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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #252988
Title: Specific antibody for pesticide residue determination produced by antibody-pesticide complex

Author
item LIU, YH - Zhejiang University
item Chen, Jian
item WANG, CM - Zheijiang University
item GUO, YR - Zheijiang University
item LIANG, X - Zheijiang University
item ZHU, GN - Zheijiang University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Science and Health
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/5/2010
Publication Date: 7/5/2010
Citation: Liu, Y., Chen, J., Wang, C., Guo, Y., Liang, X., Zhu, G. 2010. Specific antibody for pesticide residue determination produced by antibody-pesticide complex. Journal of Environmental Science and Health. 45:540-546.

Interpretive Summary: Pesticides are a major source of environmental pollution and food contamination. Routine monitoring of pesticide residue is required in order to protect the environment and ensure the food safety. Analytical methods using gas and liquid chromatography are sensitive and reliable for the detection of pesticide residues; however, they require well-trained personnel, sophisticated instrumentation, a well-equipped laboratory and time-consuming sample preparation. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for more rapid and economic methods for analyzing pesticide residues. Immunoassays, especially the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), have been emerging as an attractive alternative to the traditional chromatographic methods. Due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness, immunoassays can be used for the high sample throughput and on-site screening of pesticide residue. A successful immunoassay for detection of pesticide residue requires the production of antibodies against the targeted pesticide molecule. The property of the antibodies greatly affects sensitivity and specificity of the immunoassay. This study demonstrated that an Ab-pesticide complex may be a suitable alternative immunogen for producing highly specific antibody to improve the immunoassay sensitivity. Such new antibody may have better performance in developing heterologous ELISAs compared with the antibody produced by traditional immunogens.

Technical Abstract: A new method for specific antibody production was developed using antibody (Ab)-pesticide complex as a unique immunogen. Parathion (PA) was the targeted pesticide, and rabbit polyclonal antibody (Pab) and mouse monoclonal antibody (Mab) were used as carrier proteins. The Ab-PA complexes were generated by conjugating the two antibodies with an excessive dosage of parathion. It was shown that the sensitivity of homologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the newly produced antibodies was similar to that using original