Sensitive multi-residue method for detection of anabolics in urine and in tisssues of slaughtered animals

A routine procedure is described for the dependable detection of various anabolic residues in tissues or urine contaminated at levels as low as 0.5-10 ppb (10 parts per 10(9)). A suitable extraction and clean-up procedure was developed, permitting adequate recovery (60-80%) of various anabolics from tissue samples (50 g) or urine (50 ml). Following two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography, the presence of the anabolic residues are detected by sulphuric acid-induced fluorescence. The detection limit of most anabolics is of the order of 1-10 ng.