Determination of sulfonamide residues in eggs by liquid chromatography

A method was developed for determining residual sulfonamide antibacterials such as sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfamonomethoxine (SMM), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), and sulfaquinoxaline (SQ) in eggs using liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector. The spiked and blank samples were cleaned up by using an Ultrafree-MC/PL centrifugal ultrafiltration unit. A Mightysil RP-4 GP column and a mobile phase of 28% (v/v) ethanol-H2O with a photodiode array detector were used for the determination. Average recoveries from eggs spiked with each drug at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 1.0 ppm were > or = 80.9%, with relative standard deviations between 1.3 and 4.7%. The limits of quantitation were 0.060 ppm for SMZ, 0.045 for SMM, 0.044 for SDM, and 0.093 for SQ. The analysis of one sample required < 30 min and < 5 mL ethanol as solvent.