection frequency (26%), followed by meat (6%), at mean concentrations of 2.64 and 1.93 μg/kg, respectively.

Recent advances in the chromatographic analysis of endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids in biological samples

Endocannabinoid system, including endocannabinoid neurotransmitters (eCBs), has gained much attention over the last years due to its involvement with the pathophysiology of diseases and the potential use of Cannabis sativa (marijuana). The identification of eCBs and phytocannabinoids in biological samples for forensic, clinical, or therapeutic drug monitoring purposes constitutes a still significant challenge. In this scoping review, the recent advantages, and limitations of the eCBs and phytocannabinoids quantification in biological samples are described. Published studies from 2018-2023 were searched in 8 databases, and after screening and exclusions, the selected 38 articles had their data tabulated, summarized, and analyzed. The main characteristics of the eCBs and phytocannabinoids analyzed and the potential use of each biological sample were described, indicating gaps in the literature that still need to be explored. Well-established and innovative sample preparation protocols, and chromatographic separations, such as GC, HPLC, and UHPLC, are reviewed highlighting their respective advantages, drawbacks, and challenges. Lastly, future approaches, challenges, and tendencies in the quantification analysis of cannabinoids are discussed.

CdTe based water-soluble fluorescent probe for rapid detection of zilpaterol in swine urine and pork

Zilpaterol hydrochloride (zilpaterol) is used in animal feed as it can increase the lean meat mass. However, consuming zilpaterol-containing animal products may damage human health. Therefore, rapid detection of zilpaterol is attracting increasing research attention. This study aimed to developed a fast, accurate, and ultrasensitive fluorescence immunoassay based on CdTe quantum dots (QDs). A CdTe QD fluorescence sensor was synthesized from thioglycolic acid using a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of the CdTe QDs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The detection limits of our method in swine urine and pork samples were 0.5 μg/L and 1.2 μg/kg, respectively. A wide linear range of 0.1-10000 μg/L (R2 = 0.996) was achieved. Both within-run precision (CVw) and between-run precision (CVb) were ≤ 10 %. The method was then successfully applied for the analysis of zilpaterol contents in swine urine and pork samples.

Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry for drug and toxin analysis: A review of the recent literature

Ambient ionisation mass spectrometry (AIMS) is a form of mass spectrometry whereby analyte ionisation occurs outside of a vacuum source under ambient conditions. This enables the direct analysis of samples in their native state, with little or no sample preparation and without chromatographic separation. The removal of these steps facilitates a much faster analytical process, enabling the direct analysis of samples within minutes if not seconds. Consequently, AIMS has gained rapid popularity across a diverse range of applications, in particular the analysis of drugs and toxins. Numerous fields rely upon mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of drugs, including clinical diagnostics, forensic chemistry, and food safety. However, all of these fields are hindered by the time-consuming and laboratory-confined nature of traditional techniques. As such, the potential for AIMS to resolve these challenges has resulted in a growing interest in ambient ionisation for drug and toxin analysis. Since the early 2000s, forensic science, diagnostic testing, anti-doping, pharmaceuticals, environmental analysis and food safety have all seen a marked increase in AIMS applications, foreshadowing a new future for drug testing. In this review, some of the most promising AIMS techniques for drug analysis will be discussed, alongside different applications of AIMS published over a 5-year period, to provide a summary of the recent research activity for ambient ionisation for drug and toxin analysis.

Sample Preparation Techniques for Growth-Promoting Agents in Various Mammalian Specimen Preceding MS-Analytics

The misuse of growth-promoting drugs such as beta-2 agonists and steroids is a known problem in farming and sports competitions. Prior to the analysis of biological samples via liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) or gas chromatography (GC)-MS, sufficient sample preparation is required to reliably identify or determine the residues of drugs. In practice, broad screening methods are often used to save time and analyze as many compounds as possible. This review was conceptualized to analyze the literature from 2018 until October 2023 for sample preparation procedures applied to animal specimens before LC- or GC-MS analysis. The animals were either used in farming or sports. In the present review, solid phase extraction (SPE) was observed as the dominant sample clean-up technique for beta-2 agonists and steroids, followed by protein precipitation. For the extraction of beta-2 agonists, mixed-mode cation exchanger-based SPE phases were preferably applied, while for the steroids, various types of SPE materials were reported. Furthermore, dispersive SPE-based QuEChERs were utilized. Combinatory use of SPE and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was observed to cover further drug classes in addition to beta-2 agonists in broader screening methods.

Rapid quantification of cannabinoids in beef tissues and bodily fluids using direct-delivery electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Hempseed cake is a byproduct of hempseed oil extraction and is potentially a useful source of protein and fiber for use in ruminant diets. However, data are lacking on the appearance and/or clearance of cannabinoids in tissues of animals fed hempseed cake. To this end, a rapid method for quantifying cannabinol (CBN), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinolic acid (CBNA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in cattle tissues, plasma, and urine was developed using rapid screen electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RS-ESI-MS). Regression coefficients of matrix-matched standard curves ranged from 0.9946 to >0.9999 and analyte recoveries averaged from 90.2 ± 15.5 to 108.7 ± 18.7% across all compounds. Limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.05 to 2.79 ng · mL^-1 and 0.17 to 9.30 ng · mL^-1, respectively, while the inter-day relative standard deviation ranged from 5.1 to 15.1%. Rapid screening electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RS-ESI-MS) returned no false positives for any cannabinoid in plasma, urine, and tissue (liver, skeletal muscle) samples from 6 non-dosed control animals (n = 90 samples; of which 72 samples were plasma or urine and 18 samples were tissues). Across-animal cannabinoid concentrations measured in 32 plasma samples of cattle dosed with ground hemp were quantified by RS-ESI-MS; analytical results correlated well (r² = 0.963) with independent LC-MS/MS analysis of the same samples.

Determination of zilpaterol in a residue depletion study using LC-MS/MS in cattle plasma, muscle, liver and kidney

Zilpaterol is a β-agonist compound which promotes fat loss and muscle gain in cattle, providing economic benefits. However, zilpaterol residues in the animal might introduce a significant risk to humans after consumption. In the present manuscript, a highly specific, sensitive method using Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) in positive electrospray ionization (ESI +) mode by liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for plasma, muscle, liver and kidney is presented. For method development, composition of the aqueous mobile phase, precipitation agent, and solid phase extraction (SPE) conditions were optimized. The method was fully validated showing a good linearity and recovery average greater than or equal to 97 % for all matrices. The method was applied to residue depletion studies in cattle after withdrawal of zilpaterol supplementation at 3, 4, 5 and 6 days showing that tissues can be consumed by humans after 4th day of zilpaterol withdrawal.

Evaluation of rapid and standard tandem mass spectrometric methods to analyse veterinary drugs and their metabolites in antemortem bodily fluids from food animals

Antemortem bodily fluids can serve as an indicator of veterinary medicine exposure prior to food animal slaughter. A multi-residue, rapid screen electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric (RS-ESI-MS) method was developed to analyse 10 veterinary drugs or metabolites (clenbuterol, erythromycin, flunixin, 5-hydroxyflunixin, meloxicam, ractopamine, ractopamine-glucuronide, salbutamol, tylosin, and zilpaterol) in hog oral fluid and bovine urine. Simple acetonitrile extraction with salting-out was employed to remove the analytes from matrices in less than 30 minutes. Instrumental analysis time was < 1 min/injection. Regression coefficients of matrix-matched calibration curves ranged 0.9743-0.9999 across all compounds with limits of detection ranging from 0.46-108 ng mL^-1 for cattle urine and 0.19-64.4 ng mL^-1 for hog oral fluid across all analytes. Except for ractopamine-glucuronide, analyte recoveries ranged from 92.7-106% for oral fluid and urine fortified at 30, 100, and 300 ng mL^-1, with inter-day variations of < 25%. Ractopamine-glucuronide recovery was 93.3% for oral fluid fortified at 300 ng mL^-1. The RS-ESI-MS method accurately identified ractopamine and/or ractopamine-glucuronide in incurred cattle urine with results correlating well with traditional LC-MS/MS and HPLC fluorescence methods. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of the direct quantification of ractopamine-glucuronide from biological matrices without lengthy hydrolysis and cleanup steps.

Ambient electric arc ionization for versatile sample analysis using mass spectrometry

A novel, convenient ambient electric arc ionization (AEAI) device was developed as a mass spectrometry ion source for versatile sample analysis. AEAI could be considered as a soft ionization technique in which the protonated ion ([M + H]⁺) is the main ion species with little or no in-source fragmentation for most analytes. Coupled with a high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer, AEAI could be applied to the analysis of a variety of organic compounds having a wide range of polarities, ranging from non-polar species such as polybenzenoid aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to highly polar species such as amino acids. With its versatile capabilities in the mass spectrometric analysis of small molecules, AEAI has the potential to be an alternative to traditional ionization methods such as electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), and electron impact (EI) ionization. The limitations of AEAI are also discussed.

Electrospray Ionization Inlet Tandem Mass Spectrometry: A Hyphenated Method for the Sensitive Determination of Chemicals in Animal Tissues and Body Fluids

This study demonstrates the utility of electrospray ionization inlet mass spectrometry (ESII-MS/MS) for the quantitative determination of analytes in complex animal matrices without chromatographic separation. Veterinary drugs including flunixin, its metabolite 5-hydroxyflunixin, and zilpaterol and persistent organic perfluoroalkyl compounds were determined in incurred plasma, urine, and/or tissue samples. Limits of detection (LOD) of zilpaterol in kidney, liver, lung, and muscle ranged from 0.02 to 0.06 ng/g, whereas the limit of quantitation (LOQ) for zilpaterol in all tissues was 0.1 ng/g. For urinary or plasma flunixin, 5-hydroxyflunixin, and PFOS/PFHxS, LODs ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 ng/mL while the LOQs ranged from 0.4 to 50 ng/mL. Regression coefficients for matrix-matched standard curves were 0.993-0.997, 0.977-0.999, and 0.999 for plasma, tissues, and urine, respectively. Correlations between quantitative results obtained by ESII-MS/MS and LC-MS for flunixin, 5-hydroxyflunixin, and zilpaterol ranged from 0.930 to 0.985. ESII-MS/MS provided rapid, sensitive, and accurate analyses of veterinary drugs and environmental contaminants from complex matrices without chromatographic separation.

Hapten synthesis and antibody production for the development of a paper immunosensor for lean meat powder zilpaterol

An anti-zilpaterol mAb with an IC₅₀ of 0.31 ng mL⁻¹ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.02 ng mL⁻¹ has been developed. For semi-quantitative detection in pork samples, the visual LOD is 0.5 ng mL⁻¹ and the cut-off value is 5 ng mL⁻¹.

Electrospray ionization rapid screening sans liquid chromatography column: A sensitive method for detection and quantification of chemicals in animal tissues and urine

RATIONALE

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in conjunction with liquid chromatography (LC) can provide accurate quantitative data, but it is not well-suited for the rapid screening (RS) of analytes incurred into complex matrices. This study was designed to determine the usefulness of ESI for rapid detection and quantitation of veterinary drugs from complex biological matrices under near real-time conditions.

METHODS

Nine veterinary drugs or metabolites, clenbuterol, erythromycin, flunixin, 5-hydroxyflunixin, meloxicam, ractopamine, salbutamol, tylosin and zilpaterol, present in cow urine, sheep urine, sheep tissues (kidney, muscle, liver and lung) or pig kidney, were simultaneously analyzed. A simple sample clean-up procedure, which included dilution with 10% sodium carbonate followed by extraction with ethyl acetate, was used. For tissues, an additional pre-extraction with hexane was performed to remove fat prior to MS analysis. Samples were introduced into the mass spectrometer through the LC autosampler, but no chromatographic separation was employed. A Sciex 5600+ triple time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a dual-spray source interfaced with a Shimadzu Nexera LC system was used. Samples were analyzed in positive ion mode.

RESULTS

Sample extraction times were typically 10-30 min or less and instrumental analysis time was 1 min/sample. Regression coefficients of matrix-matched standard curves across all compounds ranged from 0.9701-0.9999 in urine (cow and sheep) and tissues (sheep kidney, liver, lung, muscle and pig kidney). Limits of detection ranged from 0.11 to 2.03 ng/mL across analytes in urine and 0.11 to 8.86 ng/g across tissues. Correlations between RS-ESI-MS and LC/MS/MS results were 0.956 to 0.998 for incurred residues of flunixin in cow urine, ractopamine in pig kidney and zilpaterol in sheep urine.

CONCLUSIONS

RS-ESI-MS provided rapid, sensitive, and accurate analyses of nine veterinary drugs from complex matrices with very little sample preparation and produced quantitative data akin to LC/MS/MS.

Selective extraction and detection of β-agonists in swine urine for monitoring illegal use in livestock breeding

The illegal use of β-agonists often endangers animal-derived food safety. In this study, a selective detection method for β-agonists in swine urine was established via the combination of polymeric ionic liquid-molecularly imprinted graphene oxide-miniaturized pipette tip solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography. It is worth noting that this method relied mainly on the designed adsorbent, which presented a rich adsorption mechanism, fast mass transfer rate, and high selectivity, and was successfully utilized in the selective extraction of β-agonists from swine urine samples. The proposed method has low LOD (0.20-0.56 ng/mL), high recovery (94.9-107.9%), and high reusability (4 times, 91.9-108.8%), which indicates its high potential as a selective, sensitive, accurate, and nonfatal method for monitoring the illegal use of β-agonists in the livestock breeding stage.

High-Throughput, Rapid Quantification of Phthalic Acid Esters and Alkylphenols in Fish Using a Coated Direct Inlet Probe Coupled with Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization

Intake of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by humans could disturb the metabolism of hormones, induce cancer, and damage the liver and other organs. Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) and alkylphenols (APs) are important EDCs and environmental contaminants. With the increasing use of plastics and nonionic surfactants worldwide, PAEs and APs have entered environmental water and accumulated in edible fish, which are finally consumed by humans. In this study, a coated direct inlet probe (CDIP) based on an atmospheric solid analysis probe, which can rapidly and simultaneously extract both PAEs and APs in fish, was developed. Twelve PAEs and APs were quantified by using a stable-isotope-labeled internal standard. Standard curves of the PAEs and APs having correlation coefficients of R² ≥ 0.9837 were obtained. The limit of detection of the PAEs and APs was distributed from 0.01 to 40 ng g^-1. The relative recovery of the method was 78-120% between low, medium, and high spiked levels. Combined with principal component analysis, PAE- and AP-contaminated Carassius auratus from different habitats could be identified. Multiple sample analysis mode allowed the extraction of up to 12 samples at once, and the total analysis time (including sample pretreatment, extraction, and analysis time) was less than 10 min per sample, which indicates that CDIP is useful for rapid quantitative analysis.