A HPLC method using a modified sample preparation procedure was opti
mized and validated for thequantification of 10 quinolones (QNs), including marbofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, lomefloxacin,danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, difloxacin, oxolinic acid, and flumequine, in swine, chicken,and shrimp tissues. In this method, only a small mass (
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2.0 g) of sample and a relatively smallvolume of organic reagent (
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4.6 mL) of a nonchlorinated extraction solvent were required. The QNswere analyzed by liquid chromatography in a single run using a gradient elution program and with aprogrammable fluorescence detector to obtain optimum detection wavelengths. Mean recoveries of10 drugs from edible animal tissues at a concentration range of 1-100 ng g
-1 were 72.8-106.8%with relative standard deviations below 11.2%. The li
mits of quantification for each QN in differentmuscle tissues ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 ng g
-1, which were below the lowest maximum residue li
mits(10 ng g
-1) established in many countries. The method was also applied to the measurement of QNresidues in commercial muscle samples. The results showed it was rapid, simple, sensitive, andsuitable for use in food surveillance programs.