Development of a Polarization Fluorescent Immunoassay for Sulfathiazole and Its Application for Honey Testing

A fluorescence polarization immunoassay has been developed for the detection of the antibacterial sulfathiazole. The latter belongs to the sulfonamide class of antibacterial, which is used in beekeeping for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases of bees. The assay conditions, which ensure the achievement of high analytical characteristics, are determined. The duration of the analysis is 5 min; the limit of sulfathiazole detection is 3 ng/mL. A study of the assay selectivity concerning other sulfonamides demonstrated high specificity only towards sulfathiazole. An optimal method of sample preparation before control honey contamination was proposed. The effectiveness of the developed analysis for the detection of sulfathiazole in honey samples was confirmed. The developed fluorescent polarization immunoassay is a rapid and efficient analytical system for rapid and sensitive control of honey quality and safety.