Determination of tetracycline antibiotics in tissues and blood serum of cattle and swine by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Tissue homogenates and blood serum were acidified with hydrochloric acid and deproteinized with acetonitrile. Tetracyclines were partitioned into water and concentrated by solid-phase absorption on the analytical column form 0.01 M phosphoric acid-methanol (80:20). Tetracyclines were eluted with an acetonitrile gradient. An all-organic polymeric column (Polymer Labs. PLRP-S) was used. Similar results were obtained on a bonded reversed-phase column after addition of tetramethyl-ammonium chloride to the mobile phase. Recoveries were near 100% from blood serum, 83-94% from muscle, and 80-100% from liver and kidney with sensitivities of 0.1 ppm or less for muscle and blood serum.