Ionic liquid-based homogeneous liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of antibiotics in milk by high-performance liquid chromatography

Ionic liquid-based homogeneous liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-based HLLME) high-performance liquid chromatography was developed and applied to the extraction, separation and determination of some antibiotics in milk. The proteins and lipids were removed by adding salt and adjusting the pH value. The homogeneous extraction was applied to the improvement of recoveries for IL phase and analytes. The experimental parameters of the IL-based HLLME, including salt concentration in sample solution, pH value of sample solution, volume of [C6MIM][BF4], amount of ion-pairing agent (NH4PF6), and extraction time, were evaluated. The limits of detection for enoxacin, pefloxacin, norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and sulfadimethoxine were 15.8, 7.07, 5.13, 4.00, 7.79 and 8.33 μg L−1, respectively. When the proposed method was applied to the analysis of milk samples the recoveries of the analytes ranged from 92.5 to 118.6% and relative standard deviations were lower than 7.00%.

► Fluroquinolones and sulfonamides in aqueous milk samples were separated, concentrated and determined.
► The proteins and lipids in milk sample were removed by adjusting the pH value and adding salt.
► Ionic liquid based homogeneous liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-based HLLME) is developed.
► The [C2MIM][BF4] was selected as mobile additive.
► The proposed method can be applied to the analysis of other similar samples and the analytical results were satisfactory.