Simple and efficient HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous extraction and quantification of anthelmintics in equine...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Veterinary Pharmacology

Background:

• Anthelmintic drugs are widely used in horses, leading to concerns about pharmaceutical residues in the environment.
• Residues in soil and pastures can impact non-target organisms, including nematodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel analytical method for quantifying four common anthelmintics in horse manure.
• To establish a reliable method for assessing environmental contamination from equine pharmaceutical use.

Main Methods:

• Development of a high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method utilizing multiple reaction monitoring (MRM).
• Direct extraction of dried horse manure using an acetonitrile-water mixture, bypassing the need for solid-phase extraction (SPE).

Main Results:

• High recovery rates for pyrantel (82.3%) and ivermectin (120.8%) with standard deviations under 20%.
• Linear calibration curves were achieved for all four anthelmintics within the tested concentration range.
• Achieved low limits of detection (LLODs) for ivermectin (0.1 ng/mL), moxidectin (0.2 ng/mL), pyrantel (0.3 ng/mL), and fenbendazole (1.0 ng/mL).

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC-MS/MS method provides an efficient and reliable means for simultaneous extraction and determination of key anthelmintics in horse manure.
• This method serves as a foundation for analyzing anthelmintic residues in other environmental matrices, such as soil.