Liquid chromatographic determination of N-methylcarbamate insecticides and metabolites in crops. I. Collaborative study

A liquid chromatographic (LC) multiresidue method for determining residues of N-methylcarbamate insecticides in crops was collaboratively studied in 6 laboratories. Methanol and a mechanical ultrasonic homogenizer are used to extract the carbamates. Water-soluble plant coextractives and nonpolar plant lipid materials are removed from the carbamate residues by liquid-liquid partitioning. Additional crop coextractives (e.g., carotenes, chlorophylls) are removed with a Nuchar SN-silanized Celite column. The carbamate residues are then separated on a reverse phase LC column, using an acetonitrile-water gradient mobile phase. Eluted residues are detected by an in-line post-column fluorometric detection technique. Seven carbamates and 2 carbamate metabolites were included in the collaborative study. Each collaborator determined all the carbamates at 2 levels (approximately 0.05 ppm and United States tolerance) in blind duplicate samples of grapes and potatoes. Fortified and control samples were analyzed. Repeatability coefficients of variation for all the carbamates on the 2 crops averaged 4.7% and ranged from 2.4 to 7.1%. Reproducibility coefficients of variation for all the carbamates on the 2 crops averaged 8.7% and ranged from 5.3 to 12.4%. Accuracy, measured by comparison with fortification values, averaged 95% and ranged from 79 to 103%. The estimated limit of quantitation is 0.01 ppm. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Gas chromatographic determination of ametryn and its metabolites in tropical root crops

Residue analysis of the herbicide ametryn (2-methylthio-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) is widely known but an analytical method for determining its metabolites has not yet been reported in the literature. A method has been developed for the extraction and determination of ametryn and 3 metabolites, 2-methylthio-4-amino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (GS-11354), 2-methylthio-4,6-diamino-s-triazine (GS-26831), and 2-methylthio-4-amino-6-ethylamino-s-triazine (GS-11355) in taniers , yams , cassava. Residues were extracted from crops with ethyl acetate-toluene (3 + 1 v/v), using a Polytron homogenizer and anhydrous sodium sulfate added for drying. The extracts were cleaned up by automated gel permeation chromatography on Bio-Beads SX-3 gel in the same solvent system. Quantitative determination was performed by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis on a column packed with 5% DEGS -PS on 100-120 mesh Supelcoport using either an N-P detector or a flame photometric detector ( FPD ) in the sulfur mode. Minimum detection by the flame photometric detector is 10 ng each for ametryn , GS-11354, and GS-11355 and 21 ng for GS-26831; by the N-P detector, 0.3 ng of each component gives easily quantitatable peaks. On a parts per million basis, starting with 25 g sample, the FPD detected a minimum level of 0.04 microgram/g each for ametryn , GS-11354, and GS-11355, and 0.08 microgram/g for GS-26831. The N-P detector could detect 0.0024 microgram/g for all 4 compounds. In addition to superior sensitivity, instrumental conditions allowed the complete separation of components in 10 min, for the N-P detector; more than 30 min was required for the FPD . Recoveries from fortified crops ranged from 67 to 111% at levels of 0.1-1.0 microgram/g.     

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry of N-methylcarbamate insecticides, some of their metabolites, and related compounds.

The chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra with methane as the reagent gas are reported for 25 N-methylcarbamate insecticides or related compounds. The [M + 1]+ ions in the CI spectra are larger than the parent ions in the corresponding electron impact (EI) spectra of N-methyl- and N,N-dimethylcarbamates, but the contrary is true with N-hydroxymethylcarbamates. CI but not EI fragmentation of substituted-phenyl N-hydroxymethylcarbamates [ROC (O) NHCH2OH] appears to involve a 4-membered [ROC(O)NHCH2]+ intermediate which rearranges to give a [ROCH2]+ fragment. Other fragmentations unique to the CI spectra are also discussed.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of desfuroylceftiofur metabolite of ceftiofur as residue in cattle plasma

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method has been developed for the determination of the desfuroylceftiofur metabolite of ceftiofur as a residue in the plasma of animals. Plasma sample in 0.1M pH 8.7 phosphate buffer containing dithioerythritol is incubated under nitrogen for 15 min at 50 degrees C. The sample is centrifuged, charged to a C18 cartridge, and washed with 0.1M ammonium acetate. The desfuroylceftiofur residue on the cartridge is derivatized by adding 0.1M ammonium acetate containing iodoacetamide and letting the cartridge stand in the dark for 30 min. The cartridge is then drained and rinsed, and the desfuroylceftiofur acetamide is eluted with methanol. The mixture is evaporated to dryness, dissolved in pH 10.6 sodium hydroxide, and charged to a SAX cartridge. The derivative is eluted with 2% acetic acid, reduced in volume, and dissolved in mobile phase for liquid chromatography. The LC system includes a C8 column and guard cartridge with UV detection at 254 nm. The gradient mobile phase (flow rate 1 mL/min) is 0.01M pH 5 ammonium acetate programmed to 29% methanol-water (60 + 40) in 25 min. Recoveries were 90-100% with a sensitivity of 0.1 ppm or less. The procedure has been applied to the plasma of cattle, rats, horses, pigs, and dogs.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of zoalene and its metabolites in chicken tissues with electrochemical detection

A procedure is described for the quantitation of Zoalene (3,5-dinitro-o-toluamide) and its 2 major monoamino metabolites in chicken tissues. The method includes blender extraction of tissue with chloroformethyl acetate (1 + 1), adsorption of the drug and metabolites on neutral alumina, and subsequent elution of the residues with pH 3.5 formate buffer-methanol (6.5 + 3.5). Recovered residues were separated on a 5 micron C18 column with the alumina eluting solvent as the LC mobile phase. The parent drug and metabolites were detected and quantitated with an electrochemical detector in the reductive mode with a minimum level of reliable measurement of 0.1 ppm. Overall mean recoveries greater than 85% were obtained with Zoalene and its 2 monoamino metabolites in breast, thigh, and liver tissues fortified with 0.25-2.00 ppm. The results on tissues from chickens fed a diet containing 0.0125% Zoalene are presented.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of paraquat and diquat in crops using a silica column with aqueous ionic mobile phase.

A method was developed for the determination of paraquat (PQ) and diquat (DQ) in high moisture food crops. Samples were digested with 6M HCl, and the herbicides were isolated from the digest using pH-controlled silica solid phase extraction. The analytes were then determined by ion-pairing liquid chromatography with a silica analytical column, sodium chloride as the ion-pairing reagent, and acetonitrile as the organic modifier. A diode array UV absorbance detector was used to simultaneously quantify PQ and DQ at their respective maximum absorbance wavelengths, 257 and 310 nm. Average recoveries of PQ and DQ standards from 4 different crops fortified at 0.01-0.50 ppm levels ranged from 79.3 to 104.8%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of depletion of bithionol sulfoxide and its two major metabolites in bovine milk

A liquid chromatographic method is described for determining bithionol sulfoxide and its metabolites, bithionol and bithionol sulfone, in milk. Samples are treated with HCl to precipitate proteins and to permit extraction of bithionol sulfoxide in nonionized form. Tetrahydrofuran is added to the organic phase to facilitate extraction in diethyl ether; the dried residue is dissolved in chloroform, hexane, and sodium hydroxide and subjected to LC analysis. Residues of bithionol sulfoxide and its 2 metabolites were determined in milk of lactating cows. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were administered a single oral dose of bithionol sulfoxide (50 mg/kg). Milk samples were analyzed with a reliable detection level of 0.025 microgram/mL for each compound. Residues of bithionol sulfoxide and bithionol were detected during 30 and 16 milkings, respectively; bithionol sulfone was never present at detectable levels.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of desoxycorticosterone acetate in oil injections.

To determine desoxycorticosterone acetate in oil injections, reverse phase partition chromatography on silanized, purified siliceous earth was used to separate the corticosteroid ester from the bulk of the oil vehicle. The latter was retained on the column while the steroid and the sterol and triterpenoid fractions of the oil were eluted. An internal standard was added to this eluate, which was then subjected to reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The desoxycorticosterone acetate was quantitatively separated in the HPLC procedure from any free desoxycorticosterone, preservatives, and minor components of the oil. The suitability of the HPLC procedure was verified with a number of C18 packing materials, both pellicular and microparticular. The desoxycorticosterone acetate was adequately resolved from the internal standard, progesterone, with most C18 packing materials evaluated. The proposed procedure provides a suitable stability-indicating assay for desoxycorticosterone acetate in oil injections.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of melamine in beverages

A liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of melamine in beverages. Melamine is separated by column chromatography using cation and anion exchange resin and determined by ion-pair liquid chromatography using an ODS column and a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.05M phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) containing 0.005M sodium 1-laurylsulfate (1 + 4, v/v) as mobile phase. Recoveries of melamine ranged between 90.3 +/- 7.8 and 102.1 +/- 5.6% at levels of 0.6 to 2.4 ppm in 4 kinds of beverages. The quantitation limit was 2.5 micrograms melamine in 50 mL beverage. The method was applied to the migration test of melamine from melamine-formaldehyde resin products to the beverages.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of sulfamethazine in feeds

A reverse-phase liquid chromatographic method for the assay of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in feeds is described. Feed samples are extracted with 50% methanol solution, centrifuged, filtered, and diluted when necessary, and chromatographed on a C-18 column. Samples are eluted with a mobile phase of 20% methanol and 80% of a solution containing acetic acid and tetramethylammonium chloride. The average recovery from spiked samples was 97.2% with a coefficient of variation of 1.2%. Linearity was very good (correlation coefficient 0.9997). Within-day and between-day coefficients of variation averaged 1.3 and 2.6%, respectively. The results for samples assayed by this method compared closely with the results from the same extracts assayed by the AOAC colorimetric method.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of sulfamethazine in milk

A simple, relatively rapid liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in milk at levels in the low ppb range. The method is based on extracting SMZ from milk with chloroform, evaporating the chloroform, dissolving the residues in hexane, extracting into buffers, and chromatographing the buffer solution. The method has been shown to determine levels as low as 5 ppb reliably. Levels greater than or equal to 7 ppb have been confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after derivatization of extracts from fortified, incurred, and shelf milk. Intralaboratory recoveries and percent coefficients of variation are satisfactory. Sulfadimethoxine and sulfaquinoxaline can also be determined by the method. Application of the method to other dairy products is being investigated.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of carbamazepine in tablets

A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic method is described for the qualitative and quantitative determination of carbamazepine in tablet composites and individual tablets, using the internal standard technique. Analyses were performed on a C-18 reverse-phase column with tetrahydrofuran-methanol-water (8 + 37 + 55) as the mobile phase. A linear relationship was obtained between detector responses at 254 nm and amounts of carbamazepine injected ranging from 0.2 to 1.7 micrograms. The coefficient of variation for 10 consecutive injections of a standard preparation was 0.4%. Recoveries of carbamazepine from 100 and 200 mg tablets averaged 101.4 and 99.7%, respectively. Assay results for commercial tablets analyzed by the proposed method agreed favorably with those obtained by the method of USP XXI. The assay results for individual tablets indicated that deviations from the average value and the range of individual values are much wider with the compendial method than with the proposed method.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of flucytosine in capsules

A liquid chromatographic method has been developed for determination of flucytosine in capsules. Flucytosine and p-aminobenzoic acid, the internal standard, are separated on a C18 reverse phase column using water-methanol-acetic acid mobile phase containing 1-octane-sulfonic acid sodium salt. Compounds are detected photometrically at 285 nm. Mean assay results for 250 and 500 mg commercial capsules were 101.5% (n = 5) of declared, respectively. Mean recovery of flucytosine added to commercial capsules was 99.3%.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of nicarbazin in feed

A liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of nicarbazin (4,4'-dinitrocarbanilide.2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine) in chicken feed. Ground feed was extracted with hot dimethylformamide, filtered, and then cleaned up on an alumina column. The nicarbazin was eluted from the column with ethanol and quantitated using a reverse phase C-18 column, with a methanol-water mobile phase and ultraviolet detection at 344 nm. Recoveries at a typical use level of 100 micrograms/g feed averaged 98% with a standard deviation of 3%. Samples fortified at levels as low as 0.1 micrograms/g were analyzed with 92% recovery. The detection limit is 1 ng, and the response is linear between 4 and 1000 ng. Feed additives in combination with nicarbazin do not interfere with recovery.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of epimerization of chlortetracycline residue to 4-epi-chlortetracycline residue in animal feed, using McIlvain's buffer as extractant

A method for studying McIlvain's solution as a factor in epimerization of chlortetracycline in animal feed has been developed. McIlvain's solution (McBuffer) was used previously to extract oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline-HCl (TC-HCl), and chlortetracycline-HCl (CTC-HCl) from animal feed because it gave the best recoveries for all 3 tetracyclines; however, the McBuffer solution caused epimerization of CTC-HCl to 4-epi-chlortetracycline (4-epi-CTC). Recovery results were 30-40% lower for CTC than for OTC and TC from the same sample extract. The levels of concentration tested for CTC and 4-epi-CTC were 10 ppm, the detection limits for both were 3 ppb, and the calibration curves were linear between 5 and 80 ppm for both CTC-HCl and 4-epi-CTC. The present study shows that CTC recoveries averaged 35% lower because of epimerization initiated by the use of McBuffer in the extraction procedure.     

Simplified cleanup and gas chromatographic determination of organophosphorus pesticides in crops

A simple and efficient cleanup method for gas chromatographic determination of 23 organophosphorus pesticides in crops including onion is described. The sample was extracted with acetone. The extract was purified with coagulating solution, which contained ammonium chloride and phosphoric acid, and then filtered by suction. The filtrate was diluted with NaCl solution and reextracted with benzene. The organic layer was evaporated and injected into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector (FPD) and fused silica capillary columns (0.53 mm id) coated with silicone equivalent to OV-1701, OV-1, and SE-52. Onion extract, which contained FPD interferences, was cleaned up on a disposable silica cartridge. Recoveries of most organophosphorus pesticides from spiked crops: mandarin orange, tomato, spinach, sweet pepper, broccoli, lettuce, and onion at levels of 0.02-0.28 ppm, exceeded 80%, but the water-soluble pesticides dichlorvos and dimethoate gave poor recoveries in all crops; the nonpolar pesticides disulfoton, chlorpyrifos, fenthion, prothiophos, and leptophos were not recovered quantitatively in spinach, sweet pepper, broccoli, and lettuce. IBP, edifenphos, phosmet, and pyridaphenthion were not recovered from onion because of adsorption to the silica cartridge. The detection limits ranged from 1.25 to 17.5 ppb on a crop basis.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of thiabendazole and methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate in fruits and crops.

A method is described for the electron capture gas-liquid chromatographic determination of thiabendazole and methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate (MBC) after derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB-Br). The samples are extracted with ethyl acetate, and the residual thiabendazole, benomyl, and MBC are isolated by liquid-liquid extraction into dilute HCl. After neutralization and re-extraction with ethyl acetate, thiabendazole and MBC are reacted with PFB-Br to form the PFB derivatives. Alumina column chromatography was used to clean up extracts, and the derivatives could be detected as low as 5-10 pg. Recoveries were 95-98% from fruits fortified with 0.3-2.0 ppm thiabenzadole; recoveries were 91-97% when 0.05-1.0 ppm benomyl/MBC were added to fruits/crops. The PFB derivatives were identified by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.