Liquid chromatographic determination of carbadox and desoxycarbadox in medicated feeds and in porcine gastrointestinal tract.

A liquid chromatographic method for the assay of carbadox and desoxycarbadox in medicated feeds and porcine stomach and intestinal contents is described. Samples were extracted with dimethylformamide-water and cleaned up on an alumina column. The eluate was chromatographed using either gradient elution for simultaneous assay of both compounds or isocratic elution for carbadox only. Detection of carbadox by its native fluorescence yielded a sensitive and specific assay without interferences by metabolites or matrix components. The optimal UV absorption of desoxycarbadox was at 280 nm. Mean recoveries of carbadox in spiked feed and stomach contents were 104 and 97%, respectively; mean recovery of desoxycarbadox in stomach contents was 106%. The day-to-day reproducibility for carbadox in different feed samples and stomach contents samples had a coefficient of variation of 6-13%.