DETECTION OF SALMONELLA SPP IN FOOD-PRODUCTS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND HYBRIDIZATION ASSAY IN MICROPLATE FORMAT

Here, hybridization assay of amplified products is described which det ect Salmonella spp. from chicken fillets and other food homogenates wi thin 24 h. This technique is composed of four steps : (1) sample is pr e-enriched overnight in phosphate buffered peptone water; (2) total DN A is extracted; (3) a Salmonella spp. specific DNA target sequence is amplified by polymerase chain reaction; (4) amplified products are cap tured by a probe covalently bound onto NH-Covalink(TM) (Nunc, Danemark ) microwells and detected by a chemiluminescent enzymatic reaction. Th is hybridization of amplified products was demonstrated as sensitive a s their analysis on agarose gel. Compared to a bacteriological method for Salmonella spp. detection, its specificity was estimated at 100% a nd its sensitivity was 93.2% from analysis of 207 naturally contaminat ed chicken fillets samples.