Ciprofloxacin Residue in Marketed Pork of North-East India

Background: Ciprofloxacin is commonly indicated for treating bacterial infections in dogs and cats and is generally not recommended for large animals like pig. Enrofloxacin on the other hand is specially developed for veterinary use (small and large animals), however the main metabolite of enrofloxacin is ciprofloxacin and the data of ciprofloxacin residue in pork are limited. Objective: To evaluate the residue of ciprofloxacin in pork samples obtained from four different states namely Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram of North-East India. Method: 720 samples comprising of Liver, Kidney, and Muscle were collected in clear sterile container and transported to the laboratory in ice packs. The samples were kept at -20 °C till analysis. Ultra High Performance Chromatography (UHPLC) equipped with Diode Array Detector (DAD) was used for screening the samples. Level of detection was 0.001 μ/g. Result: Out of 720 samples, 49 samples were found with detectable level of ciprofloxacin residue however none of the residue levels were above the permissible limit (Maximum Residue Limit). Conclusion and Public Health Importance: This study clearly proved that although the residue has been detected in the marketed pork samples the levels of residue were below the permissible limit hence the pork obtained from these states is safe from public health point of view.