Stir membrane liquid phase microextraction of tetracyclines using switchable hydrophilicity solvents followed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A novel approach for stir membrane liquid phase microextraction of tetracyclines from biological fluids was developed. The microextraction procedure assumed in situ formation of microdroplets of a hydrophobic medium-chain fatty acid (extraction solvent) from homogeneous sample solution containing water-soluble medium-chain fatty acid salt by acidification and simultaneous analytes extraction and organic phase separation into pores of stir membrane disk. Obtained large surface area between the extraction solvent and aqueous phase and high porosity of the membrane provided fast extraction and phase separation (extraction time - 5 min) and reducing extraction solvent volume to the order of several µL. The developed approach was applied for the HPLC-UV determination of tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline in biological fluids samples. The calibration graphs were linear over the concentration ranges of 0.1-100 mg L-1 for oxytetracycline, tetracycline and chlortetracycline. Regression coefficients were in the range from 0.994 to 0.998. The LOD values, calculated from the blank tests based on 3σ, were 30 µg L-1 for tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline. The RSD values expressing intra-day and inter-day repeatability were lower than 5% and 8%, respectively.