| Abstract: | Development of an Enzyme Immunoassay for the Detection of Mecoprop in Drinking Water and Groundwater Based on Antibodies Raised in Chicken Egg Yolk Antibodies against mecoprop were isolated from egg yolk of immunized hens and were used for the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We tested assay parameters (pH and concentration of buffer, incubation temperature, kind of enzyme tracer) to optimize the standard curve for mecoprop. By decreasing the pH, the detection limit was reached at a concentration of 0.35 μg/L mecoprop. The concentration for 50% inhibition (50% B/B0) was 2.8 μg/L. Dichlorprop and the methyl esters of both mecoprop and dichlorprop showed high crossreactivity (165%, 400% and 233%). Antibodies against mecoprop separated from egg yolk were compared to antibodies raised in rabbit for both sensitivity and specificity. Chicken immunoglobulins were found to be less sensitive and specific than the mammalian IgG's. |
