High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-DAD Based Monitoring of Oxytetracycline Residues in Chicken Meat: A Case Study of Kamrup District, Assam, India

The experiment was conducted during Kharif (June–August, 2024) at Instrument Precision Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara, Guwahati-781022 to assess oxytetracycline residues in poultry meat samples.The samples were obtained from 5 different cities of Kamrup districts of Assam, India. A total of 125 poultry meat samples, consisting of thigh muscle tissues were collected from local road side chicken stalls of Azara, Kamakhya, Khanapara, Narangi and Noonmati areas. The samples were collected and stored in sterile sealed containers and transported to the laboratory under ice packs and kept at -20°C till use. Residue analysis was conducted using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with quaternary pump system and diode array detector at 205 nm. The isocratic mobile phase consisting of 0.01 M oxalic acid, acetonitrile, and methanol in a 50:30:20 was used. Separation was achieved with C18 column. Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 0.005 μg g-1 and 0.008 μg g-1, respectively. The mean retention time for OTC was 3.2 min. Among the 125 samples tested for oxytetracycline residue, only 2 samples were found to be positive; however, none of the positive samples exceeded the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). Therefore, the findings suggest that a high compliance rate with withdrawal periods, suggesting effective regulatory adherence and minimal public health risk from oxytetracycline residues in the sampled chicken.