MassHunter Veterinary Drugs PCDL - Quick Start Guide

Significance of the Topic

Veterinary drugs are widely used to treat livestock and can leave residues in animal‐derived foods, posing risks to public health. High‐resolution mass spectrometry screening with an accurate mass Personal Compound Database and Library (PCDL) enables comprehensive detection and identification of these compounds, supporting food safety monitoring and regulatory compliance.

Objectives and Overview

This guide introduces the MassHunter Veterinary Drugs PCDL, a curated database and spectral library for high‐resolution mass spectrometry screening of veterinary drug residues. It supports the screening of over 2100 analytes and library searches for more than 1500 compounds, including pesticides, metabolites, and region‐specific regulated lists. The PCDL can be used as provided or as a template for developing custom compound libraries tailored to laboratory‐specific needs.

Used Instrumentation

• Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC system
• Agilent 6545 Q-TOF or equivalent high‐resolution TOF LC/MS instrument
• MassHunter Qualitative Analysis software B.07.00 or higher

Methodology and Instrumentation Details

The PCDL combines accurate mass compound databases with MS/MS spectral libraries to facilitate both targeted and non‐targeted screening. Retention time data for 104 compounds are included in an accurate mass–retention time library, acquired under All Ions MS/MS conditions as described in Agilent application notes. Users can perform database or library searches in MassHunter Qualitative Analysis, apply retention time filters, and build custom PCDLs using PCDL Manager, adding user‐generated retention times and spectra.

Main Results and Discussion

Application of the PCDL enables simultaneous screening of regulated veterinary drugs across different geographic regions, including USDA, EPA, Chinese, and Japanese lists. Full‐spectrum high‐resolution data acquisition captures all ionizing compounds, while accurate mass and retention time criteria enhance confidence in compound identification. The guide details workflows for PCDL installation, management, and compound identification, demonstrating streamlined sample preparation and method replication from published protocols.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Comprehensive coverage of veterinary drugs and metabolites for food safety analysis
• Customization of compound libraries to specific regulatory and laboratory requirements
• High‐throughput screening with accurate mass and retention time confirmation
• Integration with existing single‐analyte methods as a complementary high‐resolution approach

Future Trends and Opportunities

Ongoing expansion of compound databases will address emerging veterinary drugs and transformation products. Integration of suspect screening and non‐targeted analysis workflows will further enhance detection capabilities. Advances in high‐resolution instrumentation and data processing algorithms will improve sensitivity, speed, and automated library building, supporting real‐time food safety monitoring.

Conclusion

The MassHunter Veterinary Drugs PCDL provides a robust platform for screening veterinary drug residues with high‐resolution accurate mass spectrometry. Its extensive compound coverage, regulatory tags, and customizable features make it an essential tool for laboratories focused on ensuring food safety and compliance.

References

• Schneider MJ, Lehotay SJ, Lightfield AR. Validation of a streamlined multiclass multiresidue method for determination of veterinary drug residues in bovine muscle by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2014.
• Agilent Technologies. Analysis of 122 Veterinary Drugs in Meat Using All Ions MS/MS with an Agilent 1290/6545 UHPLC-Q-TOF System. Publication number 5991-6651EN.