Analysis of veterinary drugs and metabolites in milk using quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

A quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed to analyze veterinary drug residues in milk. Milk samples were extracted with acetonitrile. A molecular weight cutoff filter was the only cleanup step in the procedure. Initially, a set of target compounds (including representative sulfonamides, tetracyclines, β-lactams, and macrolides) was used for validation. Screening of residues was accomplished by collecting TOF (MS(1)) data and comparing the accurate mass and retention times of found compounds to a database containing information for veterinary drugs. The residues included in the study could be detected in samples fortified at the levels of concern with this procedure 97% of the time. Although the method was intended to be qualitative, an evaluation of the MS data indicated a linear response and acceptable recoveries for a majority of target compounds. In addition, MS/MS data were also generated for the [M + H](+) ions. Product ions for each compound were identified, and their mass accuracy was compared to theoretical values. Finally, incurred milk samples from cows dosed with veterinary drugs, including sulfamethazine, flunixin, cephapirin, or enrofloxacin, were analyzed with Q-TOF LC-MS. In addition to monitoring for the parent residues, several metabolites were detected in these samples by TOF. Proposed identification of these residues could be made by evaluating the MS and MS/MS data. For example, several plausible metabolites of enrofloxacin, some not previously observed in milk, are reported in this study.     

抗生素在土壤中的吸附行为研究进展

抗生素是畜禽养殖和水产养殖中常用的一类化学品,其使用量大,体内代谢率低,可通过畜禽粪便的农业施用直接进入土壤环境,在土壤中易残留,富集到一定水平就可能影响生态健康和安全.目前,抗生素污染最令人类担忧的风险是抗性基因和抗性病菌的滋生和传播.抗生素在土壤中的吸附作用是影响其持留、分布、迁移、转化及最终归趋的关键过程.本文选择四环素类、磺胺类、大环内酯类和喹诺酮类4类常用抗生素,论述了pH值、离子强度和金属离子、有机质以及其他土壤理化性质等因素对其吸附的影响,并对抗生素在土壤中的吸附机理进行了初步的探讨.     

Multiclass determination and confirmation of antibiotic residues in honey using LC-MS/MS

A multiclass method has been developed for the determination and confirmation in honey of tetracyclines (chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, enrofloxacin, and sarafloxacin), macrolides (tylosin), lincosamides (lincomycin), aminoglycosides (streptomycin), sulfonamides (sulfathiazole), phenicols (chloramphenicol), and fumagillin residues using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Erythromycin (a macrolide) and monensin (an ionophore) can be detected and confirmed but not quantitated. Honey samples (approximately 2 g) are dissolved in 10 mL of water and centrifuged. An aliquot of the supernatant is used to determine streptomycin. The remaining supernatant is filtered through a fine-mesh nylon fabric and cleaned up by solid phase extraction. After solvent evaporation and sample reconstitution, 15 antibiotics are assayed by LC-MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive ion mode. Afterward, chloramphenicol is assayed using ESI in negative ion mode. The method has been validated at the low part per billion levels for most of the drugs with accuracies between 65 and 104% and coefficients of variation less than 17%. The evaluation of matrix effects caused by honey of different floral origin is presented.     

天津近郊地区淡水养殖水体的表层水及沉积物中典型抗生素的残留分析

利用固相萃取-高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用技术（SPE-HPLC-MS/MS）分析了天津近郊养殖水体的表层水及沉积物中喹诺酮类、四环素类及磺胺类3类共18种抗生素的残留,同时考察3类抗生素在不同季节的变化分布特征。结果表明,在淡水养殖水体的表层水中环丙沙星、恩诺沙星和土霉素等检出率较高,浓度范围在10.5～26.8μg·L-1之间;相对地,在养殖水体的沉积物中磺胺甲基异噁唑、磺胺甲噻二唑、磺胺二甲氧嘧啶、诺氟沙星的检出率较高,浓度范围在1.5～30.1μg·kg-1之间。研究同时发现,冬季3类抗生素在表层水和沉积物中的检出率和检出浓度普遍高于夏季。说明在我国部分淡水养殖地区的养殖水体中已经有一定量的磺胺类和喹诺酮类抗生素的残留,并可能威胁到水生生物的安全,进一步对人体健康产生危害,因此应加强对淡水养殖环境中抗生素残留的监测与管理。     

Development of multiclass methods for drug residues in eggs: hydrophilic solid-phase extraction cleanup and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis of tetracycline, fluoroquinolone, sulfonamide, and beta-lactam residues

A method was developed for detection of a variety of polar drug residues in eggs via liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). A total of twenty-nine target analytes from four drug classes-sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and beta-lactams-were extracted from eggs using a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance polymer solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. The extraction technique was developed for use at a target concentration of 100 ng/mL (ppb), and it was applied to eggs containing incurred residues from dosed laying hens. The ESI source was tuned using a single, generic set of tuning parameters, and analytes were separated with a phenyl-bonded silica cartridge column using an LC gradient. In a related study, residues of beta-lactam drugs were not found by LC/MS/MS in eggs from hens dosed orally with beta-lactam drugs. LC/MS/MS performance was evaluated on two generations of ion trap mass spectrometers, and key operational parameters were identified for each instrument. The ion trap acquisition methods could be set up for screening (a single product ion) or confirmation (multiple product ions). The lower limit of detection for screening purposes was 10-50 ppb (sulfonamides), 10-20 ppb (fluoroquinolones), and 10-50 ppb (tetracyclines), depending on the drug, instrument, and acquisition method. Development of this method demonstrates the feasibility of generic SPE, LC, and MS conditions for multiclass LC/MS residue screening.     

Microbial receptor assay for rapid detection and identification of seven families of antimicrobial drugs in milk: collaborative study

A microbial competitive receptor assay for detecting residues of antibiotic families in milk was studied collaboratively by 13 laboratories. The drugs and levels (ppb) tested in this study include penicillin G, 4.8; cephapirin, 5.0; cloxacillin, 100; tetracycline, 2000; chlortetracycline, 2000; oxytetracycline, 2000; erythromycin, 200; lincomycin, 400; clindamycin, 400; sulfamethazine, 75; sulfamethoxazole, 50; sulfisoxazole, 50; streptomycin, 1000; novobiocin, 50; and chloramphenicol, 800. In this method, microbial cells added to a milk sample provide specific binding sites for which 14C or 3H labeled drug competes with drug residues in the sample. The 14C or 3H binding to the specific binding sites is measured in a scintillation counter and compared with a zero standard milk. If the sample is statistically different from the zero standard, it is positive. The assay takes about 15 min. The binding reaction occurs between the receptor site and the drug functional group, so all members of a drug family are detected. In this case, beta-lactams, tetracyclines, macrolides, aminoglycosides, novobiocin, chloramphenicol, and sulfonamides, including p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and its other analogs, are detectable. The incidence of false negative determinations among samples is about 1%; the incidence of false positives is about 3%. For negative cases, the relative standard deviations for repeatability ranged from 0 to 5% and for reproducibility from 0 to 6%. For positive cases, relative standard deviations ranged from 0 to 13% for repeatability and from 0 to 14% for reproducibility. The method has been adopted official first action.     

Engineering of a broad specificity antibody for simultaneous detection of 13 sulfonamides at the maximum residue level

Sulfa antibiotics (sulfonamides) are a group of molecules sharing the p-aminobenzenesulfonamide moiety. Sulfonamides are used in veterinary and human medicine. Sometimes, the meat or milk of medicated animals is contaminated with residual sulfonamides. Current analytical methods for sulfonamides are unfit for screening of food, because they are either too laborious, insensitive, or specific for a few sulfa compounds only. A rapid immunoassay for detection of all sulfas in a single reaction would thus be useful. Previously, we used protein engineering to improve the broad specificity of sulfa antibody 27G3. In this study, we improved the best mutant of the previous studies with site-directed mutagenesis. The new mutants recognized different sulfonamides with affinities sufficient for detection of all 13 tested sulfonamides below the MRL level. We furthermore demonstrated the functionality of one mutant in some real sample matrices.     

A novel green chemistry method for nonaqueous extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography detection of first-, second-, and third-generation tetracyclines, 4-epitetracycline, and tylosin in animal feeds

Although tetracyclines and macrolides are common additives for animal nutrition, methods for their simultaneous determination in animal feeds are nonexistent. By coupling an organic extraction and solid-phase extraction cleanup to a high-performance liquid chromatography separation and a nonaqueous postcolumn derivatization, we succeeded in detecting from 0.2 to 24.0 μg kg(-1) of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, tigecycline, and 4-epitetracycline in this complex and heterogeneous matrix. Minocycline and tylosin could also be detected with our procedure, but using UV spectrophotometry (1.5 ≤ LOD ≤ 1.9 mg kg(-1)). Linear responses with correlation coefficients between 0.996 and 0.999 were obtained for all analytes in the 0.5-10 mg kg(-1) concentration range. Average recoveries between 59 and 97% and between 98 and 102% were obtained for the tetracyclines and tylosin, respectively. Replicate standard deviations were typically below 5%. When this method was applied to 20 feeds marketed in Costa Rica, we detected labeling inconsistencies, banned mixtures of tetracyclines, and tetracycline concentrations that contravene international regulation.     

Simultaneous analysis of free and conjugated estrogens, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines in runoff water and soils using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The ability to monitor multiple analytes from various classes of compounds in a single analysis can increase throughput and reduce cost when compared to traditional methods of analyses. This method for analyzing free (parent estrogen) and conjugated estrogens (metabolites) along with sulfonamides and tetracyclines utilizes a high pH (10.4) mobile phase with an ammonium hydroxide buffer for both positive- and negative-mode electrospray ionization. A single-step sample preparation by solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to isolate and concentrate all analytes simultaneously. The analytical method was developed and validated for recoveries at 3 concentration levels for water and soil and produced recoveries of 42-123% and 21-105% respectively. Method detection limits ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 ng/L for water samples and 0.01 to 0.1 ng/g for soils. The method quantification limit ranged from 0.9 to 3.3 ng/L for water samples and 0.06 to 0.7 ng/g for soils. The single-point standard addition calibration procedure was validated across a linear range of MQL to 100 ng/L with ≥82% accuracy against a matrix matched standard curve. Furthermore, sorption of tetracyclines onto glassware was investigated and minimized by 10% using nitric acid-rinsed glassware, while separation parameters were further optimized based on retention time and signal responses. This method has been used for the quantification of estrogens, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides in soil and runoff waters with multiple compounds detected simultaneously in a single analysis.     

广州市兽用抗生素的环境残留研究

畜禽废物中的抗生素可造成土壤及水体的抗生素污染,利用高效液相色谱及高效液相色谱-串联质谱分析了广州市代表性养殖场畜禽废物、施用畜禽粪土壤和鱼塘水中尼卡巴嗪、喹乙醇、四环素类、磺胺类、喹诺酮类、氯霉素类抗生素的含量。结果发现：猪粪、鸡粪中抗生素含量最高的均为四环素类,分别为123.76、14.59 mg.kg-1;含量最低的均为氯霉素类,分别为2.35μg.kg-1、0.08 mg.kg-1;小猪猪粪中抗生素的含量明显高于大猪。鱼塘水中抗生素含量较高的是四环素（5.16μg.L-1）与磺胺对甲氧嘧啶（4.78μg.L-1）,土霉素在所有样点中均未被检出。施用禽畜粪土壤中四环素类、喹诺酮类含量较高,分别为70.40、49.77μg.kg-1;磺胺甲基嘧啶、磺胺对甲氧嘧啶、磺胺甲噁唑、甲砜霉素、氯霉素、喹乙醇均未被检出。粪样中的抗生素可导致土壤和水体的抗生素污染,TCs、QNs和NCZ可能对生态环境和人类健康安全的威胁更大。     

Liquid chromatographic determination of multiple sulfonamide residues in bovine milk

A liquid chromatographic method has been developed for simultaneous determination of residues of 10 sulfonamide drugs at 10 ppb and above in raw bovine milk. The method is based on a chloroform-acetone extraction, evaporation of organic phase, dissolution of residues in an aqueous potassium phosphate solution, and extraction of fatty residue into hexane. The aqueous layer is collected, filtered, injected onto an LC system, and detected by ultraviolet absorption at 265 nm. To elute all 10 sulfonamides isocratically, 2 chromatographic conditions are required. Seven sulfonamides can be quantitated with 12% methanol in the mobile phase; 4 sulfonamides can be quantitated with 30% methanol. Sulfamethazine, the most widely used sulfonamide, is detected on both systems. Recoveries are 44-87% for individual sulfonamides, with only 2 below 60%. Coefficients of variation are 3-13% at 10 ppb.     

Development Method for Extracting and Analyzing Antibiotic and Hormone Residues from Treated Wastewater Sludge and Composted Biosolids

Extraction and analysis methods have been developed for the detection of the following four antibacterial agents and two natural estrogens in treated municipal wastewater sludge and commercial compost: sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), tetracycline (TET), oxytetracycline (OXY), estrone (E1), and 17??-estradiol (E2). The antibiotics and estrogens were extracted from secondary sludge and mixed compost using ultrasonic solvent extraction. Citric acid (pH?4.7) and methanol were used as extraction buffer, followed by tandem-solid-phase extraction cleanup, strong anion exchange?+?hydrophilic?Clipophilic balance for antibiotics and CarboPrep/NAX for estrogens. For quantification, two different methods were employed, using HPLC?CMS/MS, with an electrospray ionization source for antibiotics and an atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization source for estrogens. Recoveries were 11?C31% for the sulfonamides (SMX and SDM) and tetracyclines (TET and OXY) and 30?C59% for the estrogens (E1 and E2) over the entire method. Limits of detection for the extraction method were in the nanogram per gram range for dry weight sludge and compost samples. Neither of the two sulfonamide antibiotics was detected in secondary sludge or mixed compost samples. Estrogens were found in compost in amounts of 160?±?65?ng/g (E1) and 21?±?3?ng/g (E2), but not in sludge. The tetracyclines, as well as what is believed to be the 4-epimer of OXY, were found in both sludge and compost in amounts of 1.57?±?0.67 and 2.95?±?0.42???g/g (TET), 0.56?±?0.12 and 6.51?±?0.52???g/g (OXY), and 7.60?±?1.68 and 1.35?±?0.24???g/g (4-epi-OXY), respectively. These results indicate that sorption-prone compounds are not removed during the wastewater treatment process and can persist through sludge digestion and that the composting process does not sufficiently eliminate these particular contaminants. Thus, biosolids (even composted) are an additional source of drug residues leaching into the environment, and it must be considered while using biosolids as fertilizer.     

Rapid and sensitive determination of sulfonamide residues in milk and chicken muscle by microfluidic chip electrophoresis

A new, rapid, and sensitive method was proposed for the determination of sulfonamide residues in milk and chicken muscle samples by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Separation of fluorescamine-labeled sulfonamides was accomplished by using a buffer containing 5 mmol/L boric acid and 1% (w/v) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The pH, amount of PVA, and concentration of boric acid in the running buffer were found to have great influence on the separation. By optimizing these conditions, the separation of four sulfonamides, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfaquinoxaline, and sulfanilamide, was achieved within 1 min with limits of detection (S/N = 3) of 0.2-2.3 μg/L, which are well below the maximum residue limit. The proposed method also exhibited very good repeatability; the relative standard deviations for both within-day and between-day measurements were ≤3.0%. With a simplified sample pretreatment protocol, fast determination of sulfonamides in real samples was successfully performed with standard addition recoveries of 93.3-100.8 and 82.9-92.3%, respectively.     

Residue analysis of tetracyclines and their metabolites in eggs and in the environment by HPLC coupled with a microbiological assay and tandem mass spectrometry

Tetracyclines are widely used in farm animals. This can cause drug residues in products of animal origin and, after excretion of these substances, in animal slurry and in soil fertilized with that slurry. In this paper, we present a method based on a microbiological assay coupled with HPLC for the detection of oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and chlortetracycline in eggs. After a simple liquid extraction of the samples and HPLC separation, fractions were collected on microtiter plates, and the tetracyclines were analyzed using the Staphylococcus aureus assay. This method was able to identify residues of tetracyclines in eggs at a level set by regulatory agencies (i.e., 200 microg/kg). In addition, it was shown that the described microbiological method can be used as a screening assay for the detection of tetracyclines and possible biologically active metabolites in animal slurry and soil samples. Employing the same extraction procedure, it was demonstrated that LC-MS-MS allowed the quantification of 20-400 microg/kg in eggs with recoveries ranging from 71 to 109% and RSDs of 3-15%.     

Improving broad specificity hapten recognition with protein engineering

Sulfa antibiotics (sulfonamides) are derivatives of p-aminobenzenesulfonamide that are widely used in veterinary medicine. Foods derived from treated animals may be contaminated with these drugs. However, current immunobased sulfonamide detection methods are unfit for screening of products because they are either too insensitive or specific for a few compounds only. An immunoassay capable of detecting all sulfas in a single reaction would be ideal for screening. For development of a binder capable of binding all sulfas, a protein engineering approach was chosen and the properties of monoclonal antibody 27G3 were improved with mutagenesis followed by selection with phage display. Several different mutant antibodies were isolated. The cross-reaction profile of the best mutant antibody was significantly improved over that of the wild-type antibody: it was capable of binding 9 of the tested 13 sulfonamides within a narrow concentration range and also bound the rest of the sulfas, albeit within a wider concentration range.     

Residues of veterinary drugs in eggs and their distribution between yolk and white

Veterinary drugs and feed additives (especially some coccidiostats) can be absorbed by the digestive tract of laying hens and transferred to the egg. Physicochemical characteristics of these compounds determine their pharmacokinetic behavior and distribution to and within the egg. Traditionally the quite lipid soluble drugs and additives are expected to yield residues only in the fat-rich yolk. However, the quite lipid soluble drug doxycycline--as well as many other drugs--showed during long-term administration higher residues in white than in yolk. In a model study with 11 sulfonamides differing in pK(a) value and lipid solubility, their distribution in vivo between yolk and white was determined. Neither differences in pK(a) values nor those in lipid solubility could explain the distributions found. Binding to egg white macromolecules in vivo as an explanatory factor was tested with five sulfonamides, and no correlation between binding and the distribution of sulfonamides between white and yolk was found. Literature data on the distribution of drugs between egg white and yolk showed a reasonable consistency within drugs and a large variability among drugs (as could be expected). This larger database also did not provide a clue as to what factor determines the distribution of a drug between egg white and yolk when given to laying hens.     

生鲜乳中兽药残留的快速筛查与风险预警体系构建

该研究探索并构建一种基于历史数据分析的安全预警方法,对生鲜乳中兽药残留情况进行识别、控制与评价,以便在风险发生之前做出准确判断。首先利用高效液相色谱-高分辨飞行时间串联质谱(High Performance Liquid Chromatography-high Resolution Time-of-flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry,HPLC-TOF-MS/MS)方法对上海市各牧场的生鲜乳进行兽药残留筛查,然后以生鲜乳中泼尼松(Prednisone,Pre)残留检出数为例,利用休哈特控制图(Shewhart control charts)构建风险预警体系。结果表明:在300个生鲜乳样品中共筛查出42种兽药残留,涉及类固醇类(12种)、糖皮质类(6种)和镇静剂(5种)等12大类;在筛查的6个星期中,泼尼松检出数(Number of Prednisone Detected,Pn)控制图呈现稳定的状态;当假设第7周泼尼松检出数为6时,Pn控制图呈现稳态,未触发预警;当假设第7周泼尼松检出数为10时,Pn控制图出现异常,稳态遭到破坏,此时该批样品触发风险预警。综上,利用HPLC-TOF-MS/MS能对生鲜乳样品进行高通量的兽药残留筛查,再利用休哈特控制图结合历史数据可以对生鲜乳样品的兽药残留进行有效的风险监测和预警。     

Effects of long-term manure applications on the occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in paddy soils: Evidence from four field experiments in south of China

Most studies of the effects of manure amendment on the occurrence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil employ the investigation of grab samples or short-term laboratory studies. However, the effects of long-term manure applications on antibiotics, ARGs and their vertical distribution in paddy soil in field experiments are lacking. We assessed the concentrations of antibiotics, ARGs and their vertical distribution in paddy soil receiving long-term manure applications in four field experiments. High concentrations of tetracyclines were detected in most manured soils, while sulfonamides were not detectable. Long-term manure amendments generally increased the antibiotic concentrations and ARGs abundances in the paddy soil over decades. However, in some sites such significant trends of ARGs could not be observed. The abundance of ARGs was statistically correlated with antibiotics and soil properties including pH and soil organic matter (SOM), indicating their importance in the selection of resistance genes. Tetracyclines could be detected in soil at different depths and the concentrations of tetracyclines and abundance of ARGs generally decreased with increasing soil depths.     

Use of veterinary drugs in intensive animal production

Background. Veterinary drugs are widely used in animal production and possibly reach soil and water through the excreta. There is only limited information concerning the environmental persistence of these substances. Tetracyclines represent the most frequently used antibiotics and accounted for more than 50% of the total amount of veterinary drugs employed through veterinary purchase orders in the Weser-Ems district in 1997. Objectives. It was therefore the objective of the present study to investigate the excretion patterns of tetracycline hydrochloride in pigs after oral application and to study the stability of tetracycline in pig slurry under different storage conditions. Methods 6 individually kept pigs were orally treated with two doses of tetracycline for 5 days and pooled excreta were regularly sampled. Stability testing was performed using 300 1 tanks which were spiked with 20 and 100 μg ml^-1 tetracycline and stored at different ambient temperatures for seven weeks. 181 random pig slurry samples were obtained from commercial farms. Tetracycline and its epimer 4-epi-tetracycline were detected using HPLC. Results Orally applied tetracyclines were rapidly excreted via feces and urine, and significant amounts (up to 72%) of the active ingredient which had initially been dispensed were recovered until the second day after the end of application. Individual animals continued to excrete tetracyclines over a longer period of time. Tetracycline hydrochloride demonstrated a distinct stability in slurry which was not significantly influenced by the initial concentration of the antibiotic, ambient temperature or aeration through repeated stirring. Half-lives ranged between 55 and 105 days. Conclusion Significant amounts of tetracycline are transferred to soil via manure application. There is considerable need for further research into environmental effects such as sorption and mobility, and microbiological changes. This is also the case for other substances which have not undergone valid environmental risk assessment.     

Organohalogen residues in human adipose autopsy samples from six Ontario municipalities

Human adipose tissue samples obtained during autopsies in 6 Canadian Great Lakes municipalities were analyzed for chlorobenzenes, polychlorobiphenyls, and organohalogen pesticide residues. The frequency of occurrence and the range and mean for 28 organohalogen residues are reported for male and female donors in each municipality. Overall mean residue values in females were significantly higher than those in males for hexachlorobenzene, beta-HCH, p,p'-DDE,p,p'-DDD + o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT. The means and ranges of residue values were similar to those reported in previous Canadian surveys.