Determination of Clenbuterol in Various Edible Parts of Livestock Products by LC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS/MS Methods

Abstract

The residual status of clenbuterol in various edible parts of livestock products was investigated using the LC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS/MS methods. The target food products were the edible tissues of pig and cattle, and clenbuterol was extracted using acetonitrile containing anhydrous sodium sulfate and sodium chloride. Following the dispersive solid-phase extraction using C18 particles and purification with an anion-exchange solid-phase extraction cartridge, the resultant test sample solutions were subjected to the LC analysis. A C18 column was used as the analytical column, and the peak of clenbuterol was eluted at 4.8 min with the gradient elution from 5% acetonitrile to 99% acetonitrile in 10 min. As a result of the LC-MS/MS analysis, interfering peaks were detected around the retention time of clenbuterol. By using the LC-MS/MS/MS analysis, which was developed as a quantitative analysis method that reduces the influence of contaminants, most of the unknown peaks were removed, and it was confirmed that the food samples obtained in Kanagawa prefecture did not contain clenbuterol.