Evaluation and validation of two microbiological tests for screening antibiotic residues in honey according to the European guideline for the validation of screening methods.

Two microbiological kits based on Bacillus stearothermophilus (Eclipse 50® and Premi®Test) have been evaluated and validated according to the European guideline for the validation of screening methods (January 2010) and in relation to the concentrations recommended by the EU-RL in 2007. Both tests are robust, a fast method and easy to implement. Both tests are applicable to a very large variety of honeys from different floral and geographical origins (rosemary, lavender, scrub, heath, alder, forest, lemon, acacia, chestnut, raspberry, mountain and flowers) as well as honey of different colours (from blank honey to brown honey, including yellow and orange honey). A satisfactory false-positive rate of 5% was obtained for the Eclipse 50® test. The observed detection capabilities CCß of the Eclipse 50® kit were: chlortetracycline (>75 µg kg(-1)), oxytetracycline (≤200 µg kg(-1)), tetracycline (>100 µg kg(-1)), cloxacillin (≤40 µg kg(-1)), tylosin (≤200 µg kg(-1)), desmycosin (>400 µg kg(-1)), sulfadiazine (≤300 µg kg(-1)), sulfadimethoxine (≤250 µg kg(-1)), sulfamerazine (>300 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethazine (>1000 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethizole (>75 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethoxazole (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfanilamide (>>1000 µg kg(-1)), sulfaquinoxaline (>75 µg kg(-1)), sulfathiazole (≤250 µg kg(-1)) and lincomycin (>1500 µg kg(-1)). These levels were all higher than the recommended concentrations where they exist. Due to its lack of sensitivity, it cannot be recommended for reliable routine use. The observed CCß of the Premi®Test kit were: chlortetracycline (10 µg kg(-1)), oxytetracycline (>10 µg kg(-1)), tetracycline (≤10 µg kg(-1)), cloxacillin (≤5 µg kg(-1)), tylosin (≤10 µg kg(-1)), desmycosin (≤15 µg kg(-1)), sulfadiazine (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfadimethoxine (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfamerazine (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethazine (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethizole (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfamethoxazole (≤10 µg kg(-1)), sulfanilamide (≤25 µg kg(-1)), sulfaquinoxaline (≤10 µg kg(-1)), sulfathiazole (25 µg kg(-1)) and lincomycin (≤25 µg kg(-1)). The Premi®Test kit could be recommended for reliable use in routine control due to its low detection capabilities (except for aminoglycosides), but the disadvantage is a high false-positive rate of 14%.

Validation of a commercial receptor kit Sulfasensor Honey for the screening of sulfonamides in honey according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC.

The Sulfasensor Honey kit is a receptor test dedicated to the screening of sulphonamide residues respectively in different matrices. The aim of this project was to evaluate and validate this kit according to the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) guideline for the validation of screening methods to achieve the French control plan for honey. The test is robust, quick (90 min for 40 samples), easy to perform and easy to read. The false-positive rate was estimated to be 12.5%. The detection capabilities CCß of the kit were lower than or equal to 25 µg kg(-1) for sulfamethazine, sulfamerazine, sulfathiazole and sulfapyridine, and between 25 and 50 µg kg(-1) for sulfadiazine and sulfadimethoxine, 150 µg kg(-1) for sulfaquinoxaline, and 1000 µg kg(-1) for sulfamethoxazole and sulfamethizole. Sulfanilamide was not detected by the kit. The kit was applicable to a wide variety of honeys (different floral and geographical origins, liquid or solid). This kit was used to implement the French control plan for the detection of antibiotic residues in honey in 2010 in parallel with an HPLC method. However, in 2011 the kit was replaced by an LC-MS/MS method for the screening and confirmation of sulfonamide residues in honey, which detects all the sulfonamides of interest.

Validation of a Five Plate Test, the STAR protocol, for the screening of antibiotic residues in muscle from different animal species according to European Decision 2002/657/EC.

The STAR protocol is a Five Plate Test (FPT) developed several years ago at the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for the screening of antimicrobial residues in milk and muscle. This paper presents the validation of this method according to European Decision 2002/657/EC and to an internal guideline for validation. A validation protocol based on 'simulated tissues' and on a list of 16 representative antimicrobials to be validated was implemented in our laboratory during several months for the STAR protocol. The performance characteristics of the method were determined (specificity, detection capabilities CCbeta, applicability, ruggedness). In conclusion, the STAR protocol is applicable to the broad-spectrum detection of antibiotic residues in muscles of different animal species (pig, cattle, sheep, poultry). The method has good specificity (false-positive rate = 4%). The detection capabilities were determined for 16 antibiotics from different families in relation to their respective maximum residue limit (MRL): beta-lactams (penicillins and cephalosporins < or = MRL), tetracyclines (< or = MRL and < or = 2.5 MRL), macrolides (2 MRL), quinolones (< or = 2 MRL), some sulphonamides (< or = 3 MRL), and trimethoprim (2 MRL). However, the sensitivity of the STAR protocol towards aminoglycosides (> 8 MRL) and florfenicol (< or = 10 MRL) was unsatisfactory (>>MRL). The two objectives of this study were met: firstly, to validate the STAR protocol according to European Decision 2002/657/EC, then to demonstrate that the validation guideline developed to implement this decision is applicable to microbiological plate tests even for muscle. The use of simulated tissue appeared a good compromise between spiked discs with antibiotic solutions and incurred tissues. In addition, the choice of a list of representative antibiotics allowed the reduction of the scope of the validation, which was already costly in time and effort.

Comparative study of three screening tests, two microbiological tube tests, and a multi-sulphonamide ELISA kit for the detection of antimicrobial and sulphonamide residues in eggs.

The screening of antimicrobial residues in eggs is an especially important subject. Three different commercial kits for the screening of sulphonamides and other antimicrobials in eggs were validated in accordance with Decision 2002/657/EC: one enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA) kit multi-sulphonamides (from RAISIO Diagnostics) and two microbiological tests (a Premi test from DSM and an Explorer kit from Zeu-Inmunotec). The false-positive rates were lower than 2% for all kits. The detection capabilities (CCbeta) have to be as low as possible for banned substances and lower than the maximum residue limit (MRL) when MRLs have been set. The sensitivity of the Premi test was better than that of the Explorer test, probably because of the dilution of the eggs before the Explorer test was used. The CCbeta values towards most of the tested sulphonamides were satisfactory with the Premi test (< or = 100 microg kg(-1)). Performance in a proficiency test for the detection of sulphonamides in eggs with the Premi test confirmed these results. The detection capabilities of tetracycline and doxycycline were at the level of the MRL or twice the MRL maximum. The detection capabilities for chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline were higher (four to six times the MRL). The detection capabilities for amoxicillin, neomycin, tylosin and erythromycin were lower than their respective MRLs. Detection capabilities for sulphonamides were much lower for the ELISA kit than for microbiological tests. The ELISA kit could be recommended for the targeted screening of sulphonamides in eggs. On the other hand, the Explorer and Premi tests could be used as wide screening tests allowing the detection of most of the antimicrobial families.

Validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry screening method to monitor 58 antibiotics in milk: a qualitative approach.

A multi-residue method was developed for monitoring antibiotic residues in milk using liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC/MS-MS). Two very short extractions followed by two LC/MS-MS acquisitions allowed the screening of 58 antibiotics belonging to eight different families (penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfonamides, macrolides, lincosamides, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, and quinolones). This method is currently implemented in the laboratory in a qualitative way, i.e. monitoring the presence or absence of residue in a sample and identification of the analyte before the confirmation step. In order to assess the performance of this method, a validation strategy described in an internal guideline for the validation of screening methods was applied. The aim of the validation was to prove sufficient sensitivity of the method to detect all the targeted antibiotics at the level of interest (maximum residue limit, MRL) at least. According to European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, the suitable sensitivity of a screening method can be demonstrated when the CCbeta is below or equal to the MRL and so the false-compliant rate below or equal to 5% at the MRL level. The validation scheme was established in order to take into account various variability factors: the apparatus response, the interday repeatability, the matrix effect, etc. The results of the validation clearly demonstrate the suitability of this method for the detection and identification of more than 50 antibiotics and they are in agreement with the results obtained in routine analysis.

Application of total error approach to assess the performance of a biological method (ELISA) to detect nicarbazin residues in eggs.

Nicarbazin, a coccidiostat, is used as a feed additive in poultry but not in laying hens. Feed contamination may however occur resulting in residues being present in eggs. As a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) does not exist for nicarbazin residues in eggs a "Differential Action Level" (DAL) of 100 microg/kg has been established by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). We have studied a commercial ELISA kit validated to detect and quantify nicarbazin in eggs with a sensitivity of 3 microg/kg. We used the total error approach to assess the performance of and validate the kit at the DAL level. The accuracy profile has been successfully obtained for the ELISA kit. The method cannot however be validated as a semi-quantitative method and we have consequently determined a cut-off based on 5% false negative rate according to European Decision 2002/657 on blank and spiked samples (70 microg/kg). The cut-off value established was 20 microg/kg using the 95th percentile.

Validation of a microbiological method: the STAR protocol, a five-plate test, for the screening of antibiotic residues in milk.

The results of an in-house laboratory validation of a microbiological method for the screening of antibiotic residues in milk are presented. The sensitivity of this five-plate test, called Screening Test for Antibiotic Residues (STAR), was established by the analysis of milk samples spiked with 66 antibiotics at eight different concentrations. Ten different groups of antibiotics were studied: macrolides, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, penicillins, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulphonamides, lincosamides, phenicolated and miscellaneous drugs. It was shown that 21 antibiotics were detected by the STAR protocol at or below the maximum residue limit (MRL), and that a further 27 drugs could be detected at levels from the MRL up to four times the MRL. The sensitivity of the STAR protocol was at or below the MRL for three macrolides, one tetracycline, two aminoglycosides, some sulphonamides, half of the beta-lactams, quinolones, lincosamides, trimethoprim and baquiloprim. Moreover, the STAR protocol was at least twice as sensitive as conventional methods for macrolides, quinolones and tetracyclines. The other antibiotics had limits of detection between four and 150 times the MRL. Each plate was preferentially sensitive for one or two families of antibacterials: the plate Bacillus cereus for tetracyclines, the plate Escherichia coli for quinolones, the plate Basillus subtilis for aminoglycosides, the plate Kocuria varians for macrolides, and the plate Bacillus stearothermophilus for sulphonamides and beta-lactams. This method has been used routinely on a day-to-day basis to direct the physicochemical confirmation towards one or two families of antibiotics. Considering the high cost of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry detection analyses, the reduction of the range of antibiotics to test for confirmation is a significant gain in time and money.

Mutations in LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 affect flowering time and plant architecture in Arabidopsis.

In plants, recent studies have demonstrated links between the regulation of developmental processes and chromatin dynamics and organisation. Analysis of new mutations affecting overall plant architecture, leaf development and flowering time in Arabidopsis has allowed us to clone and characterise LHP1, the Drosophila heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) homologue. LHP1 has the chromo and chromo shadow domains central to the function of animal proteins. Yeast two hybrid studies and in planta deletion experiments suggest similar modes of action in plants and animals via homodimer formation. In vivo localisation experiments revealed a specific subnuclear protein distribution in foci throughout the nucleus. Our data suggest that LHP1 may act as a main regulator of gene expression in plants, through formation of heterochromatin-like repressive complexes, to control developmental pathways involved in organ and cell size, and the vegetative to reproductive phase transition.

The expression of D-cyclin genes defines distinct developmental zones in snapdragon apical meristems and is locally regulated by the Cycloidea gene.

Three D-cyclin genes are expressed in the apical meristems of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus). The cyclin D1 and D3b genes are expressed throughout meristems, whereas cyclin D3a is restricted to the peripheral region of the meristem, especially the organ primordia. During floral development, cyclin D3b expression is: (a) locally modulated in the cells immediately surrounding the base of organ primordia, defining a zone between lateral organs that may act as a developmental boundary; (b) locally modulated in the ventral petals during petal folding; and (c) is specifically repressed in the dorsal stamen by the cycloidea gene. Expression of both cyclin D3 genes is reduced prior to the cessation of cell cycle activity, as judged by histone H4 expression. Expression of all three D-cyclin genes is modulated by factors that regulate plant growth, particularly sucrose and cytokinin. These observations may provide a molecular basis for understanding the local regulation of cell proliferation during plant growth and development.

Determination of sulfamethazine in milk by biosensor immunoassay.

A biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement was developed for use in an immunoassay for detection of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in milk. The biospecific surface was a carboxymethyl dextran-modified gold-surface sensor chip to which SMZ was covalently bound. The assay was based on inhibition of the binding of polyclonal antibodies to immobilized SMZ by SMZ in the sample. The SPR response changed inversely in relation to the antibiotic concentration in the sample. Calibration curves were constructed for SMZ in buffer and in milk at a concentration which included the maximum residue limit (0 to 200 micrograms/kg). The analysis time per sample varied from 8 to 30 min. Different flow rates and antibodies were modified alternatively during the study to assess their influence on the performance of the assay. The active antibody concentration was calculated at approximately 1880 and 180 nM for the antibody anti-SMZ 1 and the antibody anti-SMZ 2, respectively. No cross-reactivity of antibodies with other antibiotics was found. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits in milk for SMZ were 8 and 1.7 micrograms/kg, respectively, for antibody 1 and antibody 2, at a flow rate of 20 microL/min.

Pharmacokinetics of flumequine in sheep after intravenous and intramuscular administration: bioavailability and tissue residue studies.

The pharmacokinetic properties of flumequine and its metabolite 7-hydroxyflumequine were determined in six healthy sheep after single intramuscular (i.m.) and intravenous (i.v) injections at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight. The tissue residues were determined in 20 healthy sheep after repeated i.m. administration with a first dose of 12 mg/kg and nine doses of 6 mg/kg. The flumequine formulation used was Flumiquil 3% Suspension Injectable. The mean plasma concentrations of flumequine after i.v. administration were described by a three-compartment open model with a rapid distribution and a relatively slow elimination phase. The low value of volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) (0.52 +/- 0.24 L/kg) and high value of volume of distribution (Vdlambda3) (5.05 +/- 3.47 L/kg) emphasized the existence of a small compartment with a slow rate of return to the central compartment. The mean elimination half-life was 11.5 h. The 7-hydroxyflumequine plasma levels represented 2.3% of the total area under the curve. The mean plasma concentrations of flumequine after i.m. administration were characteristic of a two-compartment model with a first order absorption. The mean maximal plasma concentration (1.83 +/- 1.15 microg/mL) was obtained rapidly, i.e. 1.39 +/- 0.71 h after the i.m. administration. The fraction of dose absorbed from the injection site was 85.00 +/- 30.13%. The minimal concentrations of flumequine during repeated treatment were significantly lower in females than in males. Eighteen hours after the last repeated i.m. administration, the highest concentration of flumequine was observed at the injection sites followed by kidney, liver, muscle and fat. The highest concentration of 7-hydroxyflumequine was observed in the kidney and was ten times lower than the flumequine concentration. The longest flumequine elimination half-life was observed in the fat.

Distinct classes of cdc2-related genes are differentially expressed during the cell division cycle in plants.

cdc2 and several related genes encode the catalytic subunits of cyclin-dependent kinases, which have been implicated in a number of cellular processes, including control of cell division. As a first step in exploring their function in plants, we isolated four cdc2-related genes from Antirrhinum. Two genes, cdc2a and cdc2b, encode proteins that contain a perfectly conserved PSTAIRE motif characteristic of cdc2 homologs, whereas the products of the two remaining genes, cdc2c and cdc2d, appear to represent a new subclass of proteins that have so far only been identified in plants. Transcripts of these novel genes were localized in isolated cells dispersed throughout actively dividing regions of the inflorescence. This localization is consistent with accumulation that is specific to particular phases of the cell cycle. Correlating cell labeling with nuclear condensation and double-labeling experiments using cdc2 and histone H4 as probes indicated that cdc2c transcripts accumulate during S phase as well as during the G2 and M transition, whereas cdc2d expression was specific to the G2 and M phases. All cells labeled with cdc2d also contained cdc2c label, Indicating that expression of cdc2d completely overlapped with that of cdc2c. Transcripts of cdc2a and cdc2b were detected in all cells within actively dividing regions, but at levels that were only slightly higher than those observed in nondividing areas. These transcripts did not appear to accumulate in a cell cycle-specific fashion. The genes cdc2a and cdc2b were able to partially complement a yeast cdc2 mutation, although all four genes appeared to interfere with the sizing mechanism of yeast cells. We propose that plants contain at least two classes of cdc2-related genes that differ in structure, expression, and perhaps function.

Monosodium glutamate affects mealtime food selection in diabetic patients.

Lunch intake was followed in 31 matched pairs of hospitalized diabetic patients over four consecutive days. Pairs of patients were matched for type and duration of diabetes, gender, age and body mass index. Lunches were composed of appetizer, meat, vegetables, starch, cheese, bread and dessert; water, coffee, tea and lemon were available. One patient per pair was randomly ascribed to the experimental group and was served vegetable and starch dishes added with 0.6% monosodium glutamate (MSG). Lunch intake was measured by weighing amounts served and left-overs. Patients in the experimental group ingested more starch food than their matched controls, and less lemon juice and yogurt. However, the total energy load at lunch was not different between groups. This effect on meal time food selection replicates earlier observations made on elderly persons. It is suggested that manipulating palatability of various foods within a meal, and especially by using MSG, is an efficient way to affect food selection in the meal, without inducing hyperphagia.

Expression of Agrobacterium rhizogenes auxin biosynthesis genes in transgenic tobacco plants.

Plant oncogenes aux1 and aux2 carried by the TR-DNA of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4 encode two enzymes involved in the auxin biosynthesis pathway in transformed plant cells. The short divergent promoter region between the two aux-coding sequences contains the main regulatory elements. This region was fused to the uidA reporter gene and introduced into Nicotiana tabacum in order to investigate the regulation and the tissue specificity of these genes. Neither wound nor hormone induction could be detected on transgenic leaf discs. However, phytohormone concentration and auxin/cytokinin balance controlled the expression of the chimaeric genes in transgenic protoplasts. The expression was localised in apical meristems, root tip meristems, lateral root primordia, in cells derived from transgenic protoplasts and in transgenic calli. Histological analysis showed that the expression was located in cells reactivated by in vitro culture. Experiments using cell-cycle inhibitors such as hydroxyurea or aphidicolin on transgenic protoplast cultures highly decreased the beta-glucuronidase activity of the chimaeric genes. These results as well as the histological approach suggest a correlation between expression of the aux1 and aux2 genes and cell division.

Effect of pH during heat processing of partially hydrolyzed whey protein.

Whey protein isolate was modified by proteolysis using a broad-spectrum protease in combination with heat treatment of the hydrolysate. Half of the beta-lactoglobulin content was hydrolyzed when the degree of hydrolysis reached 5.1%. alpha-Lactalbumin and BSA were not attacked by the enzyme. Heating of the hydrolysate resulted in the formation of small and large aggregates, the proportion of which depended on the degree of hydrolysis and the pH during heating. The decrease in total sulfhydryl groups, as the degree of hydrolysis and heating pH increased, was associated with the formation of disulfide bonds. Whey protein hydrolysis at a degree of hydrolysis of 1.7%, followed by heating at pH 8.0, resulted in the highest amount of accessible sulfhydryl groups, reflecting the unfolded structure of the aggregates. Hydrolysate solubility at neutral pH averaged 98% when pH during heating was 4.0 or 8.0. Heating of whey protein at pH 6.0 resulted in a much lower solubility, which was attributed to the high proportion of large aggregates. Solubility of the hydrolysate at pH 4.5 was higher when pH during heating was adjusted to 4.0. Solubility of the hydrolysate heated at pH 6.0 and 8.0 improved with degree of hydrolysis > 1.7%. Results are discussed in relation to interactions of proteins and peptides during heat processing.

A reporter gene under the control of tms or aux promoters is differentially expressed in tobacco and barley protoplasts.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and some Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains possess auxin biosynthesis genes (tms and aux genes respectively), responsible for a de novo auxin biosynthetic pathway in transformed plant cells. A comparison is presented of the potential expression of these genes in a monocotyledonous (barley) and a dicotyledonous plant (tobacco). The promoters of the genes were translationally fused to the ß-glucuronidase reporter gene and analysed in transient expression experiments. The tms and aux fusions were highly expressed in tobacco, but not in barley. However, the aux enhancer active in tobacco, conferred low ß-glucuronidase expression in barley when fused to a truncated cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The results are discussed in relation to the differential responses to Agrobacterium infection in monocots and dicots.

Multiple regions of a divergent promoter control the expression of the Agrobacterium rhizogenes aux1 and aux2 plant oncogenes.

The two auxin biosynthesis genes, aux1 and aux2 of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4, are located on opposite DNA strands with a short integenic region (394 bp) between their coding sequences. A functional analysis of this divergent promoter is presented. The transcription initiation sites of the two aux genes were determined and regions important for promoter activity were identified by deletion and transient expression analyses in tobacco protoplasts. The promoter activity of the aux intergenic region was demonstrated. A strong enhancer element contained within an 84 bp promoter fragment was identified. Far upstream regions were shown to have negative effects on the promoter activity of the short intergenic region. Interactions between positive elements in the intergenic region and negative effects of the upstream sequences may be the basis of strict control of the auxin biosynthesis necessary for the induction and maintenance of hairy root growth.

A cross-hybridization method for DNA mapping with photobiotin-labeled probes.

An efficient procedure combining the Southern Cross method described by H. Potter and D. Dressler (1986, Gene 48, 229-239) and the use of nonradioactive reporter molecules which allows fast restriction mapping of DNA molecules up to 40 kb is described. In this method, photobiotin-labeled fragments for one restriction enzyme cross-hybridize with at least five unlabeled digests transferred onto nylon membranes. Hybridization spots are revealed on recipient membranes at a homologous fragment cross, allowing direct restriction map construction. In comparison with 32P "cross-blot" hybridization, photobiotin labeling is safer, faster, and easier to dispose of.