A novel CE-stacking approach for the analysis of ethinylestradiol and dexamethasone residues in meat samples

Considering the relevance of the food adulteration issue, reliably detecting and quantifying residues of prohibited drugs in meat-based foods is of great importance. As a contribution toward these goals, an original analytical MEKC method was developed for the screening of two steroid substances in muscle tissue. Advanced sample pre-concentration techniques, such as stacking on capillary, were adopted to improve sensitivity. Several experimental conditions were optimized by varying capillary diameter, BGE pH and concentration, injection conditions and separation voltage. Particular attention was paid to the development of an appropriate procedure of biological sample pre-treatment by solid phase extraction (SPE). Finally, the method is being validated in accordance with the official guidelines and applied to spiked meat samples.