Highly sensitive and simultaneous determination of sixteen sulphonamide antibiotics, four acetyled metabolites and trimethoprim in meat by rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A novel multiresidue analysis method is developed for highly sensitive and simultaneous determination of 16 sulphonamides (SAs), 4 acetyled metabolites, and trimethoprim in pork and mutton by rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-MS/MS). The sample was extracted with acetonitrile under ultrasonication incubation, followed by solid phase extraction (SPE). The calibration curves showed good linearity with correlation coefficient (r) more than 0.998. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.35-1.0 μg/kg, which can ensure to detect studied drugs at the maximum residue level (MRL) of 10 μg/kg. The mean recoveries at addition level of 1.0, 5.0 and 50 μg/kg were in the range of 68.3-104% with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.5-9.2%. The intra-day precision (as RSD) for six determinations at 50 μg/kg spiked level within a day was in the range of 4.2-8.9%. The method is sensitive, accurate, convenient and rapid, and can be used for the qualitatively and quantitatively determination of multiresidue of the studied drugs in meat.

► Asonication extraction and solid phase extraction cleanup. ► Analysis of 16 sulphonamides, 4 acetyled metabolites and trimethoprim in meat by RRLC-MS/MS. ► Low quantification limit can ensure multiresidue analysis at low μg/kg level. ► Production process of parent ion and some fragment ions was presented.