Wendy C. Andersen

Determination and Confirmation of Melamine Residues in Catfish, Trout, Tilapia, Salmon, and Shrimp by Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Pet and food animal (hogs, chicken, and fish) feeds were recently found to be contaminated with melamine (MEL). A quantitative and confirmatory method is presented to determine MEL residues in edible tissues from fish fed this contaminant. Edible tissues were extracted with acidic acetonitrile, defatted with dichloromethane, and cleaned up using mixed-mode cation exchange solid-phase extraction cartridges. Extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry with hydrophilic interaction chromatography and electrospray ionization in positive ion mode. Fish and shrimp tissues were fortified with 10-500 microg/kg (ppb) of MEL with an average recovery of 63.8% (21.5% relative standard deviation, n = 121). Incurred fish tissues were generated by feeding fish up to 400 mg/kg of MEL or a combination of MEL and the related triazine cyanuric acid (CYA). MEL and CYA are known to form an insoluble complex in the kidneys, which may lead to renal failure. Fifty-five treated catfish, trout, tilapia, and salmon were analyzed after withdrawal times of 1-14 days. MEL residues were found in edible tissues from all of the fish with concentrations ranging from 0.011 to 210 mg/kg (ppm). Incurred shrimp and a survey of market seafood products were also analyzed as part of this study.

Evaluation of the renal effects of experimental feeding of melamine and cyanuric acid to fish and pigs.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether renal crystals can be experimentally induced in animals fed melamine or the related triazine compound cyanuric acid, separately or in combination, and to compare experimentally induced crystals with those from a cat with triazine-related renal failure. ANIMALS 75 fish (21 tilapia, 24 rainbow trout, 15 channel catfish, and 15 Atlantic salmon), 4 pigs, and 1 cat that was euthanatized because of renal failure. PROCEDURES Fish and pigs were fed a target dosage of melamine (400 mg/kg), cyanuric acid (400 mg/kg), or melamine and cyanuric acid (400 mg of each compound/kg) daily for 3 days and were euthanatized 1, 3, 6, 10, or 14 days after administration ceased. Fresh, frozen, and formalin-fixed kidneys were examined for crystals. Edible tissues were collected for residue analysis. Crystals were examined for composition via Raman spectroscopy and hydrophilic-interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS All animals fed the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid developed goldbrown renal crystals arranged in radial spheres (spherulites), similar to those detected in the cat. Spectral analyses of crystals from the cat, pigs, and fish were consistent with melamine-cyanurate complex crystals. Melamine and cyanuric acid residues were identified in edible tissues of fish. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although melamine and cyanuric acid appeared to have low toxicity when administered separately, they induced extensive renal crystal formation when administered together. The subsequent renal failure may be similar to acute uric acid nephropathy in humans, in which crystal spherulites obstruct renal tubules.

Multi‐class, multi‐residue liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry screening and confirmation methods for drug residues in milk

This paper describes the development and optimization of a multi-residue veterinary drug screening method for whole milk. The drug residues of regulatory interest in milk include beta-lactams, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides. Milk samples were extracted with acetonitrile and the samples were then subjected to a clean-up procedure using a bonded solid-phase extraction cartridge and a molecular weight cut-off filter. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) triple quadrupole electrospray methods were developed to monitor for the drugs in milk. Since established tolerance levels are set for most of these drugs in milk, the initial screening procedure was semi-quantitative, where samples were compared to the response of a positive control. The positive control, consisting of an extract from a portion of milk fortified with the drugs at half their allowed levels, was used to set the laboratorys minimum response criteria for unknown samples. Confirmatory analyses, with additional ion transitions for each residue, were performed on the same extracts.

Multiresidue method for the triphenylmethane dyes in fish: Malachite green, crystal (gentian) violet, and brilliant green

Liquid chromatographic methods are presented for the quantitative and confirmatory determination of crystal violet (CV; also known as gentian violet), leucocrystal violet (LCV), brilliant green (BG), and leucobrilliant green (LBG) in catfish. LCV and LBG were oxidized to the chromic CV and BG by reaction with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, and residues were measured as the combined CV+/-LCV and BG+/-LBG. These methods are extensions of published methods for malachite green (MG) analysis to allow simultaneous determination of MG, CV, and BG. Residues were extracted from muscle with ammonium acetate buffer and acetonitrile, and extracts cleaned up using dichloromethane partitioning and solid-phase extraction. Extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography with visible detection (LC-VIS). The method was validated for catfish fortified with LCV over the range 0.25-10 ngg(-1) and CV at 2 ngg(-1). Average recoveries were 90.6% (+/-8.1% R.S.D., n=45) for LCV and 84.4% (+/-4.2% R.S.D., n=6) for CV. The average recovery for samples fortified with BG or LBG over the range 0.5-10 ngg(-1) was 67.2% (+/-14.8% R.S.D., n=31). CV and BG were confirmed in fish extracts by ion trap LC-mass spectrometry (LC-MS(n)) with no discharge-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. Average LC-MS(n) recoveries were 96.5, 96.6, and 70.2% for samples fortified with CV, LCV, and BG or LBG. The limits of detection for CV, BG, and MG were in the range of 0.07-0.24 ngg(-1) (ppb) for the two different instrumental methods. This methodology was applied to the analysis of catfish treated with CV and BG.

Determination of cyanuric acid residues in catfish, trout, tilapia, salmon and shrimp by liquid chromatography―tandem mass spectrometry

In May 2007, investigators discovered that waste material from the pet food manufacturing process contaminated with melamine (MEL) and/or cyanuric acid (CYA) had been added to hog and chicken feeds. At this time, investigators also learned that adulterated wheat gluten had been used in the manufacture of aquaculture feeds. Concern that the contaminated feed had been used in aquaculture and could enter the human food supply prompted the development of a method for the determination of CYA residues in the edible tissues of fish and shrimp. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed as a sensitive technique for the analysis of CYA in catfish, tilapia, salmon, trout and shrimp tissue. CYA was extracted from ground fish or shrimp with an acetic acid solution, defatted with hexane, and isolated with a graphitic carbon black solid-phase extraction column. Residues were separated from matrix components using a porous graphitic carbon LC column, and then analyzed with electrospray ionization in negative ion mode on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Selective reaction monitoring was performed on the [M-H](-)m/z 128 ion resulting in the product ions m/z 85 and 42. Recoveries from catfish, tilapia and trout fortified with 10-100 microgkg(-1) of CYA averaged 67% with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 18% (n=107). The average method detection limit (MDL) for catfish, tilapia and trout is 3.5 microgkg(-1). An internal standard, (13)C(3)-labeled CYA, was used in the salmon and shrimp extractions. Average recovery of CYA from salmon was 91% (R.S.D.=15%, n=18) with an MDL of 7.4 microgkg(-1). Average recovery of CYA from shrimp was 85% (R.S.D.=10%, n=13) with an MDL of 3.5 microgkg(-1).

Residue depletion of melamine and cyanuric acid in catfish and rainbow trout following oral administration

The intentional addition of triazines such as melamine to animal feeds and the lack of information about residue accumulation in food animals caused global concerns for food safety during 2007 and 2008. We report the results of a good laboratory practices (GLP) study to determine melamine and cyanuric acid residues in catfish and trout filets harvested at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42 days after a single oral dose of 20 mg/kg body weight of melamine, cyanuric acid, or melamine and cyanuric acid together. Peak melamine concentrations were 12.73 mg/kg (ppm) in catfish (mean = 9.98), 12.26 mg/kg in trout (mean = 7.89) on day 1. Within 7 days (catfish) or 14 days (trout) residues were <2.5 mg/kg, a level in foods accepted by many risk assessors worldwide to be unlikely to pose health risks to consumers. Peak cyanuric acid residues also occurred on day 1, 0.68 mg/kg in catfish (mean = 0.46), 2.59 mg/kg in trout (mean = 0.86). Cyanuric acid muscle residues were <2.5 mg/kg by day 3. The half-lives for melamine and cyanuric acid ranged between 1 and 4 days. Renal crystals formed in fish given both melamine and cyanuric acid, persisting for weeks after the single dose.

Analysis of aminoglycoside residues in bovine milk by liquid chromatography electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry after derivatization with phenyl isocyanate

A derivatization procedure using phenyl isocyanate was adapted to liquid chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-MS(n)) for confirmation and quantification of aminoglycoside residues in milk. Aminoglycoside residues were extracted from milk with acid and isolated from the matrix with a weak cation exchange solid-phase extraction cartridge. After isolating the compounds from the milk, derivatives of gentamicin, neomycin, and tobramycin were formed by reacting the drugs with phenyl isocyanate in the presence of triethylamine. The analytes were separated using a dilute formic acid/acetonitrile gradient on a reversed-phase LC column. The derivatized compounds were analyzed using positive ion electrospray LC-MS(n) with ion trap detection. Product ion spectra were generated from the derivatized protonated molecules. Specific ion transitions were evaluated for quantitative determination and qualitative confirmation of residues in milk. Using this procedure, residues were qualitatively confirmed in milk samples fortified with gentamicin and neomycin at levels ranging from 15 to 300 ng mL(-1). Gentamicin has four major components that were successfully separated and confirmed independently; for quantitative determination the peak areas from the four analogs were summed. Tobramycin was added as an internal standard for quantitation to mitigate the effects of matrix ion suppression and variable recoveries. Overall recoveries for this method ranged from 80% to 120% with relative standard deviations of less than 25%. The method detection limits are 9.8 ng mL(-1) for NEO and 12.8 ng mL(-1) for total GEN residues.

Challenges in implementing a screening method for veterinary drugs in milk using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is a valuable tool for the analysis of chemical contaminants in food. Our laboratory has successfully developed methods to screen for veterinary drug residues using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF). There have been, however, significant challenges as methods are transferred from the development stage to routine regulatory analysis. Having experimental retention time and product ion information for analytes greatly facilitates the ability to determine if residues found by the HRMS searching software are false detects. These data were collected for over 200 veterinary drug residues using LC Q-TOF MS. The screening levels of detection for over 150 veterinary drug residues in milk were determined, and over half of those tested can be detected at concentrations of 10 ng/mL or less; 72% can be found in milk when present at 100 ng/mL. Tentative identification of the product ions from these analytes is also presented.

Antioxidant responses and renal crystal formation in rainbow trout treated with melamine administered individually or in combination with cyanuric acid.

In 2007 and 2008, renal stone formation and kidney damage in human infants were linked to consumption of melamine (MEL)-contaminated infant formula, as well as renal failure and death in pets due to pet food containing both MEL and cyanuric acid (CYA). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of MEL and CYA administered individually or in combination on concentrations of certain metabolites and enzyme activities that serve as markers for oxidative stress in kidney and liver of rainbow trout. In addition, the levels of muscle MEL and renal crystal formation were determined. Trout were fed MEL and/or CYA for 8 wk at 250, 500, or 1000 mg of each compound/kg in feed. Fish muscle residues of MEL exhibited a dose-response relationship. Coexposure of trout to MEL and CYA at the highest dose led to lower MEL residue concentrations in muscle compared to exposure to MEL alone. Renal MEL–CYA complexes were found in kidneys of fish treated with combined MEL and CYA. A dose response was evident with respect to both (1) number of trout displaying renal crystals and (2) number of crystals per fish. Changes in concentration of antioxidant parameters, such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase, were recorded in both tissues of MEL- and CYA-dosed trout. Lipid peroxidation was more pronounced in kidney than liver. Therefore, feed contaminated with both MEL and CYA could be problematic for fish, as MEL administered to trout, individually or in combination with CYA, may facilitate the onset of oxidative damage in trout.

Laser diode thermal desorption mass spectrometry for the analysis of quinolone antibiotic residues in aquacultured seafood

RATIONALE Veterinary drug residue analysis of meat and seafood products is an important part of national regulatory agency food safety programs to ensure that consumers are not exposed to potentially dangerous substances. Complex tissue matrices often require lengthy extraction and analysis procedures to identify improper animal drug treatment. Direct and rapid analysis mass spectrometry techniques have the potential to increase regulatory sample analysis speed by eliminating liquid chromatographic separation. METHODS Flumequine, oxolinic acid, and nalidixic acid were extracted from catfish, shrimp, and salmon using acidified acetonitrile. Extracts were concentrated, dried onto metal sample wells, then rapidly desorbed (6 s) with an infrared diode laser for analysis by laser diode thermal desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization with tandem mass spectrometry (LDTD-MS/MS). Analysis was conducted in selected reaction monitoring mode using piromidic acid as internal standard. RESULTS Six-point calibration curves for each compound in extracted matrix were linear with r(2) correlation greater than 0.99. The method was validated by analyzing 23 negative samples and 116 fortified samples at concentrations of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 600 ng/g. Average recoveries of fortified samples were greater than 77% with method detection levels ranging from 2 to 7 /g. Three product ion transitions were acquired per analyte to identify each residue. CONCLUSIONS A rapid method for quinolone analysis in fish muscle was developed using LDTD-MS/MS. The total analysis time was less than 30 s per sample; quinolone residues were detected below 10 ng/g and in most cases residue identity was confirmed. This represents the first application of LDTD to tissue extract analysis. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.