Determination of Glucocorticoid Residues in Bovine, Swine, and Equine Liver by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The use of glucocorticoids in veterinary medicine has become a common practice, employed for their potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties in the treatment of various conditions in animals. While these medications are valuable tools in managing animal health, there is a growing concern surrounding the potential risk of residues of glucocorticoids in edible tissues, which could pose health risks to humans consuming products such as meat and dairy from treated animals. Laboratory monitoring of residues in edible tissues is essential to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and to safeguard public health, by detecting and quantifying glucocorticoid residues in animal-derived food products, thereby confirming their safety for human consumption. Herein, we describe a simple and reliable method for the analysis of these drugs in bovine, swine, and equine liver. Glucocorticoids are extracted from the samples through solid-liquid extraction, followed by extract purification at low temperature, concentration by evaporation, re-dissolution in acetonitrile, and injection into the LC-MS/MS system.