Extension of multi-residue methodology to include the determination of quinolones in food†‡

The multi-residue procedure for basic drugs described elsewhere by this laboratory has been evaluated for quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The fluoroquinolones are a relatively new class of drug and an increasing number of licensed products containing these compounds are becoming available for use in animal husbandry. This, along with the possibility of the development of antibiotic resistant human pathogens, make it an important class of drug for which methodology is required for the monitoring of residues in food. Validation data are presented for a range of compounds including the quinolones; oxolinic acid and nalidixic acid, and the fluoroquinolones; flumequine, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, enoxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, marbofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin and sarafloxacin. Foods for which the method was validated included poultry muscle (chicken and turkey), egg, chicken liver, honey, cattle muscle and pig muscle. This application of the multi-residue procedure further demonstrates the importance and wide-ranging usefulness of the technique.