Abstract Milk is a food widely consumed by the population, so it is important that it has adequate hygienic conditions and is free of chemical contaminants from various sources. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of avermectin residues in milk produced in the state of Pernambuco. The collections were performed in the dry and rainy season, being collected 60 and 48 samples, respectively, which were analyzed in the National Agricultural Laboratory of Rio Grande do Sul by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In the dry period, 46.7% (28/60) of samples with avermectin residues above the Limit of Detection (LD), 1.7% (01/60) with levels above the Quantifiable Limit (QL) and 51.6% (31/60) did not detect any residues. In the rainy season, 6.25% (03/48) presented residues above LD and in 93.75% (45/48) of samples there was no detection of residues. No samples were detected with amounts of avermectins above the Maximum Residue Limit in this study. The milk evaluated did not expose high risks to the health of the population, due to the low level of residues present. However, veterinary drug residue monitoring data are essential for assessing human exposure to these compounds.

A procedure was developed for determination of 5 sedatives and 14 β-blockers in swine kidney and subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Three different procedures for extraction were tested, evaluated through recovery studies. The procedure using acetonitrile for extraction and cleanup with freezing at low temperature and dispersive solid phase extraction using 500 mg celite® 545 before the concentration step presented the better results. The dried samples were redissolved with methanol and analyzed using a LC-MS/MS system with electrospray ionization (ESI) operating in positive MRM mode. The recovery values for this procedure were in the 75-88% range. The robustness of the method was tested against small variations. The method was used to analyze carazolol, azaperone and azaperol in collaborative assay, obtaining results close to designed value.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a medicinal plant native to Brazil and also yields a nutritious fruit juice. Its large pulpy pseudo-fruit, referred to as the cashew apple, contains high concentrations of vitamin C, carotenoids, phenolic compounds and minerals. Natural and processed cashew apple juice (CAJ/cajuina) are amongst the most popular juices in Brazil, especially in the north-east. Both juices have antioxidant potential and suppress mutagenicity of hydrogen peroxide. In the present study we evaluated the inhibitory effects of CAJ/cajuina on Aflatoxin B1(AFB1)-induced mutation, using the Salmonella/microsome assay with the experimental approaches of pre-, co- and post-treatments. Both CAJ/cajuina suppress AFB1-induced mutagenesis in strain TA102 when applied in co- and in post-treatment. Possible mechanisms for anti-mutagenicity in co-treatment are (a) interaction with S9 enzymes, (b) metabolization to non-mutagenic compounds of AFB1 or (c) inactivation of S9 potential. Total suppression of AFB1 mutagenicity was observed in co-treatment with both CAJ and cajuina. Post-treatment anti-mutagenicity of both juices suggests a modulation of activity of error-prone DNA repair. CAJ/cajuina may be considered promising candidates for control of genotoxicity of AFB1 and may thus be considered as health foods with anti-carcinogenic potential. This promising characteristic warrants further evaluation with in vivo studies.