Rapid procedure for determination of nicarbazin residues in chicken tissues

A procedure is described for the quantitation of nicarbazin residues in chicken tissues. The method includes extraction of tissue with chloroform-ethyl acetate-dimethyl sulfoxide (50 + 50 + 0.8), adsorption on neutral alumina, and subsequent elution of the residues with methanol-pH 6.0 phosphate buffer (1 + 1). Extracts are separated on a 15 cm, 5 micron C18 column with methanol-pH 6.0 phosphate buffer (6.5 + 3.5) as the mobile phase. The dinitrocarbanilide portion of the complex is detected and quantitated with an electrochemical detector in the reductive mode. Recoveries, based on dinitrocarbanilide, were greater than 95% in liver, breast, and thigh muscle tissues fortified with 0.25-8.0 ppm nicarbazin.