Immunochemical-based zilpaterol measurement and validation in urine and tissues

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.

Sporadic worldwide "clusters" of feed driven Zilpaterol identifications in racing horses: a review and analysis

Zilpaterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist medication approved in certain countries as a cattle feed additive to improve carcass quality. Trace amounts of Zilpaterol can transfer to horse feed, yielding equine urinary "identifications" of Zilpaterol. These "identifications" occur because Zilpaterol is highly bioavailable in horses, resistant to biotransformation and excreted as unchanged Zilpaterol in urine, where it has a 5 day or so terminal half-life.In horses, urinary steady-state concentrations are reached 25 days (5 half-lives) after exposure to contaminated feed. Zilpaterol readily presents in horse urine, yielding clusters of feed related Zilpaterol identifications in racehorses. The first cluster, April 2013, involved 48 racehorses in California; the second cluster, July 2013, involved 15 to 80 racehorses in Hong Kong. The third cluster, March 2019, involved 24 racehorses in Mauritius; this cluster traced to South African feedstuffs, triggering an alert concerning possible Zilpaterol feed contamination in South African racing. The fourth cluster, September/October 2020 involved 18 or so identifications in French racing, reported by the French Laboratories des Courses Hippiques, (LCH), and in July 2021, a fifth cluster of 10 Zilpaterol identifications in South Africa.The regulatory approach to these identifications has been to alert horsemen and feed companies and penalties against horsemen are generally not implemented. Additionally, given their minimal exposure to Zilpaterol, there is little likelihood of Zilpaterol effects on racing performance or adverse health effects for exposed horses.The driving factor in these events is that Zilpaterol is dissolved in molasses for incorporation into cattle feed. Inadvertent incorporation of Zilpaterol containing molasses into horse feed was the source of the California and Hong Kong Zilpaterol identifications. A second factor in the 2019 Mauritius and 2020 French identifications was the sensitivity of testing for Zilpaterol in Mauritius and France, with the French laboratory reportedly testing at a "more sensitive level for Zilpaterol". As of January 1^st, 2021, the new FEI Atypical Finding (ATF) policy specifies Zilpaterol as a substance to be treated as an Atypical Finding (ATF), allowing consideration of inadvertent feed contamination in the regulatory evaluation of Zilpaterol identifications.

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.

[Determination of Zilpaterol in Livestock Products by LC-MS/MS]

An analytical method for the determination of zilpaterol in livestock products was developed. The sample was stirred with n-hexane and n-hexane saturated acetonitrile, and zilpaterol in the sample was extracted with acetonitrile. The extract was cleaned up on a ODS cartridge column (1 g) and SCX cartridge column (500 mg). The LC separation was carried out using an Inertsil ODS-4 column and linear gradient elution with 0.1%formic acid and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid as mobile phase. Detection of MS was carried out positive ion electrospray ionization mode. Average recoveries (n=5) of zilpaterol from 6 kinds of livestock products fortified at the MRLs (0.01 mg/kg) were 87.0-99.4%, and the relative standard deviations were 2.4-6.3%. The limits of quantitation were 0.01 mg/kg.

Development and Application of a Method for Rapid and Simultaneous Determination of Three β-agonists (Clenbuterol, Ractopamine, and Zilpaterol) using Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry

β-agonists are anabolic compounds that promote fat loss and muscle gain, and their administration to livestock may provide economic benefits by increasing growth rate and feed efficiency. For these reasons, β-agonists are also commonly added to livestock feed as growth promoters. This can introduce a significant risk of secondary human poisoning through intake of contaminated meat. A new method for the simultaneous determination of three β-agonists (clenbuterol, ractopamine, and zilpaterol) was developed in this study and applied to various meat samples. The limits of quantification, derived through a validation test following Codex guidelines, were 0.2 μg/kg for clenbuterol and zilpaterol, and 0.4 μg/kg for ractopamine. The average recoveries for clenbuterol, ractopamine, and zilpaterol ranged from 109.1% to 118.3%, 95.3% to 109.0%, and 94.1% to 120.0%, respectively. The recovery and coefficient of variation (CV) values fell within the acceptable range according to the Codex guidelines. This method reduced the analysis time without decreasing detection efficiency by modifying the pretreatment steps. This method could be utilized to manage the safety of imported meat products from countries where zilpaterol use is still permitted, thereby improving public health and preventing β-agonist poisoning due to secondary contamination.