Development of an ELISA for sulfachlorpyridazine and investigation of matrix effects from different sample extraction procedures

The development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of residues of sulfachlorpyridazine (SCP) is described for the first time. The assay is highly specific for SCP, is simple to perform and has a lower detection limit of 0.65 ng/ml in assay buffer. The potential application of the assay to detect residues of SCP at the 0.1 mg/kg level in eggs, milk, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, porcine kidney, porcine liver and pig feedstuffs is discussed with regard to the effects of sample extracts on the standard curves. The antibody exhibits a rare stability in assay buffers containing up to 30% methanol. It is concluded that the ELISA for SCP has the appropriate characteristics for development into a robust method for the detection of this sulphonamide in agri-food materials.