Immunoaffinity column cleanup and liquid chromatographic method for determining ivermectin in sheep serum

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pharmacology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Ivermectin is a crucial antiparasitic drug in sheep farming.
• Accurate quantification of ivermectin in animal serum is vital for efficacy and safety studies.
• Existing analytical methods may lack sensitivity or require complex sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and sensitive analytical method for determining ivermectin concentrations in sheep serum.
• To validate the method's accuracy, precision, and limit of detection.

Main Methods:

• Sample preparation involved immunoaffinity column (IAC) cleanup.
• Ivermectin was quantified using liquid chromatography (LC) with UV detection at 245 nm.
• Method validation included recovery, coefficient of variation, and limit of detection assessments.

Main Results:

• The method demonstrated high recoveries, ranging from 90.3% to 98.8% (mean 93.9 +/- 4.3%).
• Coefficients of variation were low, indicating good precision (3.2% to 11.0%).
• The limit of detection was as low as 1 ng/mL in a 5.0 mL serum sample.

Conclusions:

• The developed IAC-LC method is simple, sensitive, and accurate for ivermectin determination in sheep serum.
• This method is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies, residue analysis, and therapeutic drug monitoring in sheep.
• The high sensitivity and efficiency of the method facilitate reliable ivermectin quantification in veterinary applications.