A method for the simultaneous determination of 27 sulfonamides in poultry feathers using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was established in this study. The samples were extracted using 0.1 mol/L HCl solutions in a 60 °C water bath for 2 h, purified using hydrophilic-lipophilic balance solid-phase extraction, nitrogen-dried, and then reconstituted for UPLC-MS/MS analysis, which was performed with a CSH-C18 column. Linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, recovery, and precision were calculated in accordance with Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. For linearity, all standard curves showed a standard coefficient greater than 0.99, and the recoveries and coefficient of variation were 89-115% and <20%, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.2-5 and 0.5-20 ng/g, respectively. The method was successfully applied to sulfamethazine (SMZ) residue accumulation monitoring in laying hen feathers and sulfonamide residue monitoring on poultry feathers. SMZ residue accumulation in the laying hen feathers was studied after administration with 100 mg/kg of SMZ for 21 consecutive days. SMZ residues were still detected in feathers 14 days after drug administration and persisted for up to 85 days. Results from 42 poultry feather samples showed that the feather is a suitable medium to monitor the illegal use of sulfonamides in poultry production.
Keywords: UPLC−MS/MS; poultry feathers; sulfamethazine; sulfonamides.