High-throughput analysis of tetracycline and penicillin antibiotics in animal tissues using electrospray tandem mass spectrometry with selected reaction monitoring transition

A simple, rapid, and simultaneous analysis method for oxytertracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, penicillin G, ampicillin, and nafcillin in meat has been developed by using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The sample preparation was performed by homogenizing with water followed by a centrifugal ultrafiltration, after addition of internal standards (demeclocycline, penicillin G-d5, ampicillin-d5 and nafcillin-d6). The MS/MS analysis involves the combined use of sample enrichment on the short column and a multiple reaction monitoring technique. The overall recoveries from animal (bovine and swine) muscle, kidney, and liver fortified at the levels of 0.05 and 0.1 ppm ranged from 70 to 115% with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.7 to 14.8% (n = 5). Analysis time, including sample preparation and determination, is only 3h per eight sample and detection limits for all antibiotics are 0.002 ppm. The method is considered to be satisfactory for the rapid screening of the tetracycline and penicillin antibiotic residues in meat.