Multiresidue method for the simultaneous analysis of antibiotics and mycotoxins in feeds by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

Residues in animal feeds and foods of animal origin have been important safety issue concerning both human and animal health. A multiresidue method for determination of eight mycotoxins and ten antibiotics was developed and validated in animal feeds by using QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) extraction followed by UHPLC-MS/MS. Optimisation of UHPLC-MS/MS parameters was performed to achieve good separation and resolution. The method was validated according to the European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Matrix matched calibration curves showed good r2 (≥0.995) values, and limit of quantification (LOQ) values varied between 1.2 and 5.2 μg kg−1. Average recoveries ranged from 60 to 102% with relative standard deviations of 2.2 and 15.6% for all type of feed samples except for tetracyclines, lincomycin, tylosin, ochratoxin A, and fumonisin (B1 and B2).

Traces of intact paraben molecules in endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is the most commonly encountered gynecological cancer in women worldwide and is also one of the popular models of the hormone-dependent carcinomas. This study was aimed to evaluate and compare the concentrations of five paraben molecules (methylparaben, ethylparaben, N-propylparaben, benzylparaben, isobutylparaben + N-butylparaben) in the endometrial and myometrial tissue samples of patients diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma and benign gynecologic diseases. A total of 88 patients were included in the study and chemical analysis was performed on 176 tissue samples. The study group comprised of 33 patients with endometrial carcinoma and 6 patients with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia. The control group comprised of 49 patients. One endometrial and one myometrial tissue samples were collected from each patient. The analyses were performed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). At least one type of paraben molecule was detected in 23.07% (9/39) of the patients in the study group, and in 2.04% (1/49) of the patients in the control group; this difference between the groups was statistically significant (p = .002). N-Propylparaben and isobutyl + N-butylparaben were the most frequently detected (in 7/10 of the samples) paraben molecules in the study. Tumor characteristics (tumor diameter, myometrial invasion, architectural grade, nuclear grade, lymphovascular space invasion, and tumor stage) were comparable between the two groups of endometrial carcinoma (paraben-detected and paraben-undetected groups). In conclusion, paraben molecules were more frequently detected in the endometrial carcinoma tissue samples than in the normal endometrium.