Confirmatory assay for ivermectin in cattle tissue using chemical ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

A method based on direct exposure, positive ion, chemical ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ms/ms) was developed for the confirmatory assay of the antiparasitic drug, ivermectin, in animal tissue. Following extraction, column and preparative liquid chromatography, mass spectrometric/mass spectrometric analysis of the drug in liver samples provided reliable detection limits to 8-10 parts-per-billion at a signal: noise of greater than 10:1. Blank tissue consistently displayed no chemical/matrix interference. Besides the development of a confirmatory assay, the study also demonstrates the analytical capability and the role of MS/MS vis-a-vis other applied mass spectrometric techniques.