Generic simple enzyme immunoassay approach to avert small molecule immobilization problems on solid phases...

Generic simple and sensitive universal enzyme immunoassay approach for the determination of small analytes has been developed to avert the problems associated with small molecule immobilization onto solid phases. The developed assay employed a heterogeneous non-competitive binding format. The assay used anti-analyte antibody coupled to polyacrylamide beads as a solid-phase and beta-d-galactosidase enzyme-labeled analyte as a label. In this assay, the analyte in a sample was firstly incubated to react with an excess of the antibody-coupled beads, and then the unoccupied antibody binding sites were allowed to react with the enzyme-labeled analyte. Analyte bound to the antibody-coupled beads was separated by centrifugation, and the enzyme activity of the supernatant was measured spectrophotometrically at 420nm, after reaction with 4-nitrophenyl-beta-d-galactopyranoside as a substrate for the enzyme. The signal was directly proportional to the concentration of analyte in the sample. The optimum conditions for the developed assay were established and applied to the determination of tobramycin, as a representative example of the small analytes, in serum samples. The assay limit of detection was 10ngmL(-1) and the effective working range at relative standard deviation of