Laboratory Testing of the Charm Test II Receptor Assays and the Charm Farm Test with Tissues and Fluids from Hogs Fed...

The potentials of the Charm Test II receptor assays for the detection of residues of sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and β-lactams and the Charm Farm Test for screening for antimicrobial residues were tested. Market hogs were fed rations containing three times the label level of sulfamethazine, chlortetracycline, and penicillin G for 2 weeks. Groups were killed after 0, 2, 4 and 8 days of withdrawal. Quantitative chemical methods were used to determine residue levels in fluids and tissues. Results were compared with those obtained using the qualitative Charm Test II receptor assays and the Charm Farm Test antimicrobial inhibition assay. For the Charm Test II assays for sulfonamides, tetracyclines and β-lactams, respectively, 1.6, 5, and 6% of the results were false positive and 7, 5, and 0% were false negative, based on the limits of detection for the test kits and the quantitative results. On a similar basis for the Charm Farm Test, 16% of the results were false positive (6 kidney, 4 muscle, and 6 urine samples) and 1% were false negative (sulfamethazine in one urine sample).