High performance liquid chromatographic apprasial of doxycycline residues in commercial broilers

Abstract

Antibiotics are used for therapeutic purpose as well as animal feed additive in poultry feed. Doxycycline (DOX), a member of the tetracycline group of antibiotics has been extensively used as an antimicrobial growth promoter as well as in the treatment of diseases in poultry industry. This study was aimed to determine DOX residues in poultry meat and liver samples using high performance liquid chromatography. The maximum residual limit (MRL) of DOX in muscle and liver tissues of broiler was 200 and 600 µg/kg, respectively. The results showed that 89% of total samples (n=150) were DOX residue positive. Out of these 96% samples were below MRL while 4% samples were above MRL. From the meat samples (n=75), 91% samples were positive while only 3% samples had residual concentration above MRL. Similarly, from liver samples (n=75), 87% samples were positive for DOX residues where as 5% samples had residual concentration above MRL. The outcome of present study provides valuable baseline for health regulatory authorities to establish MRL for antibiotic growth promoters which are being used most extensively in commercial poultry farming.