SYNOVIAL-FLUID AS A MATRIX OF SELECTION IN THE DETECTION OF BETA-ADRENERGIC AGONIST DRUGS IN CARCASSES AND FRESH MEAT

Previous papers have supported the hypothesis that beta-agonist drugs could accumulate in those tissues with a high content of mucopolysacch arides. Based on our preliminary findings, between October and Decembe r 1993 we randomly sampled 534 samples of synovial fluids drawn from t he knee joint of fresh carcasses. After a preliminary extraction able to break down the water domains of mucopolysaccharides and the interac tions between the matrix and the drugs, samples were concentrated on d iatomaceous earth and then screened on two different ELISA plates. We confirmed the structure of suspected fluids by GC-MS (HFBA derivatizat ion), according to EC criteria. Of the 57 samples screened as positive (10.6% of the total), 51 (9.5%) were fully confirmed, while for six i t was not possible to identify the drug. The results suggest that the analysis of synovial fluids is an adequate tool to monitor the misuse of beta-adrenergic drugs in animal production, especially when target organs such as liver and kidney are not available for sampling.