Application of quantum dot-antibody conjugates for detection of sulfamethazine residue in chicken muscle tissue

A new indirect competitive fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (cFLISA) method for the detection of sulfamethazine (SM2) in chicken muscle tissue was demonstrated using quantum dots (QDs) as the fluorescence label coupled with secondary antibody. The sensitivity of the cFLISA was compared with that of the HPLC method. The 50% inhibition value (IC50) and the limit of detection (LOD) of the cFLISA were 7.7 and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively. When SM2 was spiked at levels of 50, 100, and 200 ng/g, recoveries ranged from 80.6% to 117.4%, with a coefficient of variation of 6.9-9.6%. In the incurred sample analysis, the amounts of SM2 quantified by cFLISA were similar to the results obtained by the HPLC method. This study shows that cFLISA could be used as a screening method in practice.