Ocular bulb as a matrix of selection in detection of clenbuterol: an effective monitoring in breeding turkey

Clenbuterol is a ?2-agonist licensed in Europe solely as a muscle relaxant in pregnant cattle, usually during calf delivery, and for tocolysis and treatment of respiratory diseases in horses. Different use in animals is considered illegal because this growth promoter can endanger human health. The aim of this work was to monitor the presence of clenbuterol in a not official and inedible matrix (where there is strong evidence of its potential accumulation), as ocular bulb, collected in 2007-2009 from turkeys at public slaughterhouses in Central-Northern Italy. The 280 collected samples were analysed with a new and effective method of extraction and purification based on HPLC analysis with UV-DAD detection. The average extraction recoveries were 80.60 ± 1.57%. All the samples were below the quantification limit (0.010 µg/mL). At 95% confidence level the percentage of positive turkeys breeding-farms was below 14%. This allows extending positive evaluations on the safety of edible tissues of Italian turkey.