Development of an ELISA screening test for nitroimidazoles in egg and chicken muscle Original Research Article

An antibody was generated that can bind metronidazole (MNZ), a nitroimidazole drug used in veterinary medicine to treat poultry for coccidiosis and histomoniasis. A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) is described. It was used to characterise binding of this antibody to a number of nitroimidazole drugs. It displayed cross-reactivity with dimetridazole (DMZ), ronidazole (RNZ), hydroxydimetridazole (DMZOH), and ipronidazole (IPZ). Egg and chicken muscle samples were extracted with acetonitrile and de-fatted by washing with hexane. Detection capabilities (CCβ) were determined: dimetridazole, <1 ppb (egg) and <2 ppb (muscle); metronidazole, <10 ppb; ronidazole and hydroxydimetridazole, <20 ppb; ipronidazole, <40 ppb.