ARS | Publication request: Oxytetracycline Analysis in Honey Using a Portable Specific Analyzer

Submitted to: Proceedings of SPIE
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: August 31, 2007
Publication Date: September 10, 2007
Citation: Chen, G., Schwartz, D.P., Nunez, A. 2007. Oxytetracycline Analysis in Honey Using a Portable Specific Analyzer. Proceedings of SPIE.6761:67610K-1-67610K-7

Technical Abstract: Oxytetracycline (OTC), an antibiotic extensively used in human medicine, is also effective in treatment of American and European foulbrood diseases in honey bees. To protect public health, OTC residue in honey is regulated and monitored. For the beekeeping industry it is highly desirable to perform analyses in the field to obtain immediate results rather than to collect samples and transport them to laboratories. OTC forms a stable complex with europium (Eu) that allows efficient energy transfer and time resolution, making Eu-sensitized luminescence (ESL) highly sensitive and selective for OTC analysis. Based on this technique a portable analyzer was developed in this laboratory and used to perform such tasks. Following OTC extraction from honey, reagents are applied and ESL is measured. The ESL signal correlates very well with OTC concentration in the 50-1000 ng/g range. With a 16-lb instrument and a 13 ng/g limit of detection, this method makes sensitive field analysis possible.