Rapid surface enhanced Raman scattering detection method for chloramphenicol residues

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Food Safety

Background:

• Chloramphenicol (CAP) is an antibiotic banned in food animals due to health concerns.
• Rapid and sensitive detection methods for CAP residues are crucial for food safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a rapid Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) method for detecting chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in food samples.
• To utilize gold colloidal nanoparticles for enhanced sensitivity and specificity in CAP analysis.

Main Methods:

• Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) coupled with gold colloidal nanoparticles.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for spectral assignment and validation.
• Optimization of SERS parameters including solvent, nanoparticle concentration, and absorption time.

Main Results:

• Theoretical and experimental Raman spectra of CAP showed excellent agreement, confirming characteristic peaks at 1104, 1344, and 1596 cm⁻¹.
• The SERS method achieved a detection limit of 0.1 μg/mL under optimal conditions.
• Quantitative analysis demonstrated a strong linear correlation (R²=0.9802) using the 1344 cm⁻¹ peak for CAP quantification.

Conclusions:

• The SERS technique with gold colloidal nanoparticles is a sensitive, stable, and reliable method for the rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of CAP residues in various food samples.
• This approach provides a valuable tool for monitoring banned antibiotic residues in the food supply chain.