Praziquantel (PZQ) is an anthelmintic drug used in humans and animals against Platyhelminthes and in aquaculture in the Far East. Medicated feed is one of the most convenient forms of oral administration of drugs in aquaculture because it allows to treat a large population of fish in an easy way. However, this treatment may lead to residues in fish intended for human consumption. In this study, a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed in order to verify the presence of PZQ in samples of Sparus aurata after oral administration of feed treated with PZQ. The method was validated according to international guidelines. It showed good recoveries, selectivity and sensitivity (LOD and LOQ were 3.0 and 9.3 ng/g, respectively), with precision and matrix effect values ≤ 15%. This method could also be applied to determine PZQ residue in other fish species and thus to evaluate the appropriate withdrawal time in treated fish intended for human consumption.
Keywords: LC-MS/MS; fish muscle; medicated animal feed; praziquantel; residues.