Analysis of cyromazine in poultry feed using the QuEChERS method coupled with LC-MS/MS

Cyromazine is used as an additive in poultry feed to inhibit the development of fly larvae in chicken manure. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method AG-555, modified from method AG-376, has been the standard method for cyromazine analysis in poultry feed. However, these methods are time-consuming ( approximately 3 h) and require large volumes (200 mL) of solvent. This study developed an extraction procedure using the QuEChERS method that is faster ( approximately 30 min) and uses 20 times less solvent than the AG-555 method. After extraction using the QuEChERS method, the extractant was subjected to cleanup using a C-18 solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by filtering through a 0.45 microm syringe Teflon filter before the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Recovery of 75.0 +/- 6.2% was achieved. The method detection limit (MDL) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.028 and 0.094 ppm, respectively. Analyses of commercial poultry feed samples using the QuEChERS method yielded results similar to those obtained via EPA method AG-555.