Microbiological assay for chloramphenicol residues

Procedures for the assay of chloramphenicol in milk, urine, serum, and muscle tissue are presented. The procedures specify an assay design with all standards as well as samples present on each plate, oxytetracycline in the buffer-diluent for greater sensitivity, a minimal medium to enhance the inhibitory effect of chloramphenicol on the assay organism, and a tetrazolium dye to improve the ability to measure the zones of inhibition. Recoveries of unbound chloramphenicol from bovine urine were 90.8%, from serum 88.3%, from milk 79.3%, from swine muscle 71.3%, and from beef and chicken muscle 61.0 and 61.4%, respectively. The lower levels of measurement in urine and serum were 0.25 microgram/mL, 0.025 microgram/mL in milk, and 0.10 microgram/g in muscle tissue.