Determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs residues in animal muscles by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method for the determination of residues of nine non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and one metabolite in animal muscles has been developed. After enzymatic hydrolysis samples were extracted with acetonitrile and cleaned up using alumina and C18 SPE cartridges. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used for the separation and determination of analytes. The method was validated in bovine muscles, according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC criteria. Applicability of the method in the analysis of swine, horse and chicken muscles was checked by precision and recovery experiment. The influence of matrix effect on the quantification of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs residues was investigated. The method was used for the confirmation of phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone in horse muscle sample.