Application of ion-exchange cartridge clean-up in food analysis: VI. Determination of six penicillins in bovine tissues by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A multiresidue analytical method was developed for the quantification of benzylpenicillin (PCG), phenoxymethylpenicillin (PCV), oxacillin (MPIPC), cloxacillin (MCIPC), nafcillin (NFPC) and dicloxacillin (MDIPC) in bovine tissues using liquid chromatography– electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI MS/MS) with a multiple reaction monitoring technique. Using the deuterated PCG and NFPC as internal standard was effective for improvement of repeatability and accuracy. We chose [M − H-141]− as a monitor ion of MRM analysis and [M − H]− as a precursor ion for each penicillin. Combination of an ion-exchange cartridge clean-up and ion-pair LC enable us to determine the residual penicillins using the standard curves made from standard solutions without the influence of sample matrix on the MS. The average recoveries of PCG, PCV, MPIPC, MCIPC, NFPC and MDIPC from bovine liver, kidney and muscle at the same concentrations as the tolerance levels of PCG (50 μg/kg) ranged from 77 to 101% with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.7 to 4.2% (n=5). The limits of quantification for the six penicillins were 2–10 μg/kg in bovine muscle, liver and kidney (S/N ratio >10).