Validation study on avermectine residues in foodstuffs.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Veterinary Pharmacology

Background:

• Avermectins are widely used antiparasitic veterinary drugs.
• European regulations limit avermectin residues in food due to potential side effects.
• Accurate methods are needed to monitor avermectin levels in foodstuffs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a method for the simultaneous determination of six major avermectins in muscle, eggs, and milk.
• To ensure compliance with European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC for residue analysis.
• To provide a reliable analytical tool for food safety monitoring.

Main Methods:

• High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL).
• Sample preparation involved acetonitrile extraction and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE).
• Analyte derivatization using trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) with 1-methyl-imidazole (MI) and acetic acid.

Main Results:

• The method successfully determined six avermectins (ivermectin, abemectin, moxidectin, eprinomectin, doramectin, emamectin) in muscle, eggs, and milk.
• This is the first validated method for avermectin analysis in the egg matrix.
• Good recoveries (63-89%) and precision (9.2-17.4% CV) were achieved across all matrices.

Conclusions:

• The presented HPLC-FL method is validated, rapid, specific, and suitable for routine analysis of avermectins in foodstuffs.
• It meets regulatory requirements for residue analysis in food products.
• The method supports effective monitoring of avermectin residues to ensure consumer safety.