Development and validation of a potentiometric biosensor assay for tylosin with demonstrated applicability for the detection of two other antimicrobial growth-promoter compounds in feedstuffs.

A potentiometric biosensor assay based on a commercially available polyclonal antibody was developed to detect tylosin residues in animal feed. The method can be used as a rapid (less than 45 min) laboratory-based procedure or as a portable field-test for the simultaneous measurement of up to 12 different samples. For both procedures the qualitative detection capability (CCβ) for tylosin was determined as 0.2 mg kg(-1) in a range of animal feeds with a measurement repeatability at concentrations between 0.2 and 4 mg kg(-1) of ≤13% coefficient of variation (%CV). The field-test format was capable of detecting tylosin residues at operating (external air) temperatures ranging between +4 and 37°C, although some reduction in signal was observed at the lower temperatures. The laboratory-based tylosin assay was evaluated using 16 medicated and 22 non-medicated feeds and was found to give comparable data with a confirmatory method based upon liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The potential to develop a multi-probe format assay for the simultaneous detection of tylosin, spiramycin and virginiamycin was also demonstrated. Cross-validation in a second laboratory showed the assay to be transferable, reliable and robust.