Enzyme immunoassay for screening sulfamethazine residues in swine blood

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed to screen for residues of sulfamethazine (SMT) and its metabolites in swine blood. Swine blood was treated with perchloric acid and centrifuged. The supernatant solution was neutralized with K2HPO4, centrifuged, and applied to a reverse phase C8 cartridge. The analytes were eluted with methanol-water (2 + 3), and the eluate was diluted and assayed. Average recoveries, using 14C-labeled compounds, were 73, 72, 61, and 62% for SMT, N4-glucosylSMT, N4-acetylSMT, and N4-desaminoSMT, respectively. Tubes coated with antibody were incubated with the eluate and an SMT-beta-galactosidase conjugate. Bound enzyme was detected with fluorogenic substrate. When blood was fortified with 0.1 ppm SMT or a molar equivalent of metabolite, the average relative response of the EIA was 100%, control blood; 61%, SMT; 66%, glucosylSMT; 60%, acetylSMT; and 77% desaminoSMT.