Target analysis and retrospective screening of veterinary drugs, ergot alkaloids, plant toxins and other undesirable substances in feed using liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry

• A comprehensive analytical strategy for safety control of feed has been developed.
• The analytical method combines QuEChERS generic extraction and LC–HRMS.
• The target analysis include 77 banned drugs, alkaloids, fitotoxins and mycotoxins.
• The retrospective screening was performed using a database of 425 substances.

A comprehensive strategy combining a quantitative method for 77 banned veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, ergot alkaloids and plant toxins, and a post-target screening for 425 substances including pesticides and environmental contaminants in feed were developed using a QuEChERS-based extraction and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS).The quantitative method was validated after previous statistical optimisation of the main parameters governing ionisation, and presented recoveries ranging, in general, from 80 to 120%, with a precision in terms of Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) lower than 20%. The full-scan accurate mass data were acquired with a resolving power of 50000 FWHM and a mass accuracy lower than 5 ppm. The method LOQ was lower than 12.5 µg kg−1 for the majority of the veterinary drugs and plant toxins and 20 µg kg−1 for ergot alkaloids.For post-target screening a customised theoretical database including the exact mass, the polarity of acquisition and the expected adducts was built and used for post-run retrospective screening. The analytical strategy was applied to 32 feed samples collected from farms of the Valencia Region (Spain). Florfenicol, zearalenone and atropine were identified and quantified at concentrations around 10 µg kg−1. In the post-target screening of the real samples, Sulfadiazine, Thrimetoprin and Pirimiphosmethyl were tentatively identified.

Graphical AbstractFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide