Quantitative and confirmatory analyses of malachite green and leucomalachite green residues in fish and shrimp

Liquid chromatographic methods are presented for the quantitative and confirmatory determination of malachite green (MG) and leucomalachite green (LMG) for channel catfish, rainbow trout, tilapia, basa, Atlantic salmon, and tiger shrimp. Residues were extracted from tissues with ammonium acetate buffer and acetonitrile and isolated by partitioning into dichloromethane. LMG was quantitatively oxidized to the chromic MG with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone. Extracts were analyzed for total MG by liquid chromatography with both visible detection (LC-VIS) at 618 nm for routine screening and ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-MSn) with no discharge-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization for residue confirmation. The method was validated in each species fortified with LMG at 1, 2, 4, and 10 ng/g (ppb), and average recoveries ranged from 85.9 to 93.9%. Quantitative data were consistent for the two detection methods, with measured method detection limits of 1.0 ng/g for LC-VIS and 0.25 ng/g for LC-MSn. Incurred tissues from catfish, trout, tilapia, and salmon that had been treated with MG were also extracted and analyzed as part of this study.     

Determination of malachite green residues in fish using a highly sensitive electrochemiluminescence method combined with molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction

An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) inhibition method combined with molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) was developed for quantitative determination of malachite green (MG) residues in fish. It was found that MG could strongly inhibit the ECL signal of luminol. Under the optimized conditions, the quenched ECL intensity versus the logarithm of the concentration of MG was in good linear relationship over a concentration range from 20 to 5000 ppt. The method detection limit was found to be about 6 ppt. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized as solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, and MISPE was used for the selective extraction and purification of MG. By carrying out the oxidation reaction with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ), which could convert leucomalachite green (LMG) into MG, this method was successfully applied to determine MG residues in fish. A possible mechanism for the quenching effects of MG on luminol was also proposed.     

Development and fast screening of salbutamol residues in swine serum by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in Taiwan

The analysis of salbutamol in swine serum is the more practical basis for large scale surveillance programs in Taiwan. Objectives of the study were to develop a new assay and to compare with a commercially available kit in field test screens. A simple and reliable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to monitor the presence of beta-agonist, salbutamol, in 1,358 field samples of swine serum that were collected from local meat markets was described. The method proved to be suitable and sensitive for the detection of beta-agonist residues caused by growth promoting dosage. The limit of detection of the developed ELISA directly performed on diluted serum was 0.25 ng/mL. The application and the results of two ELISA kits (homemade and commercially available) for the screening of salbutamol were presented. For further confirmation, all samples that showed to be ELISA positive for salbutamol residues were analyzed by GC-MS. Adopting 1 ng/mL salbutamol as a cutoff value, the commercial beta-agonist ELISA had a sensitivity of 89.2% and a specificity of 86.7% versus GC-MS at a cutoff of 1 ng/mL. The homemade salbutamol ELISA had a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 98.6% and gave a low proportion of false-positive rate results. The reliability of the developed kit in terms of the percentage of false-positive rate results is evaluated. In conclusion, a sensitive, specific salbutamol ELISA has been developed that could serve as a rapid screening assay, and the detection of positive samples at the place of sampling can result in more effective control of the illegal use of beta-agonists.     

Cross-reactivity of antibodies in some commercial deoxynivalenol test kits against some fusariotoxins

Cross-reactivity of antibodies in AGRAQUANT, DON EIA, VERATOX, ROSA LF-DONQ, and MYCONTROLDON designed for deoxynivalenol (DON) determination in food and feedstuffs was evaluated against nivalenol, 3-acetylDON, 15-acetylDON, de-epoxy metabolite 1 of DON, DON-3β-glucoside, T2-toxin, HT2-toxin, fusarenone X, diacetoxyscirpenol, verrucarol, and zearalenone. Cross-reactivity measurements were run in water using the 50% reduction of absorbance of the blank for ELISA kits or through direct DON determination upon using the standards of mycotoxins via ROSA LF-DONQ or MYCONTROLDON. For the tested toxin concentrations, all DON kits have low cross-reactivity toward diacetoxyscirpenol, T2-toxin, HT2-toxin, verrucarol, and zearalenone and moderate cross-reactivity toward 15-AcetylDON and fusarenone X. AGRAQUANT, DON EIA, and VERATOX kits showed high cross-reactivity in various ranking orders against DON-3-Glc, DOM-1, and 3AcDON. DON EIA showed also high cross-reactivity against nivalenol and fusarenone X. These mycotoxins could coexist in food or feedstuffs, and analytical results can be wrongly interpreted. Cross-reactivity does not allow checking the compliance with the legal norms, but it does allow an overall risk assessment for the consumers. Updating regularly the cross-reactivity evaluation of the produced batches is recommended for 3-acetylDON, nivalenol, DON-3-Glc, de-epoxy metabolite 1, and fusarenone X.     

Use of a fractal-like gold nanostructure in surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy for detection of selected food contaminants

The safety of imported seafood products because of the contamination of prohibited substances, including crystal violet (CV) and malachite green (MG), raised a great deal of concern in the United States. In this study, a fractal-like gold nanostructure was developed through a self-assembly process and the feasibility of using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with this nanostructure for detection of CV, MG, and their mixture (1:1) was explored. SERS was capable of characterizing and differentiating CV, MG, and their mixture on fractal-like gold nanostructures quickly and accurately. The enhancement factor of the gold nanostructures could reach an impressive level of approximately 4 x 10(7), and the lowest detectable concentration for the dye molecules was at approximately 0.2 ppb level. These results indicate that SERS coupled with fractal-like gold nanostructures holds a great potential as a rapid and ultra-sensitive method for detecting trace amounts of prohibited substances in contaminated food samples.     

池塘微孔曝气和叶轮式增氧机的增氧性能比较

为研究池塘养殖中微孔曝气与叶轮式增氧机的增氧性能,用2种增氧机在清水池和鱼类养殖池塘中进行了增氧性能和溶氧值变化的比较研究。结果表明,在清水池中,微孔曝气的增氧能力、动力效率分别高出叶轮式增氧机82%和84%;而在鱼塘中,叶轮式增氧机对整个池塘的平均溶解氧增加值比微孔曝气高94%,且叶轮式增氧机对池塘水体有比较好的混合能力,缩小水层氧差能力比微孔曝气高出45.7%。研究表明在本鱼塘试验中,目前叶轮式增氧机是比同等功率配置的微孔曝气更合适的增氧方式。     

生物监测PSB菌剂净化鱼塘水的研究

采用生物监测法研究PSB菌剂对淡水鱼塘富营养有机废水的水质净化。结果表明:定期检测水体中的藻类等生物指标,可以快速、有效分析PSB菌剂的水质净化效果,方法简便实用。投放0.06%的PSB菌剂,对水质净化防治鱼病,促进鱼类生长,较为理想,同时对藻类等水生生物影响甚大。     

Evaluating the Performance of Gluten ELISA Test Kits: The Numbers Do Not Tell the Tale

A wide variety of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are commercially available for gluten detection in food, including new formats and assays with antibodies against relevant gluten epitopes. Nevertheless, problems persist to accurately determine the gluten content of products. In this study, the performance of a set of 14 ELISA kits for gluten detection, representative of the current ELISA methods available on the market, was evaluated. These tests were used to determine gluten content in a series of relevant food matrices varying in complexity. Our results show that, currently, there is no single ELISA method that can accurately detect and quantify gluten in all different matrices. This includes the current type I method R5 as recommended by Codex Alimentarius. We conclude that further improvements are urgently needed and recommend focusing on competitive formats, improving extraction methods, and the detection of relevant gluten peptides (in order of priority).     

Specificity analysis of anti-gliadin mouse monoclonal antibodies used for detection of gliadin in food for gluten-free diet

A gluten-free diet (GFD) is the sole effective long-lasting treatment of celiac disease. Four monoclonal antibodies (Abs) were prepared by immunization of animals kept on GFD with gliadin. The specificity of these Abs to decapeptides of alpha- and gamma-gliadin and omega-secalin was analyzed by the PEPSCAN technique. Repetitive sequences of alpha- and gamma-gliadin and omega-secalin containing the motifs QPFPXQ (X = Q, L, P) were recognized by all Abs tested. These Abs also frequently reacted with peptides containing the sequences QQSFPQQ, QQTFPQP, and QPFRPQ. On the basis of PEPSCAN results two Abs--8D4 and 7C6--were selected for the construction of a new ELISA kit for the detection of gliadin in food. The comparison of data obtained using the newly developed ELISA kit and commercially available ones indicated that Abs selection on the basis of their fine specificity to gliadin is useful for sensitive detection of gliadin in foods.     

Evaluation and validation of a commercial ELISA for diazinon in surface waters

The performance of a commercially available microtiter plate ELISA kit for the determination of diazinon was evaluated for sensitivity, selectivity, intra-assay repeatability, accuracy, and matrix effects in fortified distilled water and filtered and unfiltered environmental surface water samples. Repeatability and reproducibility studies show that the kit satisfies current EPA criteria for the assessment of analytical methods. Mean recoveries from spiked samples averaged 80.3, 95.5, and 103.5% from distilled, unfiltered surface, and filtered surface waters, respectively. The experimentally determined method detection limit (MDL) for the commercial diazinon microtiter plate format (0.0159 microg L(-)(1)) was comparable to the least detectable dose (LDD) established by the manufacturer (0.022 microg L(-)(1)). Specificity studies indicate that the diazinon polyclonal antibody can readily distinguish the target compound from other structurally similar organophosphorus analogues, with the exception of diazoxon. Cross-reactivity with the oxon was approximately 29%, while reactivity with pirimiphos-methyl, pirimiphos-ethyl, and chlorpyrifos-ethyl was negligible. A slight matrix effect was discovered to be present in both filtered and unfiltered environmental water matrixes, but its effect on the immunoassays is insignificant within experimental error. For validation of the microtiter plate ELISA format, environmental surface and storm runoff water samples were collected, split, and analyzed directly by ELISA and by liquid-liquid extraction followed by GC (California State Department of Food and Agriculture method EM 46.0). Results of the two analytical methods were then compared statistically. A close correlation was found between methods for unspiked and untreated river water samples (r = 0.969) while a much less robust correlation was obtained for runoff waters (r = 0.728). Results from runoff waters exhibit a particularly high positive bias for the ELISA method relative to the GC method. Cross-reactivity of diazoxon and probably other unidentified cross-reacting components may be responsible for the exaggerated account of the target analyte in surface and runoff waters. While excellent for screening purposes, further study is required to elucidate and quantify the factors responsible for the consistent overestimation of ELISA results before the kit can be employed routinely for regulatory compliance monitoring.     

Poly- and monoclonal antibody-based ELISAs for fipronil

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for fipronil was developed by using polyclonal antibodies (pABs) or monoclonal antibodies (mABs), and its suitability of the determination of this analyte in spiked water samples was studied. The pABs-based assay showed I50 = 17.95 ppb, I90 = 203.40 ppb, and I10 = 0.066 ppb, whereas the mABs-based assay showed I50 = 5.99 ppb, I90 = 485.40 ppb, and I10 = 0.074 ppb. The recoveries of fipronil from tap water samples by pABs-based ELISA were 93.00-124.00% in the range of 0-500 ng/mL, and those obtained from the samples by mABs-based ELISA were 94.70-108.00%. Different types of water from pool, river, and sea were spiked at different levels (ranging form 0.1 to 10 microg/L) and were assayed by the indirect ELISA with mABs. The recoveries of fipronil by this ELISA were in the range of 80-120%. The results demonstrate that this assay is suitable for the quantitative detection of fipronil at trace levels in water samples.     

Development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for evaluation of chapati-making quality of wheat varieties

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for evaluation of chapati-making quality of wheat varieties. Polyclonal antibodies against gliadin, low molecular weight glutenin (LMG), and high molecular weight glutenin (HMG) were developed and utilized in the ELISA. Twenty-eight Indian wheat varieties were utilized in the ELISA. Out of these antibodies, an antigliadin antibody response was negatively correlated with farinograph water absorption (r = -0.89 at P < 0.01), chapati dough water absorption (r = -0.91 at P < 0.01), overall chapati sensory score (r = -0.95 at P < 0.01), chapati puffed height score (r = -0.95 at P < 0.01), and positively correlated with shear value of chapati (r = 0.76 at P < 0.01). Anti-LMG antibody response was not correlated with any of these parameters, whereas anti-HMG response positively correlated with chapati dough water absorption (r = 0.44 at P < 0.05), farinograph water absorption (r = 0.45 at P < 0.05), and overall chapati sensory score (r = 0.44 at P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with shear value (r = -0.38 at P < 0.05) and chapati puffed height (r = -0.44 at P < 0.05). The results indicate that wheat varieties with good chapati-making quality were having less antigliadin antibody response.     

苏丹红Ⅰ直接竞争ELISA检测试剂盒的研制

直接包被多克隆抗体建立了苏丹红ⅠELISA检测技术,研制苏丹红ⅠELISA检测试剂盒。结果表明,制备的多克隆抗体对苏丹红Ⅰ亲合力强、特异性高,试剂盒标准曲线呈典型的S型,符合4参数logit曲线拟合,线性范围为1.55～100μg/L,50%抑制率(IC50)为13.52μg/L,灵敏度(IC10)为1.95μg/L,平均批内与批间变异系数分别为7.6%与10.6%,与苏丹红Ⅱ、Ⅲ的交叉反应率分别为4.40%和1.70%,与苏丹红Ⅳ及其他违禁食品染色剂交叉反应率低于0.01%;干辣椒、辣椒粉、辣椒油与辣椒酱等4种样品的苏丹红平均添加回收率分别为88.1%、91.4%、78.2%和84.3%,最低检测限分别为1.82、1.71、2.19和2.12μg/kg;与HPLC检测方法具有较高的相符性,4种样品相关系数分别为0.95,0.94,0.86和0.87;该试剂盒在4℃下至少可保存180d,可用于辣椒及其制品中苏丹红Ⅰ的批量快速低成本筛查。     

二氟沙星残留检测直接竞争ELISA试剂盒的研制及其性能测定

应用抗二氟沙星单克隆抗体（DIFmAb）杂交瘤细胞株建立直接竞争ELISA分析方法,研制出DIF残留快速检测试剂盒（DIF-Kit）并对其性能进行了测定。特异性试验结果表明与达氟沙星的交叉反应率为0.32％,与其它氟喹诺酮类药物和磺胺类药物无交叉反应,该方法对DIF的检测限可达到0.1µg/L,半数抑制浓度IC50为2.2µg/L,线性范围0.1～128µg/L, 平均批内和批间变异系数小于<15%。对牛奶、鸡肉分别添加0.4、2.0、10.0、50.0µg/LDIF标准品,平均回收率分别为89.3%和83.9%。DIF-Kit性能稳定,在4℃可保存6个月。DIF-Kit准确度高、重复性好、特异性强,适用于DIF残留快速检测的推广应用。     

Label‐Free Proteomic Analysis of Wheat Gluten Proteins and Their Immunoreactivity to ELISA Antibodies

Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods are currently the most widely used for gluten quantification. However, the lack of comparable measurements among commercial kits has caused much concern. Here, we studied the immunoreactivity of five commercial ELISA kits to wheat gluten fractionated by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography and identified the proteins and peptides in the resulting fractions by mass spectrometry to understand the extent to which these may be contributing to the lack of comparability. The investigated monoclonal antibodies clearly demonstrated divergent responses to the fractioned wheat gluten proteins and sometimes to their initial intended targets. To make comparable gluten measurements a reality, the analytical measurement community requires a set of agreed peptide markers, known conversion factors from these markers to total gluten content, and appropriately characterized (certified) reference materials representative of gluten.     

Determination of florfenicol amine residues in animal edible tissues by an indirect competitive ELISA

Florfenicol (FF) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used increasingly in aquaculture, livestock, and poultry to treat diseases. To avoid using labor-intensive instrumental methods to detect residues of FF in food and food products, a simple and convenient indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) method for florfenicol's major metabolite, florfenicol amine (FFA), was developed using a polyclonal antibody prepared in this study. FFA was covalently attached to carrier protein as immunogen by using the glutaraldehyde method. The antibodies obtained were characterized by an ELISA method and showed excellent specificity and sensitivity with the 50% inhibition values (IC 50) of 3.34 microg/L for FFA in PBS buffer. In the ELISA, sample extractions were performed by ethyl acetate/ammonium hydroxide (90 + 10, v/v) following combined acid hydrolysis of FF and its known metabolites. The limits of detection (LOD) calculated from the analysis of 20 known negative swine muscle, chicken muscle, and fish samples were 3.08, 3.3, and 3.86 microg/kg (mean + 3 SD), respectively. Recoveries of FFA fortified at the levels of 5, 50, 100, and 300 microg/kg ranged from 64.6 to 124.7%, with coefficients of variation of 11.3-25.8% over the range of FFA concentrations studied. Validation of the ELISA method with FFA-fortified swine muscle at the levels of 10, 50, 100, and 200 microg/kg was carried out using GC, resulting in a similar correlation in swine muscle ( r = 0.97). The results suggest that this ELISA is a specific, accurate, and sensitive method, which is suitable for use as a screening method to detect residues of FFA in animal edible tissues.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of fluridone aquatic herbicide and its metabolite in fish and crayfish

A residue method is described for determination of the aquatic herbicide fluridone (1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4(1H)-pyridinone) and its metabolite (1-methyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]-4(1H)-pyridinone) in fish and crayfish tissues. Both compounds are extracted from tissues with methanol, and the extracts are subjected to acidic hydrolysis to release conjugated forms of fluridone and the metabolite. Sample extracts are purified by liquid-liquid partitioning and Florisil Sep-Pak column chromatography. Both compounds are separated and measured by reverse phase liquid chromatography with UV detection at 313 nm. In the absence of interfering peaks, the method has a detection limit of approximately 0.04 ppm of either compound. Overall, recoveries averaged 96% for fluridone and 78% for the metabolite for all tissue types combined.     

Development of a magnetic particle-based enzyme immunoassay for the determination of penoxsulam in water

A competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for the quantitation of Penoxsulam [2-(2,2-difluoroethoxy)-6-(trifluoromethyl-N-(5,8-dimethoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-yl))benzenesulfonamide] in ground and surface waters was developed. This immunoassay utilizes magnetic particles as the solid phase to which polyclonal rabbit anti-Penoxsulam antibodies are attached. The ELISA has an estimated detection limit of 0.17 ppb (microg/mL) of Penoxsulam in water. Specificity studies indicate that the antibody can distinguish Penoxsulam from its major metabolites and structurally similar pesticides. Interference studies indicate that the ELISA has a wide tolerance of sample pH and salinity and for compounds commonly found in surface and ground waters. The ELISA was shown to compare favorably to LC-MS/MS on ground and surface water samples (r(2) = 0.957). The various studies performed demonstrate the usefulness of the ELISA technique as a rapid and high-throughput analytical method for the cost-effective monitoring of water samples.     

Evaluation and validation of a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid in agricultural samples

The performance of a commercially available microtiter plate ELISA kit for the determination of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid was evaluated for sensitivity, selectivity, influence of organic solvent used for extraction procedure, matrix interference originated from agricultural sample, accuracy, and method comparison with conventional HPLC analysis. The limit of detection for the kit (0.1 or 0.5 ng/mL) was determined. The working range (1-39 ng/mL) experimentally calculated on the basis of a criterion, which is determined as the range from I(20) to I(80), was comparable to that established by the manufacturer (1-50 ng/mL). The linearity of the standard curve based on the kit-assembled standard solutions agreed with the one based on the self-made standard solutions. Specificity studies indicate that the imidacloprid monoclonal antibody can readily distinguish the target compound from other structurally related neonicotinoid analogues and some metabolites, with the exception of clothianidin, the cross-reactivity of which was approximately 12%. To extract imidacloprid from an agricultural sample (apple) as simply and rapidly as possible, some extraction methods were examined. Consequently, the extraction method with hand-shaking for 5 min was the best among the examined methods. For the analysis of imidacloprid in apple samples, it was extracted directly with methanol and the extracts were diluted 10-fold (100-fold in the well) with water prior to ELISA analysis. No significant matrix interference was observed with the dilution factor. Recoveries of imidacloprid from fortified apple samples ranged from 87.7 to 112.0%. The results obtained with the ELISA kit correlated well with those by the reference method (conventional HPLC analysis) for apple samples (r > 0.998). These findings strongly indicate that the ELISA kit may be employed routinely for an on-site imidacloprid residue analysis of apple samples.     

Determination of gentian violet, its demethylated metabolites, and leucogentian violet in chicken tissue by liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A method is presented for determination of residues of gentian violet (GV), its demethylated metabolites (pentamethyl and tetramethyl), and leucogentian violet (LGV) in chicken tissue. The analytes are extracted from tissue with acetonitrile/buffer and partitioned into methylene chloride. Polar lipids are removed on an alumina column followed by partitioning into methylene chloride from a citrate buffer. The compounds of interest are isolated on a disposable carboxylic acid cation exchange column and then eluted with 0.02% HCl in methanol. GV, its metabolites, and LGV are determined by liquid chromatography using isocratic elution with a buffered mobile phase from a cyano column and amperometric electrochemical detection at +1.000 V. Average recoveries of GV and LGV from commercially purchased chicken liver fortified with 20 ppb of each compound were 92% [standard deviation (SD) = 7, coefficient of variation (CV) = 7.6%] and 86% (SD = 7, CV = 8.1%), respectively. Average recoveries of GV, LGV, the pentamethyl metabolite, and 1 of the tetramethyl metabolites from control chicken liver (provided by the Center for Veterinary Medicine) fortified with 20 ppb of each compound were 80% (SD = 7, CV = 8.8%), 76% (SD = 3, CV = 3.9%), 83% (SD = 6, CV = 7.2%), and 76% (SD = 8, CV = 10.5%), respectively. Mean results from 10 analyses of residue-incurred chicken liver were 31 ppb GV (SD = 3, CV = 9.7%), 34 ppb pentamethyl metabolite (SD = 3, CV = 8.8%), and 40 ppb tetramethyl metabolite(s) (SD = 2, CV = 5.0%), for an average value of 105 ppb total residues (SD = 6, CV = 5.7%); no LGV was found. Data are also presented to show applicability of the method to muscle tissue.