Clenbuterol food poisoning diagnosis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometric serum analysis Original Research Article

Proliferation of the illegal use of veterinarian drugs, such as clenbuterol, to promote animal growth raises new concerns about their safety/toxicity, mainly as regards consumers. The present study, based on two clinical cases of clenbuterol food poisoning, suggests that blood taken from patients must be a step to respect when diagnosing similar situations. After blood centrifugation, serum was diluted with phosphate buffer and was submitted to solid-phase extraction. The eluate was evaporated to dryness and the residue was derivatised and then injected in the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) system (average recovery=100.01%; intra-assay C.V.=4.86%; inter-assay C.V.=9.10%, limit of determination=1.02 ng ml−1; limit of detection=0.31 ng ml−1). Clenbuterol was found at a concentration ca. 60 ng ml−1 in serum when blood collection was made during the 3 h period after ingestion of contaminated liver (1.42 mg of clenbuterol per kilogram). At these concentration levels, GC–MS clenbuterol determination was entirely reliable and the diagnosis of clenbuterol food poisoning could immediately be confirmed.