Multiresidue Determination of Growth Promoters in Bovine Serum using QuEChERS and UHPLC-Q-ORBITRAP: Validation and In Vivo Study.

A reliable method using a QuEChERS approach and liquid chromatography coupled to Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry was optimized and validated for the quantification of 20 growth promoters in bovine serum. The recoveries ranged from 91.4-114.1%, relative standard deviations varied between 0.3-4.0%, and CCα values were between 0.023-0.350 µg L-1. The developed method was applied in an in vivo study using steers, which were intramuscularly treated with commercial injections containing stanozolol. A rapid metabolization was observed, with a detection window ranging from 3 to 10 days. The stability of incurred stanozolol was confirmed after 240 days at -20 °C and also after 5 freeze-thaw cycles. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in which an in vivo study was performed to support the monitoring of stanozolol in bovine serum. In addition, the use of Q-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry allows for retrospective analysis from a surveillance perspective.

Optimization of the first extraction protocol for metabolomic studies of Brucella abortus.

Brucellosis is a zoonosis prevalent worldwide and very recurrent in less developed or developing regions. This zoonosis affects livestock, generating high financial losses to producers, in addition to transmitting diseases to humans through meat consumption or handling contaminated products and animals. In this study, five extraction methods for Brucella abortus intracellular metabolites, using different solvent compositions and cell membrane disruption procedures, were evaluated. Derivatized extracts were analyzed by GC-HRMS. Raw data were processed in XCMS Online and the results were evaluated through multivariate statistical analysis using the MetaboAnalyst platform. The identification of the extracted metabolites was performed by the Unknowns software using the NIST 17.L library. The extraction performance of each method was evaluated for thirteen representative metabolites, comprising four different chemical classes. Most of these compounds are reported in the cell membrane composition of Gram-negative bacteria. The method based on extraction with methanol/chloroform/water presented the best performance in the evaluation of the extracted compounds and in the statistical results. Therefore, this method was selected for extracting intracellular metabolites from cultures of Brucella abortus for untargeted metabolomics analysis.

A novel strategy for the detection of boldenone undecylenate misuse in cattle using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry: From non-targeted to targeted.

In this work multivariate strategies were employed in order to highlight new potential biomarkers of interest to detect the exogenous treatment of steers intramuscularly treated with boldenone undecylenate. Serum samples collected from treated (n = 4) and control (n = 8) crossbred animals of varying ages and weights were extracted using a simple sample preparation procedure based on salt assisted liquid-liquid extraction. Data acquisition was performed using liquid chromatography and Q-Exactive™ Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Data processing and treatment were performed using two non-targeted workflows: (1) Compound Discoverer software and (2) XCMS package on the open-source R software combined with MetaboAnalyst. Three potential biomarkers were highlighted taking into account the chromatographic shapes, the feature location on the generated s-plots, the fold change, the adjusted p values, the coefficient of variation in the QC samples and the area under the ROC curves. Predicted formulas based on mass accuracy, structural composition and spectra similarity were proposed. A robust statistical model to predict the boldenone treatment was further developed based on the weighted abundances of the selected biomarkers. The requirements for screening methods were successfully fulfilled, together with a wider detection window in comparison with the monitoring of the deconjugated metabolite boldenone, although biomarker identification studies are still ongoing.

In Vivo Administration of Stanozolol in Cattle: Depletion and Stability Studies Using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap.

An in vivo study was performed in order to evaluate the depletion time of stanozolol and its main metabolites using naturally incurred urine sample collected after the administration of intramuscular injections in 12 steers. A stability study was also carried out to investigate the influence of the storage period and the freeze-thaw cycles. A fast parent drug metabolization was observed, because within 6 h after drug administration, the signal of the metabolite 16ß-hydroxystanozolol was predominant. After the second drug administration, a detection window of 17 days was obtained. The stability was studied using ANOVA, in which a storage condition of -20 °C proved stable during 240 days, which was also confirmed after 5 freeze-thaw cycles.

A Quantitative and Confirmatory Method Employing Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Hybrid High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and QuEChERS for the Determination of Thirty-Seven Growth Promoter Residues in Bovine Urine.

In this work, 37 growth promoters were quantitatively determined in bovine urine using a QuEChERS approach with acetonitrile, NaCl, and MgSO4:PSA for sample extraction. The analytes were separated and detected by liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry. The method was validated in accordance with the Decision 657/2002/EC guidelines, in which recoveries fell within the range 84-113%, relative standard varied between 2 and 32%, and detection limit between 0.1 and 2.5 µg L-1. An adequate performance was evidenced during a proficiency test evaluation, and the developed method has been applied to routine analysis of growth promoters in Brazil. A highlight is the easiness of sample extraction combined with a quantitative determination of forbidden drugs using high-resolution mass spectrometry, which enables retrospective analysis in a surveillance perspective.

Can Serum be a Match for Urine in the Regulatory Analysis of Boldenone in Cattle? A Systematic Comparison Between Detection Window, Stability, and Enzymatic Hydrolysis.

This work involved a systematic comparison between serum and urine for the monitoring of anabolic androgenic steroids in livestock. Incurred samples were collected over 120 days from crossbred steers treated with intramuscular injections containing boldenone undecylenate. Independent high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) methods were used for the assessment of the respective detection windows, which were larger for serum samples. Both matrices presented adequate performance in terms of long-term stability, assessed using an isochronous approach during 196 days at -20 °C and for five freeze-thaw cycles. The effectiveness of the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction using Helix pomatia juice was also compared. The calculated concentrations in serum samples were not statistically influenced by the deconjugation reaction. On the other hand, urine hydrolysis conditions were studied using a 33 Box-Behnken Design, in which a central point condition led to a satisfactory deconjugation performance. It could be observed that serum exhibited equivalent or better performance than urine for most of the evaluated criteria; thus, its inclusion in the regulatory analysis of boldenone in cattle is supported.

Fast determination of ethambutol in pharmaceutical formulations using capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection.

A method for the determination of ethambutol (EMB), a first-line drug against tuberculosis, based on CE with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection is proposed. The separation of EMB and its main product of degradation were achieved in less than 3 min with a resolution of 2.0 using a BGE composed of 50 mmol/L histidine and 30 mmol/L MES, pH 6.30. By raising the pH to 8.03, the analysis time was reduced to 1.0 min, but with a significant loss of resolution (0.7). Using the best separation conditions, linearity of 0.9976 (R(2), five data points), sensitivity of 1.26x10(-4) V min mumol(-1) L, and LOD and quantification of 23.5 and 78.3 mumol/L, respectively, were obtained. Recoveries at four levels of concentration ranged from 95 to 102% and the concentration range studied ranged from 100 to 500 mumol/L. The results obtained for the determination of EMB in pharmaceutical formulations were compared with those obtained by using CE with photometric detection.

Determination of steroids in bovine hair: Validation of a microwave-assisted chemical derivatization method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and in vivo studies.

Hair analysis has attracted great attention in the regulatory analysis of food-producing animals, particularly due to the wider detection window of veterinary drugs in this matrix and also the possibility of confirming parent drugs with minimum metabolization. This work involved the development and validation of a quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine 25 steroids and steroid esters in bovine hair. Sensitivity was improved using a fast and effective microwave-assisted chemical derivatization with methoxyamine hydrochloride. The validation was conducted in accordance with the Decision 657/2002/EC guidelines. An animal experimentation procedure was performed on 12 bovine animals in which two commercial formulations containing boldenone undecylenate and testosterone propionate were administrated via intramuscular injections on the neck. The samples were collected for 78 days in which the detection of the administrated analytes was only observed near the application sites. For some of the monitored days, no analyte was detected on the neck area. Since the migration of the analytes was not observed in areas other than the application site, false-negative results should be carefully considered when monitoring animal hair samples.

Determination of Steroids in Bovine Serum: Validation of a Reliable LC-MS/MS Method and In Vivo Studies with Boldenone Undecylenate and Testosterone Propionate.

Serum analysis has received much attention in regulatory analysis of food-producing animals, especially for anabolic steroids. The possibility of confirming the parent drugs with minimum metabolization enables the detection of intact steroid esters, whose identification represents unequivocal proof of drug administration. This work involved the development and validation of a quantitative LC-MS/MS method to determine 30 steroids and steroid esters in bovine serum. Sensitivity was improved using microwave-assisted chemical derivatization with methoxyamine hydrochloride. The validation was successfully conducted in accordance with the Decision 657/2002/EC guidelines. An in vivo experiment was performed on 12 crossbred steers in which two commercial formulations containing boldenone undecylenate and testosterone propionate were administrated via intramuscular injections. The samples were collected over a period of 120 days, in which both intact esters were identified within 11 days postadministration. 17ß-Boldenone was observed after 92 days for 2 steers and 56 days for the other animals. The applicability of a cut-off level to the ratio between 17ß-testosterone and epitestosterone was evaluated in an attempt to differentiate testosterone abuse from endogenous production. It could be observed that a calculated ratio above this level is strong evidence of drug administration, although a high false-negative rate was obtained.

Simultaneous Extraction of Pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Brazilian Cachaça Using a Modified QuEChERS Method Followed by Gas Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry Quantification.

A modified QuEChERS method was optimized for simultaneous extraction of 93 pesticides and 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cachaça. The procedure employed 20 mL of sample, 10 mL of dichloromethane, 1 g of NaCl, and 6 g of MgSO4. The methods were validated in accordance with pesticide tolerances set by the National Health Surveillance Agency of Brazil and government guidelines of Brazil and the European Union. The linearity of all curves was adequate, with calculated tr higher than the critical value, at the 95% confidence level. For pesticides, recoveries ranged between 86.7 and 118.2%, relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 20%, at least at two concentration levels, and limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 2.5 and 10.0 µg L-1, respectively. For PAHs, recoveries ranged between 84.8 and 111.5%, RSD was between 6.2 and 27.3%, LOD and LOQ were 0.25 and 1.0 µg L-1, respectively. The combined standard uncertainty was lower than 50% of the relative expanded uncertainty value at concentration levels of greater relevance in both methods. Analyses of five commercial samples detected the presence of 9 pesticides (10.0-128.0 µg L-1) and 6 PAHs (2.0-4.0 µg L-1), indicating the need for a specific legislation for Brazilian cachaça.

Optimization of an electrolyte system for analysis of ethambutol in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary zone electrophoresis using complexation with copper(II).

An alternative methodology for the determination of ethambutol by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) under direct UV detection at 262 nm, using acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer solution (pH 4.6) containing copper(II) sulphate to form the ethambutol-copper(II) complex, within analysis time of 2.5 min is proposed. The optimum CE conditions for the background electrolyte were established performing experiments of a 3(2) factorial design. Complex formation was evidenced by the UV batochromic shift and the [CuETB](0) and [CuETB](2+) chemical structures were indicated by LC-MS analysis. After some validation parameters have been performed, such as linearity (r=0.999), selectivity (comparison between slope of the calibration curve of the external standard and calibration curve of the standard addition), area precision (RSD%: <2.13 for ETB and <1.94 for 2A1B), recovery mean (101.7% for ETB and 99.95% for 2A1B) and quantification limit (mg L(-1): 10.17 for ETB and 19.70 for 2A1B), the method was successfully applied to ETB analysis in pharmaceutical formulation samples. It is possible to determine the presence of the 2A1B impurity at concentrations of less than 1% ETB content.

Multiresidue Determination of the Anabolic-Agent Residues Steroids, Stilbenes, and Resorcylic Acid Lactones in Bovine Urine by GC-MS/MS with Microwave-Assisted Derivatization.

In this work, a GC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of anabolic-agent residues in bovine urine. The optimized sample preparation was as follows: enzymatic hydrolysis by ß-glucuronidase-sulfatase enzyme from Helix pomatia for 16 h at 37.5 °C, liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether, solid-phase extraction with HLB and aminopropylsilane cartridges, and microwave-assisted derivatization using 25 µL of MSTFA/NH4I/ethanethiol and full microwave power for 2 min. The method was validated according to Decision 657/2002/EC, Codex Alimentarius, and Manual da Garantia da Qualidade Analítica guidelines. The acceptability criteria for quantitative analysis were met for α-ethinylestradiol, α-nandrolone, ß-estradiol, ß-zearalanol, ß-zearalenol, drostanolone, ethisterone, dienestrol, diethylstilbestrol, hexestrol, megestrol, methyltestosterone, and zearalenone. The analytes α-zearalenol, α-zearalanol, and norethandrolone were validated for qualitative analysis.

Multiresidue determination of fluoroquinolones in poultry muscle and kidney according to the regulation 2002/657/EC. A systematic comparison of two different approaches: Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry or tandem mass spectrometry.

This work involved the optimization and validation of two methods according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC directives for determining fluoroquinolones residues in samples of poultry muscle and kidney: ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, enrofloxacin, flumequine, marbofloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, oxolinic acid, pipemidic acid and sarafloxacin. The extraction procedure was based on a QuEChERS approach, whose optimization employed a Box-Behnken 3(3) factorial design. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) was developed for determining the twelve analytes using the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). Accuracy, evaluated by recovery studies, varied from 88.8 to 112.2% for the selected levels with RSD values lower than 12.3%. The second validated method employed high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) performed in the single ion monitoring mode (SIM), determining nine among twelve analytes. The validation parameters were evaluated as satisfactory, with recoveries from 82.5 to 114.4% and RSD lower than 8.7%. Decision limits and detection capabilities for both methods were reported. The two methods were statistically compared using the Student's t test, at 95% confidence level, resulting in no significant difference.

Simultaneous determination of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs by capillary zone electrophoresis using direct UV detection.

An alternative methodology for simultaneous analysis of ethambutol, isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide in pharmaceutical formulations by capillary zone electrophoresis under UV direct detection with an analysis time of 8.0 min is proposed. Background running was based on the effective mobility curve of the analytes and an optimum separation condition was achieved using a 3(3) Box-Behnken design, with Brij 35, Cu(2+) and acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer as factors. An electrolyte consisting of 50.0 mmol L(-1) of acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer, 12.5 mmol L(-1) of CuSO(4), and standard and sample solutions prepared in 2.00 mmol L(-1) of Brij 35 and 12.5 mmol L(-1) of CuSO(4) were optimized. After evaluating validation parameters, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of samples in the form of tablets and sachets.

Simultaneous separation of five fluoroquinolone antibiotics by capillary zone electrophoresis.

A novel methodology has been developed for simultaneous separation of ciprofloxacin (CPFLX), gatifloxacin (GTFLX), levofloxacin (LVFLX), moxifloxacin (MFLX) and sparfloxacin (SPFLX) fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs), using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV detection at 282 nm. Electrolyte composition was optimized through the variation of the Tris/hydrochloride and sodium tetraborate buffer mixture. The electrolyte consisted of a 25 mmol L(-1) Tris/hydrochloride and 15 mmol L(-1) sodium tetraborate buffer mixture resulting in pH 8.87. All analytes were separated in less than 3 min. The proposed method was applied to the separation of FQs in pharmaceutical formulations, and the assay results were within 95-105% of the label claim.