Depletion Study of Enrofloxacin and Its Metabolite Ciprofloxacin in Edible Tissues and Feathers of White Leghorn Hens by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 70; no. 8; pp. 1952 - 1957
• Main Authors: San Martín, B, Cornejo, J, Iraguen, D, Hidalgo, H, Anadón, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians 01.08.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacokinetics; antibiotic residues; antibiotics; Biological and medical sciences; chicken meat; chicken skin; Chickens - metabolism; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; ciprofloxacin; Ciprofloxacin - metabolism; Ciprofloxacin - pharmacokinetics; Common Agricultural Policy; Consumer Product Safety; Drug Residues - analysis; Enrofloxacin; feather meal; feathers; Feathers - chemistry; Female; Fluoroquinolones - pharmacokinetics; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; kidneys as food; laying hens; livers as food; mass spectrometry; maximum residue limits; metabolism; quantitative analysis; reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography; skeletal muscle; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Time Factors; White Leghorn; Europe; Hen; Tissue; Vertebrata; Antibiotic; Metabolite; Feather; Liquid chromatography; Aves; Ciprofloxacin; Mass spectrometry; Enrofloxacin
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-70.8.1952
• ISSN: 0362-028X

To ensure delivery of safe foods to consumers, withdrawal times for drugs must be respected according to the maximum residual limits established by regulatory agencies. Because of availability and price, feather meal is currently incorporated into animal feed as a protein source for farm species. Few data are available on residual drugs in feathers from treated animals. A depletion study was performed with laying hens treated intramuscularly with 5% enrofloxacin (Enromic) at 10 mg/kg body weight over 3 days. Thirty-three birds were treated and slaughtered at different times between 6 and 216 h after treatment; and samples of muscle plus skin, liver, kidney, and feathers were collected. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a tandem mass spectrometry method was validated before sample analysis to determine the decision limit, detection capability, recovery, and precision. Liver was the edible tissue with the slowest drug depletion. A withdrawal time of 6 days was calculated based on European Union maximum residual limits (100 microg/kg). A withdrawal time of 9 days was calculated based on Japan maximum residual limits (10 microg/kg). Enrofloxacin plus ciprofloxacin concentrations in feathers remained high through all sampling periods. Thus, feathers from treated animals should not be fed to food-producing animals.