A simple and rapid method for the identification and quantification of malachite green and its metabolite in hake by HPLC–MS/MS

Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food-producing sector in the world and similarly to any other type of food production systems, the use of veterinary drugs is unavoidable and common, but it needs to be controlled. Special attention should be paid to the use of illegal substances such as malachite green. This substance was found in the last three control monitoring plans conducted in Europe. Methods for the detection of malachite green in commonly farmed species, including salmon, trout, carp, shrimp and panga can be easily found but not emerging species such as hake. Hake is becoming an emerging species and nowadays, farmed hake can be found in some markets. This study presents an HPLC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of malachite green and its metabolite, leucomalachite green, in hake muscle. The recoveries, decision limit, and limit of quantification of malachite and leucomalachite green were greater than 70%, below 2 μg kg−1, between 0.5 and 1 μg kg−1, respectively.