Improved liquid chromatographic determination of neomycin B in bovine kidney

An improved liquid chromatographic (LC) method was developed for the determination of neomycin B in bovine kidney tissue. The tissue is homogenized twice in phosphate buffer; homogenate is centrifuged, and the supernatant is deproteinated by heat. The extract is acidified and mixed with ion-pair concentrate, and neomycin B is determined by an LC system consisting of an ion-pairing mobile phase, a reversed-phase ODS column, postcolumn derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde reagent, and fluorometric detection. Average recoveries of neomycin B from kidney tissues spiked at 3, 6, and 12 ppm were 103, 99, and 104%, with 9.7, 7.9, and 3.7% intralaboratory coefficients of variation, respectively, using a standard curve prepared in buffer. The method was used to determine neomycin B in kidney tissue obtained from a calf killed 14 days after intramuscular dosing with neomycin (5 mg/lb). The tissue was found to contain about 3 ppm neomycin B. The LC conditions were also used to assay control samples of muscle, liver, milk, plasma, and urine. No interfering peaks were noted at the elution position of neomycin B.