Determination of trace tetracycline antibiotics in foodstuffs by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled with selective molecular-imprinted solid-phase extraction.

A rapid, specific, and sensitive method has been developed using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as solid-phase extraction sorbents for extraction of trace tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) in foodstuffs. MIPs were prepared by precipitation polymerization using tetracycline as the template. Under the optimal condition, the imprinting factors for MIPs were 4.