The coccidiostat maduramicin has been approved as a feed additive for chickens and turkeys, although it is prohibited for use in laying hens. In the present study, laying hens were divided into three groups and fed for 14 days with medicated feed containing maduramicin, at three different concentrations: 50, 100 and 500 µg kg(-1). Eggs were collected during treatment and for 26 days after the end of feeding with medicated feed. Maduramicin residues were found exclusively in egg yolk, with the highest concentration in egg yolk of 459 µg kg(-1) for the highest dose. The maximum concentration of maduramicin in whole egg was 16.6 µg kg(-1) for the group receiving feed containing the maximum permitted level of maduramicin in feed (50 µg kg(-1)). The half-life of elimination of maduramicin, calculated for post-treatment days 1-10, was 6.5 days. Twelve days after drug administration, the concentration of the maduramicin in egg yolk for Group 3 (fed with 500 µg kg(-1) maduramicin) still exceeded 20 µg kg(-1), while the concentrations for Groups 1 and 2 were 1.2 and 2.7 µg kg(-1), respectively.
Keywords: animal feed; chromatography – LC/MS; eggs; veterinary drugs.