Multiresidue determination of quinolone antibacterials in eggs of laying hens by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of seven quinolones (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, flumequine, oxolinic acid and sarafloxacin) in egg samples of laying hens was developed. Their use is totally prohibited in animals from which eggs are produced for human consumption. Protein precipitation was achieved by addition of acetonitrile and ammonia, removal of acetonitrile with dichloromethane, the quinolones remaining in the basic aqueous extract. The aqueous extract was analysed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC–FD). The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and 10 mM citrate buffer solution of pH 4.5, with an initial composition of acetonitrile–water (12:88, v/v) and using linear gradient elution. Norfloxacin was used as an internal standard. The limits of detection found were 4–12 ng g−1. These values were lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by the European Union for these compounds in different tissues of eggs-producing animals.