Electron capture gas-liquid chromatographic determination of morantel-related residues in bovine liver.

A gas-liquid chromatographic assay has been developed to determine major residues of morantel in bovine liver, a target tissue, at levels of 0.2-0.8 ppm. The method is based on hydrolysis of the N-methyltetrahydropyrimidine portion of morantel and its metabolites to N-methyl-1,3-propanediamine, and conversion of the diamine to an N,N'-bis-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl) derivative. The addition of an internal standard, N-ethyl-1,3-propanediamine, to the tissue sample circumvents any potential problem that could arise from variable reaction yields, and eliminates the true recovery as a factor affecting the accuracy and precision of the procedure. The concentrations of the derivatives are determined by pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatography over a linear dynamic range equivalent to 0.2-0.8 ppm morantel. The method has been evaluated at 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 ppm levels in fortified bovine liver, and in a withdrawal sample containing physiologically incurred morantel residues. Mean values of 0.22 +/- 0.015, 0.40 +/- 0.033, and 0.79 +/- ppm were found for fortified samples, 0.02 ppm for control liver, and 0.56 +/- 0.050 ppm for the withdrawal sample.