Hot topic: investigating the risk of violative meat residues in bob veal calves fed colostrum from cows treated at dry-off with cephapirin benzathine.

The objective was to conduct a study to investigate if violative meat residues are detected in very young bob veal calves that are fed first-milking colostrum harvested from cows that were dry treated, on-label, with cephapirin benzathine. First-milking colostrum was collected from cows that were given intramammary treatment at dry off, on-label, with cephapirin benzathine (ToMORROW, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., St. Joseph, MO). Newborn bull calves meeting study inclusion criteria were removed from their dams shortly after birth and before suckling, and assigned to 1 of 2 trials. For the first trial, 6 treated calves were fed 3.8L of fresh maternal colostrum and 1 control calf was fed 1.5 doses of a plasma-derived colostrum replacer (Secure Calf Colostrum Replacer, VitaPlus Inc., Madison, WI) within 1h after birth. For the second trial, 5 treated calves were fed 3.8L of fresh maternal colostrum and 1 control calf was fed 1.5 doses of Secure Calf Colostrum Replacer within 1h after birth. All calves were humanely euthanized at 24h (trial 1) or 48h (trial 2) of age, and tissues were harvested for antimicrobial residue testing. Samples of maternal colostrum and colostrum replacer were also submitted for antimicrobial residue testing. Kidneys collected from all study calves tested negative for cephapirin benzathine residues when using both the KIS assay (Charm Sciences, Lawrence, MA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The potential transfer of cephapirin from cows treated on-label at dry off to calves via colostrum may not be a significant source of cephapirin residues in veal tissues.

Analysis of pesticide residues in eggs by direct sample introduction/gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

Direct sample introduction (DSI) or "dirty sample injection" is a rapid, rugged, and inexpensive approach to large volume injection in gas chromatography (GC) for semivolatile analytes such as pesticides. DSI of complex samples such as eggs requires a very selective detection technique, such as tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS), to determine the analytes among the many semivolatile matrix components that also appear. In DSI, the nonvolatile matrix components that normally would contaminate the GC system in traditional injection methods remain in a disposable microvial, which is removed after every injection. For example, 3 microg of nonvolatile residue typically remained in the microvial after an injection of egg extract using the DSI method. This analytical procedure involves the following: (i) weighing 10 g of egg in a centrifuge tube and adding 2 g of NaCl and 19.3 mL of acetonitrile (MeCN); (ii) blending for 1 min using a probe blender; (iii) centrifuging for 10 min; and (iv) analyzing 10 microL (5 mg of egg equivalent) of the extract using DSI/GC/MS-MS. No sample cleanup or solvent evaporation steps were required to achieve quantitative and confirmatory results with <10 ng/g detection limits for 25 of 43 tested pesticides from several chemical classes. The remaining pesticides gave higher detection limits due to poor fragmentation characteristics in electron impact ionization and/or degradation. Analysis of eggs incurred with chlorpyrifos-methyl showed a similar trend in the results as a more traditional approach.

Supercritical fluid extraction of methyltestosterone, nortestosterone and testosterone at low ppb levels from fortified bovine urine.

A multi-residue supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method is proposed for the isolation of nortestosterone, testosterone and methyltestosterone from bovine urine. Prior to SFE, bovine urine was hydrolyzed and then fortified with the three steroids at 100 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml each for HPLC analysis and 25 ng/ml and 12.5 ng/ml each for GC-MS analysis. The samples then were mixed with an adsorbent material, placed in an SFE extraction vessel prepacked with a 3-ml SPE column containing neutral alumina and the testosterones were extracted from the urine matrix using unmodified supercritical CO2 at 27.2 MPa and 40 degrees C. The steroids were retained in-line on the neutral alumina sorbent in the SPE column while co-extracted artifactial material was trapped off-line after CO2 decompression. After SFE, the SPE column was removed from the extraction vessel, and the trapped steroids were eluted from the neutral alumina sorbent with 3 ml of a methanol-water mixture. Eluates were used directly without post-SFE clean-up either for HPLC analysis (detection limit 50 ng/ml) or for GC-MS analysis (detection limit 5 ng/ml after steroid derivatization). The multi-residue SFE recoveries (n=6) for nortestosterone, testosterone and methyltestosterone from hydrolyzed bovine urine by GC-MS analysis were 90.8+/-6%, 93.9+/-3% and 92.5+/-5%, respectively for each steroid at the 12.5 ng fortification level.

Multiresidue supercritical fluid extraction method for the recovery at low ppb levels of three sulfonamides from fortified chicken liver.

A supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method is proposed for the recovery of three sulfonamides from chicken liver. Samples were extracted at 680 bar and 40 degrees C using unmodified carbon dioxide and were collected free of co-extracted artifactual material on an in-line neutral alumina sorbent bed. High recoveries of sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfadimethoxine (SDM) and sulfaquinoxaline (SQX) were obtained from chicken liver samples fortified at levels from 1000 to 50 ppm.

Supercritical fluid extraction of clenbuterol from bovine liver tissue.

The development of a supercritical fluid extraction procedure for the extraction of clenbuterol from bovine liver tissue is described. The procedure involves a combination of supercritical fluid extraction with enzyme immunoassay for the determination of clenbuterol residues at the low ppb level. Method validation incorporating inter- and intra-assays was carried out on fortified liver tissue and showed good recoveries and low variations (RSD < 15%) for levels of clenbuterol of 0.5, 2 and 5 ppb. The developed procedure was shown to be successful for the determination of clenbuterol in incurred liver tissue. The effects of organic modifiers and of inherent sample moisture on analyte extractability are also presented.

Determination of melengestrol acetate in supercritical fluid-solid phase extracts of bovine fat tissue by HPLC-UV and GC-MS.

A method is developed for the determination of melengestrol acetate in bovine fat tissue at or less than the established tolerance level of 25 ppb. The procedure uses a combination of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) techniques to produce an extract suitable for analysis with either high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Overall recovery of the analyte from bovine fat tissue is 99.4% with a coefficient of variation of 4.14%. The SFE-SPE procedure uses a total of 12 mL of organic solvent per fat tissue sample versus more than 1.7 L consumed in current extraction procedures.

Practical screening procedures for sulfamethazine and N4-acetylsulfamethazine in milk at low parts-per-billion levels.

Relatively simple and inexpensive procedures for screening milk for sulfamethazine (SMZ) and one of its metabolites, N4-acetylsulfamethazine (ASMZ), are detailed. Both methods detect at the low parts-per-billion level and are suitable for both field and laboratory use. Milk is passed over Chromosorb 102, which adsorbs SMZ. The drug is eluted and purified by direct passage of the effluent over small beds of buffered anion-exchange resins and alumina and is finally isolated and detected colorimetrically. For ASMZ, the procedure is modified so that SMZ is removed in the purification steps. The isolated ASMZ is then hydrolyzed to SMZ for detection. Application of the methods 5 years apart (1988 and 1993) shows that SMZ is still being used but to a lesser extent in 1993. Of over 250 samples screened in the 2 studies, only 2 were estimated to contain SMZ at 10 ppb, and the majority contained SMZ at 1 ppb. ASMZ was detected in a number of samples that were negative for SMZ.

Supercritical fluid extraction of N-nitrosamines in hams processed in elastic rubber nettings.

A method for analysing N-nitrosamines in hams processed in elastic rubber nettings by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is described. The study was carried out with the prototype of a commercial extractor with a silica gel adsorption cartridge integrally attached to the variable restrictor. The SFE method was compared with a solid-phase extraction procedure currently used for ham analysis. Both methods used the same gas chromatographic-chemiluminescence detection conditions. No significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between results obtained with the 2 methods. Repeatability standard deviation of the SFE method was 1.7 ppb, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.7%, compared with 2.2 ppb, with a CV of 3.5%, for solid-phase extraction. SFE permits minimal use of solvent and more rapid analysis of nitrosamines.

Rapid biorecognition assay for herbicides in biological matrices.

A rapid assay capable of detecting several commonly used herbicides at nanogram per milliliter concentrations in biological fluids is described. The assay is based on inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport in spinach thylakoids by the target compounds with colorimetric detection using a redox dye. Using a microtiter plate format, high throughput assays of water, urine, and homogenized tissue were performed in minutes with minimal sample preparation. Detection limits of 3 ng/mL for atrazine, 3 ng/mL for diuron, and 1 ng/mL for terbutryn were observed.

Evaluation of restricted access media for high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of sulfonamide antibiotic residues in bovine serum.

Three commercially-available high-performance liquid chromatographic columns packed with restricted access media were evaluated for suitability in multi-residue direct injection analysis at the ng/ml level. The internal surface reversed-phase and shielded hydrophobic phase columns were not sufficiently retentive to separate all analytes from the tail of the matrix peak. Coelution of some of the analytes was also observed with these columns. The semi-permeable surface column was significantly more retentive and selective, providing good separation of analyte and matrix peaks. With this column, an analytical protocol requiring no organic solvents was developed for the assay of six sulfonamides at a detection limit of 25 ng/ml.