Development of an indirect competitive ELISA for ciprofloxacin residues in food animal edible tissues

An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect ciprofloxacin (CPFX) in food animal edible tissues. CPFX was converted by an active ester method into conjugates CPFX-bovine serum albumin (CPFX-BSA) and CPFX-human serum albumin (CPFX-HSA), which both allowed production of CPFX-specific rabbit antisera. In the ELISA, CPFX-HSA was coated onto the microtiter plate, followed by incubation with standard CPFX and anti-CPFX antibody. The indirect competitive ELISA revealed that the antisera have no cross-reactivity with penicillin, gentamicin, neomycin, sulfadiazine, and chlortetracycline. The antisera cross-reacted with enrofloxacin and norfloxacin about 69.8 and 44.6% as much as they did with CPFX. This ELISA was highly sensitive (0.32 ng/mL) to CPFX determination. Recovery of CPFX at 40 microg/kg was 75.58% in pork, 81.29% in chicken, and 84.30% in milk. The coefficients of variation varied from 3.7 to 9.2% over the range of CPFX concentrations studied. The linear detection range was between 1.6 and 1000 ng/mL. The results suggest that this ELISA is a specific, accurate, and convenient method for the detection of CPFX residues in food animal edible tissues.     

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.     

Preparation of anti-tetracycline antibodies and development of an indirect heterologous competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect residues of tetracycline in milk

Tetracycline (TC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used increasingly in animal husbandry to treat diseases or to promote growth as feed additives. To avoid using labor-intensive instrumental methods to detect residues of TC in food and food products, a simple and convenient indirect heterologous competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for TC was developed using polyclonal antibody prepared in this study. Three new immunogens, TC-o-tolidine-bovine serum albumin (BSA), TC- 4-aminobenzoic acid-cationized BSA (cBSA), and TC-1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole-cBSA, were synthesized in this research to develop anti-TC antibodies. All antibodies raised in rabbits and coating antigens synthesized were screened and characterized using homologous and heterologous ELISA formats to select the best combination. An optimized ELISA gave an IC50 value of 3.92 mug/mL toward TC in PBS buffer. The specificity of the assay was studied by measuring cross-reactivity of the antibody with the structurally closely related compounds of chlortetracycline (112%) and oxytetracycline (<2%). The recovery rates from the TC-fortified raw milk samples were in the range of 74-116%, while the intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were <14.5 and <25.0, respectively.     

Development of an indirect competitive ELISA for the detection of furazolidone marker residue in animal edible tissues

Due to its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, furazolidone has been prohibited completely from being used in food animal production in the world since 1995. To monitor the illegal abuse of furazolidone, a polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was developed for the determination of tissue-bound furazolidone metabolite 3-amino-2-oxazolidone (AOZ). The highly specific antibody was targeted for PAOZ, the benzaldehyde derivative of AOZ. The 50% inhibition values (IC 50) of 0.91 microg/L for AOZ was achieved with the most sensitive antibody Ab-B1 by altering ELISA conditions. In the ELISA, sample extraction and cleanup were performed by an is MAX cartridge following combined hydrolysis of the tissue-bound AOZ and derivatization of the homogenized tissues with benzaldehyde. The limits of detection (LOD) calculated from the analysis of 20 known negative tissue samples (swine liver, swine muscle, chicken liver, chicken muscle,and fish muscle) were 0.3-0.4 microg/kg (mean+3 SD). Recoveries of AOZ fortified at the levels of 0.4, 1, and 5 microg/kg ranged from 55.8 to 96.6% in the tissues. The coefficients of variation were less than 20% over the range of AOZ concentrations studied. The linear detection range was between 0.1 and 25.6 microg/L. Validation of the ELISA method with swine muscle and liver from furazolidone-treated pigs was carried out using HPLC, resulting in a similar correlation in swine muscle (r=0.99) and in swine liver (r=0.98). The results suggest that this ELISA is a specific, accurate, and sensitive method of detecting AOZ residues in animal edible tissues.     

Development of a rapid and inexpensive assay for the nonspecific detection of antimicrobial residues in chicken egg yolks and neonatal yolk sacs

Competitive exclusion of intestinal pathogens by administration of beneficial and defined cultures of normal intestinal microflora is a safe and effective means of reducing the incidence and severity of chick infections with Salmonella and other intestinal pathogens. It is important that competitive exclusion cultures not carry genetic material (e.g., plasmids), which could transfer antibiotic resistance to other microflora, including pathogens. As such, safe and effective competitive exclusion cultures must be sensitive to commonly used antimicrobial agents. By necessity, intentional or accidental exposure of these beneficial microflora to antibiotics will reduce or eliminate the protection provided by competitive exclusion culture establishment. As antibiotic residues can be present from embryonic, hatchling, or maternal administration, a rapid and sensitive assay for the nonspecific detection of residues, which could interfere with competitive exclusion culture establishment, is needed. This study was conducted to develop a rapid and inexpensive bioassay to detect multiple antimicrobial residues in egg yolk and neonatal yolk sacs. Aerobic bacterial strains with known sensitivity to several antibiotics used by the poultry industry were selected and individually compared for sensitivity to enrofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracycline, ceftiofur, and tylosin concentrations in egg yolks. This assay was found to be relatively sensitive for the detection of these antimicrobials, and detection of residues was associated with reduced competitive exclusion culture (PREEMPT) establishment in one experiment. Importantly, this assay can be implemented with minimal training or equipment under commercial hatchery practices and could be used to determine embryo groups, in advance of hatch, that are not suitable candidates for competitive exclusion treatment in the hatchery.     

Determination of multiresidue of avermectins in bovine liver by an indirect competitive ELISA

An ELISA was developed to detect multiresidues of avermectins (AVMs) including abamectin (ABM), ivermectin (IVM), and eprinomectin (EPR) in bovine liver. The modified ABM, 4'-O-succinoyl-ABM was conjugated to bovine serum albumin as the immunogen for the preparation of polyclonal antibodies to AVMs and conjugated to ovalbumin as the coating antigen for the ELISA. Serum with the highest antibody titers to AVMs, which had a cross-reactivity of 100% with ABM, 145.4% with EPR, and 25% for IVM, was selected for the development of an indirect competitive ELISA. The ELISA could detect ABM, IVM, and EPR residues in bovine liver tissues, with a limit of quantitation of 1.06 ng/mL for all three AVMs. Optimal pH, ion strength, organic solvent, and duration of incubations were investigated to increase the sensitivity of the ELISA. Recoveries of these drugs ranged from 53.8% to 80.6% with inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV) of 3.4-17.9% and intra-assay CV of 5.5-14.7%. Analysis results of field samples by the ELISA were consistent with those by a previously developed HPLC method. The ELISA can be used as a rapid method for screening of AVMs residues in bovine liver.     

Development of an ELISA for quantifying lysozyme in hen egg white

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by inhibition was developed for quantifying lysozyme in hen egg white (HEW), a protein of value in not only the food and pharmaceutical industries but also for poultry research. Various experimental conditions (coating, antibodies dilutions, samples dilutions, preparations, blocking agents, and incubation times) were assayed to optimize this assay to the quantification of HEW in egg white samples. HEW samples were diluted 1:3000 to avoid matrix effects, possibly resulting from lysozyme interaction with other egg white proteins. Assay linearity for lysozyme ranged from 0.38 to 4.8 mug/mL, with intra- and interassay variations of 6.8% and 7.6%, respectively, and the lower detection limit was 0.264 mug/mL. We found that lysozyme concentrations in albumen from eggs laid by a hen cohort ranged from 2.2 to 4.5 mg/mL, thus underlining interhen variability. Overall, these data present an ELISA assay that is simple, quick, sensitive, accurate, and has been specifically designed to determine lysozyme concentrations in egg white samples.     

Methodology for quantifying residues of chlorhexidine in raw dairy milk

A residue method was developed as part of a pharmacokinetics study to determine the elimination of chlorhexidine in raw milk after intramammary infusion into dairy cows affected with bovine mastitis. The developed liquid/liquid and solid-phase extraction procedures effectively reduced sources of milk product interferences in the final extract. By optimizing mobile-phase pH buffer/acetonitrile gradient conditions and employing an end-capped reverse-phase polar embedded-phase chromatographic column, excellent peak resolution was achieved without the additional need of mobile-phase amine modifiers or ion-pairing reagents. The combined cleanup and chromatographic method steps reported herein were sensitive and reliable for determining the pharmacokinetic elimination of chlorhexidine following intramammary infusion. The residue method was found to be rugged with a lower detection limit of 0.1 ppm.     

Development and application of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay for aflatoxin m(1) in milk and milk-based confectionery

High-titer rabbit polyclonal antibodies to aflatoxin M(1) (AFM1) were produced by utilizing AFM1-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate as an immunogen. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was standardized for estimating AFM1 in milk and milk products. To avoid the influence of interfering substances present in the milk samples, it was necessary to prepare AFM1 standards in methanol extracts of certified reference material (CRM) not containing detectable AFM1 (< 0.05 ng/g). The reliability of the procedure was assessed by using CRM with AFM1 concentrations of < 0.5 and 0.76 ng/g. Also, assays of milk samples mixed with AFM1 ranging in concentration between 0.5 and 50 ng/L gave recoveries of > 93%. The relative cross-reactivity with aflatoxins (AF) and ochratoxin A, assessed as the amount of AFM1 necessary to cause 50% inhibition of binding, was 5% for AFB1 and much less for AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2; there was no reaction with ochratoxin A. AFM1 contamination was measured in retail milk and milk products collected from rural and periurban areas in Andhra Pradesh, India. Of 280 milk samples tested, 146 were found to contain < 0.5 ng/mL of AFM1; in 80 samples it varied from 0.6 to 15 ng/mL, in 42 samples from 16 to 30 ng/mL, and in 12 samples from 31 to 48 ng/mL. Most of the milk samples that contained high AFM1 concentrations were obtained from periurban locations. The results revealed a significant exposure of humans to AFM1 levels in India and thus highlight the need for awareness of risk among milk producers and consumers.     

Direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for sulfamethazine residues in milk

A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is described for the detection and estimation of sulfamethazine residues in milk. Samples are cleaned up rapidly by acidifying and centrifuging the milk, adjusting the supernatant liquid to pH 7.0, and centrifuging again. The supernate is then assayed using set points to estimate sulfamethazine levels in the sample in the range of 1 ppb to 1 ppm. Multiple samples of milk can be screened in 1.5-2 h by this ELISA method.     

Analysis of fenbendazole residues in bovine milk by ELISA

Fenbendazole residues in bovine milk were analyzed by ELISAs using two monoclonal antibodies. One monoclonal antibody (MAb 587) bound the major benzimidazole anthelmintic drugs, including fenbendazole, oxfendazole, and fenbendazole sulfone. The other (MAb 591) was more specific for fenbendazole, with 13% cross-reactivity with the sulfone and no significant binding to the sulfoxide metabolite. The limit of detection of the ELISA method in the milk matrix was 7 ppb for MAb 587 and 3 ppb for MAb 591. Fenbendazole was administered in feed, drench, and paste form to three groups of dairy cattle. Milk was collected immediately before dosing and then every 12 h for 5 days. The ELISA indicated that residue levels varied widely among individual cows in each group. Fenbendazole levels peaked at approximately 12-24 h and declined rapidly thereafter. Metabolites were detected at much higher levels than the parent compound, peaked at approximately 24-36 h, and declined gradually. Residue levels were undetectable by 72 h. The ELISA data correlated well with the total residues determined by chromatographic analysis, but the use of the two separate ELISAs did not afford an advantage over ELISA with the single, broadly reactive MAb 587. The ELISA method could be used to flag high-residue samples in on-site monitoring of fenbendazole in milk and is a potential tool for studying drug pharmacokinetics.     

Development of competitive direct ELISA for gossypol analysis

Anti-gossypol monoclonal antibody was purified from cell culturing supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Protein A AffinityPak. The antigen (i.e., gossypol) was labeled with horseradish peroxidase through Schiff-base formation. Both the purified antibody and the enzyme-labeled gossypol were employed to develop a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cdELISA) for gossypol analysis. I50 value, the concentration of gossypol causing 50% inhibition of the maximum ELISA signal in the competitive standard curve, was 0.067 microg/mL, whereas the detection limit for gossypol was 0.005 microg/mL. We also observed a good correlation (R2= 0.96, P < 0.05) between the cdELISA method and the AOCS official method for "free" gossypol (extractable gossypol and gossypol derivatives by 70% acetone) analysis of cottonseed meals. This indicates that the newly developed cdELISA could be a valuable and feasible alternative for determination of "free" gossypol, especially when the available sample is limited with relatively low gossypol concentration.     

A group-specific microbiological test for the detection of tetracycline residues in raw milk

The potentiality of using a luminescent Escherichia coli strain for the specific detection of tetracycline residues in raw bovine milk was investigated. The sensor cells contain a reporter plasmid carrying the bacterial luciferase operon of Photorhabdus luminescens under the control of the tetracycline responsive control region from transposon Tn10. Incubation of the cells with the sample containing tetracyclines increases the light emission of the sensor cells. The most sensitive tetracycline detection was achieved in 120 min and by using CDTA as a chelating agent in the assay. Heat-treatment of milk before the assay decreased the variations in background luminescence signals and in tetracycline-induced luminescence between different milk samples. The detection limits for tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, methacycline, demeclocycline, and minocycline were between 2 and 35 ng/mL. Nontetracycline antibiotics did not significantly interfere with the detection of tetracyclines.     

Preparation of polyclonal antibodies to a derivative of 1-aminohydantoin (AHD) and development of an indirect competitive ELISA for the detection of nitrofurantoin residue in water

Nitrofurans are used widely to treat animal diseases and were identified as the major compounds in many worldwide drug residue violations. To develop a rapid and convenient detection method to measure the residue of nitrofurantoin, we designed an immunogen and prepared a polyclonal antibody to develop an immunoassay in this study. The antibodies obtained were characterized by an indirect cELISA method and showed excellent specificity and sensitivity with IC50 of 3.2 ppb and no cross-reaction with most related species and compounds. Considering that nitrofurans often are used illegally to feed animals through drinking water, we measured the residue of nitrofurantoin in water spiked by the drug. The recovery rates are in the ranges of 88-103% for interassay and 90-103% for intra-assay. The CVs are in the ranges of 3.1-11.4% for interassay and 2.7-6.2% for intra-assay. The detection limit was determined to be 0.2 ppb. The immunoassay developed in this study is suitable to be used as a screening method to detect residues of nitrofurantoin in drinking water for animals.     

Determination of five macrolide antibiotic residues in raw milk using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A confirmatory method using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for determination of five macrolide antibiotics including spiramycin, tilmicosin, oleandomycin, erythromycin, and tylosin in raw milk is presented. Macrolides were extracted from raw milk by acetonitrile, and sample extracts were further cleaned up using solid-phase extraction cartridges. Data acquisition was achieved using multiple reaction monitoring, that is, two transitions, to provide a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. Matrix-matched standard calibration curves with the use of roxithromycin as an internal standard were utilized to achieve the best accuracy of the method. Both a conventional validation procedure and a designed experiment were applied to study the accuracy and precision of the method. The measurement uncertainty arising from accuracy and precision was estimated. The method accuracy, expressed as a percentage of overall recovery, was approximately 100%, and its intermediate precision was <10%. LC-ESI/MS/MS method detection limits (S/N > or = 3:1) of five macrolides were <0.3 microg/kg.     

Development of an ELISA for the detection of the residues of the fungicide iprovalicarb

A competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the fungicide iprovalicarb, using a polyclonal antibody produced against a hapten conjugated through the carboxyl group on the benzene ring to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Under an optimized condition using a heterologous format, an IC(50) of 3.51 ng/mL and the lowest detection limit of 0.065 ng/mL were obtained. When the isopropoxy group was removed from the iprovalicarb structure for the synthesis of a hapten, the resulting hapten was not successful as an immunogen, indicating that the isopropyl moiety was an important epitope, as evidenced by the cross-reactivities of some structurally related compounds. When applied to the real crop and water samples, the recoveries were in the range of 80.52-144.70% (n = 4) and 72.11-100.43% (n = 4), respectively. Accordingly, this ELISA can be used as a useful method for monitoring iprovalicarb residues in crop and water samples.     

Preparation of anti-pefloxacin antibody and development of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of pefloxacin residue in chicken liver

Pefloxacin has been increasingly used in veterinary medicine to treat microbial infections. To avoid using a labor-intensive instrumental method to detect the residue of pefloxacin in food, a simple and convenient indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method has been developed in this study. The antibody generated from immunogen cationized bovine serum albumin-pefloxacin showed high sensitivity toward pefloxacin with an IC50 value of 6.7 ppb in buffer and was suitable for a screening assay to detect the residue of pefloxacin in food products. The antibody has been assessed using rapid enzyme immunoassays to exploit its specificity. The antibody prepared shows cross-reactivity with a few other (fluoro)quinolones including fleroxacin (116%), enrofloxacin (88%), and ofloxacin (10%). The assay measured drug residue in chicken liver spiked with pefloxacin with an interassay coefficient of variation of 13.6% or less and an intra-assay coefficient of variation of 10.9% or less. The average recovery rates at 0.5, 5, 10, 50, and 100 ppb were in the range of 86-106% for interassay and in the range of 87-103% for intra-assay, respectively.     

Development of a chemiluminescent ELISA for determining chloramphenicol in chicken muscle

An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with chemiluminescent (CL) detection for chloramphenicol (CAP) in chicken muscle was developed. CAP-specific polyclonal antibody was raised in rabbit with a CAP-succinate derivative conjugated with bovine serum albumin. Luminol solution was used as the substrate of horseradish peroxidase. The detection limit was 6 ng/L. The CL-ELISA was 10 times more sensitive compared to the colorimetric-ELISA. When CAP was spiked in chicken muscle at levels of 0.05-5 microg/kg, recoveries ranged from 97 to 118% with coefficients of variation of 6-22%. In an actual residue study, the results obtained by CL-ELISA correlated well with those obtained by gas chromatography with microcell electron capture detector. The residue levels of CAP in treated chicken decreased with time and dropped rapidly after the first 6 h from around 50 to 10 microg/kg. After 3 days, CAP was not detected in chicken muscle. The developed method is therefore suitable for screening of CAP in chicken muscle samples.     

Development of an immunochromatographic strip test for rapid detection of melamine in raw milk, milk products and animal feed

A simple, rapid and sensitive immunogold chromatographic strip test based on a monoclonal antibody was developed for the detection of melamine (MEL) residues in raw milk, milk products and animal feed. The limit of detection was estimated to be 0.05 μg/mL in raw milk, since the detection test line on the strip test completely disappeared at this concentration. The limit of detection was 2 μg/mL (or 2 μg/g) for milk drinks, yogurt, condensed milk, cheese, and animal feed and 1 μg/g for milk powder. Sample pretreatment was simple and rapid, and the results can be obtained within 3-10 min. A parallel analysis of MEL in 52 blind raw milk samples conducted by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed comparable results to those obtained from the strip test. The results demonstrate that the developed method is suitable for the onsite determination of MEL residues in a large number of samples.     

Detection of streptomycin residues in whole milk using an optical immunobiosensor.

The development of an assay for the detection of streptomycin residues in pasteurized whole milk using an optical biosensor (Biacore) is reported. Streptomycin-adipic hydrazide coupled to bovine thyroglobulin was used to produce a sheep polyclonal antibody. The antibody displayed excellent cross-reactivity with dihydrostreptomycin (106%). There was no significant cross-reaction with other aminoglycosides or common antibiotics. Streptomycin was also immobilized onto a CM5 sensor chip to provide a stable, reusable surface. The developed assay permitted the direct analysis of whole milk samples ( approximately 3.5% fat) without prior centrifugation and defatting. Results were available in 5 min. The limit of detection of the assay was determined as 4.1 ng/mL, well below the European maximum residue limit (MRL) of 200 ng/mL. Repeatability (or coefficient of variation) between runs was determined as 3.5% (100 ng/mL; 0.5 x MRL), 5.7% (200 ng/mL; MRL), and 7.6% (400 ng/mL; 2 x MRL).