Confirmatory development and validation of HPLC-DADmethod for the determination of tetracyclines in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) muscle tissue.

A confirmatory high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the determination of nine tetracyclines in Sparus aurata (gilthead seabream) muscle tissue is developed and presented herein. Tetracycline, 4-epi-tetracycline, oxytetracycline, 4-epi-oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, 4-epi-chlortetracycline, doxycycline, methacycline and demeclocycline were separated on a Kromasil, C18 (250 mm × 4 mm, 5 μm) analytical column by gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.001 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/sodium salt and acetonitrile at 25°C. Diode array detection with monitoring at 280 nm (for the determination of chlortetracycline, 4-epi-chlortetracycline, methacycline and demeclocycline) and 355 nm (for tetracycline, 4-epi-tetracycline, oxytetracycline, 4-epi-oxytetracycline and demeclocycline) was applied for peak identification and quantification of analytes. Examined antibiotics were isolated from gilthead seabream tissue by leaching using a citrate buffer (pH 4.0) and purified by solid phase extraction using Oasis HLB(200 mg/6 mL) cartridges. The developed method was fully validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability and sensitivity according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC.