Analysis of Chloramphenicol and Two Metabolites in Crab and Shrimp Following Waterborne Exposure

The use of chloramphenicol (CAP) in aquaculture products is banned in many countries, including the United States, due to human health issues. Very few depletion and metabolism studies of CAP in seafood have been performed. Current detection methods for CAP residues in food are directed toward the parent drug molecule, but rapid elimination following treatment suggests the need for an alternative marker residue. We identified, characterized, and determined the persistence of two CAP metabolites, CAP-base (CAP-B) and CAP-alcohol (CAP-OH), in crab and shrimp. Interday recoveries of CAP, CAP-B, and CAP-OH in muscle fortified ( n = 9) at levels of 0.15 to 0.60 ng/g ranged from 95 to 127% and 101 to 119% for crab and shrimp, respectively, with repeatability ranging from 4 to 19%. The limit of detection for CAP and metabolites in crab and shrimp ranged from 0.05 to 0.11 ng/g. We also monitored the depletion of CAP, CAP-B, and CAP-OH in crab following waterborne exposures. To our knowledge, we present the first CAP depletion and metabolite study following waterborne exposure in crabs, with the aim of identifying alternative marker residues.