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An Approach to a Rapid Test for Antibiotics in Milk¹

Department of Dairy Technology The Ohio State University, Columbus

ABSTRACT

The introduction of antibiotics as therapeutic agents for mastitis, more than a decade ago, created a need for a simple and rapid method for their detection in milk. Several tests have been developed for this purpose, but the more rapid ones (1, 3, 5, 6) require from 2.5 to 3.5 hr. for completion, and are either insensitive to low concentrations or demand specialized equipment and trained personnel. Recent attention to antibiotics in milk and dairy products has indicated the inadequacy of present testing methods and has emphasized further need for a rapid but simple assay procedure. This note is a preliminary report of a method which appears to meet these requirements. Concentrations of 0.1 µg. or more of terramycin per milliliter of milk can be detected in 20–30 min.

The test is based on the observation that a given number of bacteria reduce 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) at a greater rate when the bacterial cells are packed together than when they are suspended in a liquid medium (2, 8).

¹ Article No. 4: 60 of the Department of Dairy Technology, The Ohio State University. Supported by a grant from the United States Public Health Service.