Investigation of enrofloxacin residues in broiler tissues using ELISA and LC-MS/MS

This study investigated the efficiency of an enrofloxacin ELISA test kit to detect the presence of enrofloxacin residues in broiler tissues compared with LC-MS/MS. Broiler tissues from 72 samples consisting of 60 breast muscle, six pools of livers (500 g each) and six pools of kidneys (500 g each) were obtained from six different slaughterhouses. Breast muscle from 10 carcasses and pools of livers and kidneys from approximately 200 carcasses of the same flock were collected from each slaughterhouse. ELISA and HPLC were used to identify and quantify the contamination of the samples with enrofloxacin. A total of 72% of the analysed samples contained enrofloxacin residues detected by the ELISA and 22.2% were detected by LC-MS/MS. The mean values of enrofloxacin contamination found in chicken breast by ELISA and HPLC were 8.63 and 12.25 μg kg^–1, respectively. None of the samples exceeded the maximum limit of 100 μg kg^–1 by both methods set by the European Union as well as the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry. All positive samples for enrofloxacin residues detected by LC-MS/MS were also positive by ELISA. These data confirm the efficiency of the ELISA test, and suggest its use as a screening method for enrofloxacin residues in poultry tissues due to its quick results, low price and ease of applicability.     

Survey of roasted street-vended nuts in Sierra Leone for toxic metabolites of fungal origin

Consumption of mycotoxin contaminated foodstuffs is common in regions where foods are not adequately controlled and routinely monitored, and this could have adverse effects on the health of consumers. In this study, 100 samples of roasted nuts (50 cashew nuts and 50 peanuts) vended within two cities of Sierra Leone were analysed for mycotoxins and other microbial metabolites by a LC-MS/MS method. The peanut samples contained detectable levels of 17 microbial metabolites, including aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂ and alternariol, while none of these metabolites were found in the cashew samples. Aflatoxins (max: 5,729 μg/kg; mean: 487.8 μg/kg) and alternariol (3 μg/kg) were found in 24% and 2% of the peanut samples, respectively. One-third of the aflatoxin-contaminated peanut samples contained aflatoxins at levels exceeding the total aflatoxin limit of 4 μg/kg set by the European Union. Aflatoxin contamination of Sierra Leonean peanuts is high and requires urgent intervention to reduce consequent exposure.     

Multi-microbial metabolites in fonio millet (acha) and sesame seeds in Plateau State, Nigeria

We investigated 16 fonio millet and 17 sesame samples by LC/ESI–MS/MS for the spectrum of microbial metabolites contaminating these seeds. Forty-eight fungal and four bacterial metabolites were detected in fonio, while 28 fungal and two bacterial metabolites were found in sesame. Altogether, 55 metabolites were identified in both grains, 18 of which are reported for the first time to naturally occur in cereals and oil seeds. The metabolite concentrations reached 7,280 μg/kg in fonio for aurofusarin and 64,600 μg/kg in sesame for kojic acid. Aflatoxin contaminated 81 % of fonio samples at concentrations less than the 4 μg/kg maximum allowable limit (MAL) set by European Union (EU). In contrast, aflatoxin was not detected in sesame. Zearalenone levels exceeded the EU MAL (75 μg/kg) in one sample of fonio (987 μg/kg). About 62.5 % (30 out of 48) of the metabolites without regulations occurred in more than 50 % of samples of one or both seeds, while 3-nitropropionic acid, beauvericin, brevianamid F, curvularin, emodin, equisetin, macrosporin A, monocerin and tenuazonic acid were the most prevalent, occurring in all samples of either fonio, sesame or both. This is the first study reporting mycotoxin contamination in sesame in Nigeria and the broad range of microbial metabolites in millet and sesame.     

Determination of sterigmatocystin in foods in Japan: method validation and occurrence data

ABSTRACT

A survey of the contamination of foods by sterigmatocystin (STC) was performed by an analytical method based on LC-MS/MS. STC was extracted from samples with acetonitrile/water (85/15, v/v) and then purified with immunoaffinity columns. The method was validated by a small-scale inter-laboratory study using spiked wheat samples. Mean recoveries of STC were 100.3% and 92.5% from two samples spiked at 0.5 and 5.0 µg/kg, respectively. A total of 583 samples were analysed between 2016 and 2018, and STC was detected in 19.9% of all samples at >0.05 μg/kg (limit of quantification). The foods that were contaminated by STC were wheat flour, Job’s tears products, rye flour, rice, buckwheat flour, white sorghum, barley products, azuki bean and corn flour. STC was not found in beer or wine. The occurrence of STC in domestic wheat flour (44.4%), Job’s tears products (41.7%) and rye flour (29.9%) accounted for the three highest values. The highest mean concentrations were obtained for Job’s tears products (0.3 μg/kg) and rye flour (0.3 μg/kg). The maximum contamination level was present in a sample of rye flour (7.1 μg/kg). Although the contamination levels were low, these results indicate that STC frequently contaminates Japanese retail foods. A continuous survey is required to assess exposure to STC in Japan.     

Determination of Baclofen Residue in Muscle,Liver, Kidney and Fat of Swine by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Baclofen was illegally used in veterinary clinical medicine as a growth-promoting agent. To date, few methods have been developed for the monitoring of baclofen in animal tissues. In this study, a sensitive and efficient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to identify and quantify baclofen in the muscle, liver, kidney, and fat of swine was developed and validated. Baclofen was extracted from tissues with ammonium acetate buffer (pH 5.2) and isolated with isopropyl-ethyl acetate (4:6, v/v). Then, a solid phase extraction using MCX cartridge was used to clean up the extracts. The elution was evaporated to dryness and reconstituted with water/methanol (90:10 v/v). All samples were determined by LC-MS/MS system through positive ionization in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The proposed method was validated by evaluation of specificity, linearity, recovery, accuracy, precision, LOD, and LOQ values according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Estimated limit of quantification for baclofen in the muscle, liver, kidney, and fat of this method was 1.00 μg/kg, respectively. The mean intra- and inter-day assay accuracies fell within a range 88.5–93.9% and 86.2–93.2%, respectively. The mean intra- and inter-day precisions were 1.78 and 4.95% (RSD < 15%), respectively. The proposed method has proved to be suitable for accurate quantitative determination of baclofen for residue analysis.     

Non-isoflavone phytoestrogenic compound contents of various legumes

Widely consumed legumes including chickpeas, red kidney beans, haricot beans, yellow lentils, red lentils and green lentils were analysed to determine the content of non-isoflavone phytoestrogenic compounds such as quercetin, rutin, apigenin, coumestrol and lignan (matairesinol and secoisolariciresinol). Methanolic extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were analysed by the triple quadrupole LC–MS/MS. Red kidney beans were the best source of quercetin (603.2 ± 307.2 μg/kg) and rutin (73.4 ± 14.0 μg/kg). Apigenin and secoisolariciresinol contents were the highest in yellow lentils (18.5 ± 0.84 μg/kg) and haricot beans (451.9 ± 192.2 μg/kg), respectively. Coumestrol contents of haricot beans (18.5 ± 1.45 μg/kg) and red kidney beans (18.5 ± 1.26 μg/kg) were equal to each other, and these were determined as the highest coumestrol content values. The best sources of matairesinol occurred in green lentils (28.2 ± 0.18 μg/kg) and chickpeas (27.7 ± 1.83 μg/kg). Differences between contents of each sample of the same legume were significant and remarkable, especially for quercetin and secoisolariciresinol.     

An Improved HPLC-FLD for Fast and Simple Detection of Ethyl Carbamate in Soy Sauce and Prediction of Precursors

A high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) method for ethyl carbamate (EC) determination in Chinese soy sauce was developed and used to predict EC precursors, and extraction, derivatization, and chromatographic conditions were optimized systematically. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection, linear range, and recoveries were 3.91 μg/L, 12.87–274.87 μg/L, and 81.5–95.4%, respectively. The method precision was less than 8.9% (RSD) and no significant difference was found between EC determinations measured by HPLC-FLD and GC/MS. Using the proposed HPLC-FLD method, the EC contents in Chinese soy sauces ranged from not detected to 64.88 μg/L (n = 19). Except for one soy sauce brand, the EC contents in low-salt solid-state fermented (LSF) soy sauces were lower than those in high-salt liquid fermented (HLF) soy sauces and were mainly affected by alcohol content. Moreover, the free ornithine and total arginine contents were significantly correlated with EC content in the soy sauce products. The results of this work provide a foundation for further study of EC formation and inhibition in Chinese soy sauces.     

Rhodamine B in spices determined by a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method

Rhodamine B (RhB) is a banned food additive and has been classified as illegal colourant. Therefore, the risk of RhB contamination should be strictly monitored. In this study, a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was applied to monitor RhB in 292 various spices such as chilli, pepper and tomato products. The results showed 22.7% of chilli powder samples, 18.5% of pepper powder samples, 11.1% of chilli oil samples and 9.1% of pepper oil samples were contaminated with RhB. Chilli powder contained RhB up to 44,935 μg/kg with an average of 743 μg/kg, pepper powder up to 65.9 μg/kg with an average of 4.1 μg/kg, chilli oil up to 14.6 μg/kg with an average of 1.0 μg/kg and pepper oil up to 1.1 μg/kg with an average of 0.2 μg/kg, respectively. Considering the common consumption of chilli products and pepper products by so many consumers, RhB exposure is significant and should be decreased.     

Pressure-Thermal Kinetics of Furan Formation in Selected Fruit and Vegetable Juices

Furan, a potential carcinogenic compound, can be formed in array of processed foods. The objective of this study was to conduct kinetic studies in pineapple juice and assess the interactive effects of pressure (0.1 to 600 MPa) and temperature (30 to 120 °C) on furan formation. Additional experiments were carried out in tomato, watermelon, cantaloupe, kale, and carrot juice to understand the influence of matrix and juice pH. Furan was monitored in raw (control) and processed samples by automated headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and quantified by calibration curve method with d₄-furan as internal standard. The data were modeled using zero-, first-, and second-order equations. The zero-order rate constants (k _T,P ), activation energy (E _a ), and Gibbs free energy of activation (ΔG ^?) of furan formation in thermally processed (TP; 90–120 °C) pineapple juice were found to be 0.036–0.55 μg/kg/min, 98–114 kJ/mol, and 173.9–180.5 kJ/mol, respectively. Furan concentration was negligible and close to the detection limit (0.37 μg/kg) after pressure treatment (600 MPa at 30 °C) of juice samples. For similar process temperatures, the rate constants of pressure-assisted thermally processed (PATP; 600 MPa at 105 °C) pineapple juice were lower than that of TP samples. Furan formation was influenced by juice matrix and pH. On the other hand, PATP markedly suppressed furan (0.7 to 1.6 μg/kg) in these selected juices. In conclusion, furan formation increased with process temperature and treatment time, while pressure treatment at ambient temperature did not promote its production. Furan formation in TP fruit juices was also influenced by juice matrix and pH, but these were not the significant factors for PATP-treated juices.     

Development of a Broad Specific Monoclonal Antibody for Fluoroquinolone Analysis

Fast and sensitive screening of antibiotics is a great need in food quality assurance. A monoclonal antibody specific to fluoroquinolones (FQ) was obtained using ciprofloxacin (CPF) derivant as hapten. The antibody was characterized with broad recognition to CPF (100 %), enrofloxacin (ENF, 73.89 %), norfloxacin (73.57 %), nadifloxacin (67.28 %), danofloxacin (53.09 %), pefloxacin (50.26 %), lomefloxacin (35.66 %), enoxacin (12.40 %), and sarafloxacin (3.23 %). Then, an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established. The optimized concentrations of coating antigen and antibody were 0.1 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively. Various parameters including pH values, ionic strength and the concentration of antibody and antigen were optimized for this assay. The ELISA was found to have the best sensitivity in assay buffer of pH 6 and sodium chloride content 1.6 % (m/v) using CPF as tested compound. Fortified milk samples with CPF and ENF (50 and 250 μg/l) and fortified chicken samples (10 and 50 μg/kg) were analyzed with the proposed measure. The ELISA was examined with recovery range of 94–104 % for milk detection and 93–108 % for chicken detection. The coefficient variation data for intra-assay and inter-assay ranged from 4.24 % to 12.16 %. All results indicate the potential extensive application prospects of this ELISA in FQ monitoring for food safety.     

Isotope Internal Standard Method for Determination of Four Acrylamide Compounds in Food Contact Paper Products and Food Simulants by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A new method was developed for the determination of four acrylamide compounds (acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-methylol acrylamide, N-(Methoxymethyl)methacrylamide) in food contact paper products, three kinds of water-based food simulants, and dry food simulant (modified polyphenylene oxide, MPPO) by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Acetonitrile was used as the extraction solvent for different kinds of samples. The extraction solution of paper products was purified with QuEChERS technology. Four analytes were separated by gradient elution in a UPLC HSS T3 column (100 mm?×?2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) with methanol and 0.1 % formic acid water as mobile phases, and then detected in electrospray ionization mode of MS/MS with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Under the optimal conditions, the calibration curves for four analytes were linear within the range of 1.0–200 μg/L and the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.998. The quantitation limits of the method (S/N?=?10) of four analytes were in the range of 0.3–20 μg/kg. The mean recoveries for five sample matrixes at three spiked concentration levels of 0.3–200 μg/kg were in the range of 81–108 % with the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n?=?6) values ranging from 2.5 to 7.1 %. The developed method is accurate, simple and rapid, which can be applied to the determination of acrylamide compounds in food contact paper products and food simulants.     

Simultaneous Determination of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Bee Pollen by Low-Temperature Fat Precipitation and Immunoaffinity Column Cleanup Coupled with LC-MS/MS

A simple and sensitive method has been developed for simultaneous determination of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in bee pollen. The analytes in the sample were extracted with a mixture of acetonitrile/water (60:40, v/v), using low temperature for fat precipitation, followed by immunoaffinity column cleanup of extracts. The mycotoxins were quantified using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with an electrospray ionization (ESI) and a triple quadrupole (QqQ) analyzer. Matrix effect, accuracy, and precision were evaluated and achieved good results calculated by matrix-matched calibration standards which reduced the influence of matrix effect. Recoveries at three levels were in the range of 74.3–96.5 % with RSD less than 10.0 %. The correlation coefficients (r ²) of the five mycotoxins were higher than 0.997. The method showed high sensitivity with LOD below 0.05 μg/kg.     

Simultaneous Determination of Organochlorine, Organophosphorus, and Pyrethroid Pesticides in Bee Pollens by Solid-Phase Extraction Cleanup Followed by Gas Chromatography Using Electron-Capture Detector

A method for routine determination of the residues of nine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), ten organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), and seven pyrethroid pesticides (PPs) in bee pollens was developed. Bee pollen samples were extracted by petroleum ether followed by solid-phase extraction cleaning and detected by gas chromatography–micro electron capture detection. Range of detection limits are 0.3–3.3 μg/kg for OCPs, 1.0–19.1 μg/kg for PPs and 1.1–19.7 μg/kg for OPPs. Recoveries of OCPs, OPPs, and PPs were in the range of 88.9–122.7 %, 86.8–123.1 %, and 90.8–118.7 %, respectively. The method was applied successfully to analyze real bee pollen samples. The results show a low level of contamination caused by pesticide residues indicating safe supply of bee pollen for consumers.     

Investigation of Levels and Fate of Pyridalyl in Fruit and Vegetable Samples by Fast Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

The search on pyridalyl residues, the novel insecticide, in strawberries and spring onions was evaluated. The QuEChERS technique was used for sample preparation. A fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was developed and validated for the analysis of pyridalyl in both matrices. Fast GC–MS was performed with a narrow-bore capillary column and a quadrupole mass detector with electron ionization and negative chemical ionization, both operating in selected ion monitoring mode. Fortification studies at 1, 5, 10, and 250 μg/kg for fruit and vegetable matrices were performed. Recoveries for all fortification levels, two ionization modes ranged from 72 to 114 %. Matrix effects were discussed. Limits of quantification were established at 1 μg/kg. Field experiments to investigate the pre-harvest interval were carried out. The proposed method was applied successfully to the determination of pyridalyl residues in samples available on Slovak market, and none of the samples contained detectable amounts of pesticides. The developed method is simple, efficient, and easy to adopt in laboratories engaged in pesticide residue analysis method.     

Simultaneous Determination of Ractopamine,Chloramphenicol, and Zeranols in Animal-Originated Foods by LC-MS/MS Analysis with Immunoaffinity Clean-up Column

A novel analytical method employing immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of ractopamine, chloramphenicol, and zeranols (α-zearalanol, β-zearalanol, zearalanone, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, and zearalenone) in animal-originated foods. The sample was first digested by β-glucuronidase/sulfatase and then extracted with ethyl acetate-diethyl ether (9:1, v/v). The extracted solution was evaporated to dryness and then the residue was dissolved by 2 mL of 50% acetonitrile solution. After filtration, 1 mL filtrate was diluted to 10 mL with PBS. The reconstituted solution was cleaned up with immunoaffinity column and then analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The established method was shown to be sensitive efficient and reliable as indicated by the linearity (r ² ≥ 0.9994), precision (RSD ≤ 1.7%), average recovery (72.3–103.2%), and the limit of detection (0.05–0.10 μg/kg). The method can be used for determination of trace residues of ractopamine, chloramphenicol, and zeranols in animal-originated foods.     

Development and validation of LC-MS/MS method with QuEChERS clean-up for detecting cannabinoids in foods and dietary supplements

ABSTRACT

a rapid and simple liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) using a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) clean-up for a variety of foods and dietary supplements (DS). QuEChERS is widely used in extraction or clean-up procedures to eliminate interference of matrices such as sugars, organic acids, lipids, and fatty acids. The samples were categorised into three types, and various pretreatment methods were compared for each type. In all types, the QuEChERS was superior and selected as the final pretreatment method. The optimised method was validated for specificity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), linearity, recovery, precision and accuracy. All of the validation results met the requirements of the international guidelines for all types of samples. The validated method was applied to 30 commercial food samples, CBD was detected in 17 samples, with 2 of them detected below the LOQ level and the rest detected in a range of 70 μg/kg to 31305 mg/kg (3.1%, w/w). Meanwhile, THC was detected in 14 samples; 2 of them were detected below the LOQ level and the rest detected in a 0.08–98.62 μg/g range. These results indicated that the validated method can be successfully applied for the determination of cannabinoids in a variety of samples. Furthermore, it will be useful for controlling the illegal distribution of cannabinoids.     

Transformation of the X-ray contrast medium iopromide in soil and biological wastewater treatment

In water/soil systems, the iodinated contrast medium iopromide was quantitatively biotransformed into several transformation products (TPs). Twelve TPs were identified via HPLC-UV and LC tandem MS. The chemical structures of the TPs were elucidated via fragmentation in MS2 and MS3 of LC tandem MS with a linear ion trap and 1H and 13C NMR analyses. All TPs exhibited transformations at the side chains containing either carboxylic moieties and/or primary and secondary amide moieties, while the triiodoisophthalic acid structure remained unaltered. A transformation pathway was proposed based on the sequence of TP formation in aerobic batch experiments. Additionally, the occurrence of iopromide TPs was investigated in native water samples. All TPs identified were found in municipal WWTP effluents because of their formation during biological wastewater treatment with maximum concentrations of up to 3.7 +/- 0.9 microg/L (TP 819). Predominantly, those TPs were present at higher concentrations in WWTP effluents which were formed at the beginning of the transformation pathway. Furthermore, four TPs formed at the end of the transformation pathway (TP 759, 701A/B, and 643) were also found in bank filtrate up to 0.050 microg/L and in groundwater of an wastewater irrigation area up to 4.6 microg/L.     

Determinative and confirmatory method for residues of tetracyclines in honey by LC-MS/MS

A limited number of substances are authorised for the treatment of bees. Maximum residue limits (MRLs) are set for tetracyclines in several matrices, but not for honey. Nevertheless, tetracycline antibiotics may be used in order to prevent bacterial diseases and the loss of honey bee populations. In this study, a sensitive multi-residue LC-MS/MS method was developed and optimised for the quantitative and qualitative determination of tetracycline residues in honey. Homogenisation of samples under acidic conditions was performed and solid-phase extraction was carried out. The eluate was evaporated under nitrogen and dissolved in an aqueous methanol solution prior to filtration. A mobile phase composed of acetic acid–water and acetic acid–acetonitrile was used. Separation of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxytetracycline was achieved by using gradient elution on a C18 chromatography column. The analytical method was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC by the analysis of spiked samples around the recommended concentration of 20 μg kg^?1 by EURL Guidance Paper, December 2007. A matrix effect was observed, so quantification was based on an external matrix calibration curve. Calculated decision limits (CCα) were lower than 10 μg kg^–1 for all tetracyclines. Good linearity, repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility were achieved.     

Natural occurrence of fumonisins B1 and B2 in corn in four provinces of China

Fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) and fumonisin B₂ (FB₂) are the most abundant fumonisins (FBs) occurring worldwide in maize, infected mainly by Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum. A total of 307 corn kernel samples were collected from 45 districts of Gansu, Shandong, Ningxia and the Inner Mongolia provinces of the north and northwest China. The samples were analysed for FB₁ and FB₂ by high-performance liquid chromatography. The FBs (FB₁+ FB₂) incidence rate in samples from Gansu, Shandong, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia were 31.5%, 81.1%, 46.2% and 53.6%, respectively. Average FBs concentration was 703 μg/kg and the concentrations ranged from ≤11 to 13,110 μg kg^?1. Results were compared with the European Commission (EC) regulation for FB₁+ FB₂ in unprocessed maize for human consumption of 4 mg kg^?1. Contamination in 17 samples was higher than these levels. More than 80% of the samples from Liaocheng county, which is located in the Shandong province, were contaminated with FBs, with a mean total FB concentration of 2496 μg/kg. The result was significantly different from that of the Inner Mongolia (1399 μg/kg), Ningxia (373 μg/kg) and Gansu (175 μg/kg). Average exposure to FBs (0.12 μg/kg body weight/day) is within the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2.0 mg/kg of body weight set by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives.