Enrofloxacin liquid-liquid extraction from chicken muscle and HPLC detection

A technique for the extraction and liquid chromatographic determination of enrofloxacin residues in chicken muscle is described. The muscle samples we re extracted with three steps of dichloromethane and centrifugation for the isolation of enrofloxacin from muscle. Enrofloxacin was quantified by liquid chromatography with fluorescence dete ction at 297 nm excitation and 440 nm emission. The assay is linear from 0. 00048 to 0.25 mu g/mL. The limit of detection is 0.00048 mu g/mL and the li mit of quantification is 0.0039 mu g/mL. The recoveries of enrofloxacin res idues (0.0039 to 0.25 mu g/mL) averaged 86.67%. The injected extracts are f ree from matrix interferences, making it easy to calculate the amount of re sidue present. This is a sensitive, economic, and fast method to investigate the presence of enrofloxacin in chicken muscle.